Your family room is the most important room when it comes to connecting with your loved ones. Whether family means your soulmate, children, furry friends, or all or some of the above, it’s a space that should draw you together & feel great. A place for you to converse, laugh, share your day, kick back, be entertained, and wind down.

That’s a tall order.

But in order to achieve that tall order, there are some essential elements to pulling your family room all together. In this post, I’ll share the key components to making this happen.

when you’re in your family room you should feel the day melting away. it’s your well deserved escape. your vacation from thinking.

I’ve got some good news for you. Your family room is the easiest room to pull together. It’s a room where Less is Truly More. Thank you, Mies Van Der Rohe for the original concept.

no matter what size your family room is they all require the same components

I honestly have one of the smallest family rooms known to man. The original part of our home was built in 1893. Although we have more than doubled the size of the original home, our family room exists in the historical portion near the front.

We had the opportunity to tear out a wall to enlarge it, however, we would have compromised our historical status & precious plaque on the front of our home. So we chose to keep the tiny little space, which is not quite 10’ x 13 1/2’.

As small as it is, my grown children are still drawn to this room every time they visit. It’s a family room that embraced us at the end of many long days as they were growing up. My goal is to guide you on creating that same loving feeling that we have experienced over the 21 years we’ve lived here.

Here are the 3 components…

Comfort

Comfort starts with your furniture. You need good bones to work around. A sofa or sectional, at least one comfortable chair, an ottoman & a coffee table are all a must to get started. However, in this post I’m going to assume that you already have the basic furniture to work with. If you do have a sofa that is worn or you’re simply tired of the fabric, you might want to check out my earlier blogpost, Is It Worth Getting a Sofa Reupholstered.

Moving beyond the furniture there are other items that offer comfort & add to the design of your family room.

Pillows

When searching for pillows, you’re looking for both style & comfort. Something that will pull your look together but offer a soft place to rest your head or buffer your back. What’s inside the pillow, which is called the insert, does make a difference. Foam or fiber fill inserts just don’t cut it for creating comfort. Go for natural down fill or a synthetic down blend. These are the kind of pillows you can karate chop & sink your head into. One of the lines I love working with for quality pillows & a fun selection of fabrics is Eastern Accents. When my client doesn’t want to splurge for custom pillows this is my go-to line.

Area Rug

You might be wondering why I didn’t start with the area rug. For some reason, I never have. It might have to do with being forced to work with an excessive amount of oriental rugs back in the the ‘90’s when clients purchased rugs like art. The funny thing is, I often thought it was a purchase they regretted. Don’t get me wrong there were some very beautiful rugs but if you’re like me, my eyes are not drawn to the floor when I walk into a room, nor do I want them to be. I like to keep my chin up & take in the room as a whole. In order to achieve this, the look has to be pulled together.

Now that’s out of the way, area rugs can offer color, warmth & comfort. Not only to your tootsies but to your furry friends & young children who play on low ground. Area rugs should be chosen with everyone & every purpose in mind.

My favorite type of rugs are made from 100% Wool. Wool is not only natural, it’s free of chemicals & easy to remove stains plus it offers comfort. Many of the retailers like Pottery Barn & Restoration Hardware carry a nice selection. Some of my other favorite vendors for wool rugs are Dash & Albert an Annie Selke company & Feizy Rugs. You’ll find a nice selection of colors & patterns that will help pull the look together & complement the other elements in the room.

Lamps

Lighting is also a key component to adding comfort. When you’re relaxing with your family, you don’t want bright light but you don’t want it totally dark either.This is where table lamps & floor lamps are so important. Look for lamps that add style as well as functionality to your family room. Shades of Light has a nice variety right here.

For more on ambient lighting be sure to check out my earlier blogpost Home Lighting For Your Health & Well Being.

Throw Blankets

If you’re like me, I’m cold in the winter & cold in the summer with the air conditioning running constantly. I always need a soft, cuddly throw to wrap my shoulders with. I cozy up to my little West Highland Terrier, Burberry or sometimes it’s my Granddaughter, Sloane. My Daughter-In-Law, Abby, crocheted me a beautiful chenille throw for Christmas I’m very fond of.

When purchasing throws, I’m always drawn to The Company Store first. I love specialty brands & since they specialize in bedding, I find that they focus on good quality. Pick a color or pattern that complements your pillows. Make sure you have a couple to share with other family members.

Organization

Since we gather as a family we all tend to have our toys that we bring with us. Whether those be our children’s toys or our devices, it tends to create clutter unless we have a purposeful way of keeping it from looking that way. Pulling your family room all together requires having a nice vessel for those to be stored in, to keep the room looking it’s best. The Container Store is my favorite place to visit to find soft holders for kids toys & books, a basket for the various remote controls if you still have all that stuff, & storage for books or other media that you still want to keep.

End tables also fall into the category of organization. Drawers are always helpful to stow away controls & miscellaneous items you like to have handy like reading glasses. There is a nice selection on Hayneedle right here. Look for something that’s not too bulky but has enough surface space for a lamp & photo frame.

The fact is, you want to keep your family room as uncluttered as possible to keep your mind relaxed.

For a more in depth dive into this component be sure to read my earlier blogpost, Creating a Home That Brings Out The Best In You.

Accessories & Art

Now it’s time to add the pizzazz. These are the final touches that seal the deal in pulling your family room all together.

Decorative Objects

These are your signature pieces. The accents that say a little about who you are & what your interests are. These can be pieces you have purchased on vacation or something that just speaks to who you are. You don’t need to overdo it. Just one or two can go a long way to creating the mood you’re going for. I do like the collection they have on Joss and Main right here. They have a nice variety for many styles.

Photo Frames

I don’t think a family room is complete without family photos. Again, let’s not overdo it. Keep the photos updated & the frames should coordinate with the decor. I really like the quality & style of these found on William Sonoma. One or two will do it. Remember, Less is Truly More when it comes to your family room.

Candles

I always like to have a candle burning in the room I’m in. It immediately makes me feel relaxed. I recommend you stick to soy candles in jars & be sure you have them in a safe place away from young ones & pets that might knock them over. Add a pretty dish beneath to protect your furniture. There are a lot of good choices available now that have a clean burn. I generally love candles with fragrance but in the family room I prefer to have unscented candles.

Artwork

It doesn’t take much art to pull your family room all together. One piece over the sofa can do a great job. Take your time with finding art that contributes to the feeling of escaping the day to day responsibilities. A pretty ocean scene, mountains or Parisian setting. Whatever it is that makes your heart sing. An abstract piece of art can also add fun to the room. Art.com is one of my favorite places to shop for art. It’s not necessarily fine art, but it’s nice enough to pull your family room all together. I like that you can choose your size & frame style to accommodate your application. My clients have been very happy with their purchases.

I love that someone finally came up with a television that really looks like a quality piece of art. The Samsung Frame. It comes in a variety of sizes. It can be wall mounted or sit on a console. It serves nicely as a piece of art & television.

The photo below is an affiliate link. I earn a small percentage on your purchase.

The Samsung Frame TV has the ability to change the Art screen to change up the look. The mat is just an image.

See, I told you it wouldn’t be complicated. Pulling your family room all together for you & your family to enjoy & wind down at the end of the day is something you can do by next week. I hope this helps you on your path to making this a reality.

If you need more direction on getting started consider my Local or Online Design Services! My new Online Design Package Pull It All Together might be the perfect package for you. I’m here to guide you!