A modern family room features a beige sofa adorned with decorative pillows and a sleek dark wooden floor. A small dog stands by the glass door on the right, while artwork and a plant enhance the shelves near the staircase, completing this stylish makeover.
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Casual Modern Family Room Makeover

ByLisa
2 Comments

You guys!!! Guess what today is? No, it’s not my birthday, but it might as well be because today is the first day of the 2020 Fall One Room Challenge! For this exciting six week makeover I will be tackling our family room and giving it a casual modern update. If you recall, this is not my first time participating. In 2018 we tackled our backyard and in 2017 we tackled my mom’s kitchen. These projects turned out so good and the ORC really drove my motivation to tackle them, I figured why not end 2020 with a bang? Hopefully not literally, haha! You ready?  This casual family room makeover features a modern couch, patterned pillows, and a matching armchair on a textured rug. A coffee table, potted plants, floor lamp, and decorative poufs complete the look. A large mirror is mounted above, with wooden flooring throughout.

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For those of you who are not familiar with the One Room Challenge or ORC it is a bi-annual event hosted by Linda at Calling it Home and media partner Better Homes & Gardens where bloggers and designers are challenged to make over a room in six weeks and provide weekly updates. I’m not going to lie, it’s a bit stressful at times, but totally worth it!

Garrison Street Design Studio - Casual Modern Family Room Makeover

For this challenge, I will be taking our family room up a notch with a Casual Modern vibe. When we bought our house the family room looked like something out of a horror movie, seriously! See?A room with a brick fireplace, wooden paneling, and beige walls. There is a vaulted ceiling with exposed beams and a ceiling fan with lights.Before, the family room was dark, dated, and just flat out depressing. But despite its ugly duckling appearance, I could see the potential. It just needed a little love and A LOT of paint!

A living room with a built-in window seat featuring patterned cushions and wooden shelves. The room has tiled flooring, a glass block partition, and a large window with closed blinds. The area is dimly lit.

One of the biggest selling points of the house was the family room. It has an open concept feeling with the kitchen just a few steps above, overlooking the soaring 14 foot vaulted ceilings and wood beams. Since we bought the house, we have been tackling updates in phases, addressing simple items first and circling back to others when the budget allows. Since we have lived here we have painted this room, scraped the popcorn ceilings, painted the fireplace, replaced the flooring, and added a mantel.  Today, it looks like this.A cozy, modern living room with high ceilings and wooden beams. A wall-mounted TV is above the fireplace, complementing the brown leather chairs surrounding a dark coffee table. The beige sofa and decorative shelves add warmth to this casually elegant space, perfect for a stylish makeover.While we have definitely come a long way, there are a few additional items on the wish list to make it the room we always knew it could be. 

Casual Modern Family Room Makeover Plans

First, the half wall between the kitchen and family room. While it definitely looks much better than it did when we first moved in, I am more than over those glass blocks. I have been dreaming of an open railing to provide unobstructed sight lines into the family room. If you follow me on Instagram and Facebook, you know I finally got the Mr. on board with my vision 😉 A modern, cozy living space with a dark wood floor features a casual bench with a cushion. A black shelf holds books, decor, and a plant. A framed motorcycle photo hangs above, and a tall lamp stands beside the shelf. A clear wall divider adds light to this stylish makeover.

Second, the furniture. Most of this furniture has been thrifted or we have had for 10+ years. Our sofa and chair were the very first pieces of real furniture we ever bought together. I remember laying down on the sofa in the showroom to make sure we would both fit, haha! While this set has served us well, it’s time for something new. Crossing my fingers the new set arrives on time! I also have a few DIYs planned for the furnishings as well 😉 This modern family room boasts a chic makeover with beige walls and large windows. It features a cozy beige sofa, sleek black coffee table, and a fireplace adorned with logs. A wall mirror complements the mounted TV above, while a patterned area rug enhances the wooden floor below.

The fireplace. Leaps and bounds have definitely been made here, but there are a few things we have not addressed yet. The biggest being, we never use it. That’s right folks, we have lived here for 8 years and NEVER used our fireplace. Why? Because we are lazy. Making a fire is a lot of work, chopping wood and all, you have to wait for it to go out, and the smokiness is just too much. But we have a plan to add a bit more ambiance to the room.A cozy family room with a beige sofa facing a fireplace and wall-mounted TV. The space features dark wooden beams, a ceiling fan, and a large window with gray curtains. A small coffee table and decorative plant add charm to this casual yet modern setting.

The curtains. I have been breaking my own rules in here for years and I know it. But until recently, I wasn’t sure how to address my squatty curtains since we really do like our patio blind and the ceilings are much taller. I have a plan and am hoping it works. Stay tuned.A modern living room with high, beamed ceilings and wooden floors boasts a casual elegance. It includes tan leather sofas, a patterned rug, and a black ottoman with decor. A ceiling fan spins above as natural light streams through the sliding glass door. Shelving and art complete the makeover.

Painting. I feel like a room makeover would not be a room makeover with me if there were no painting. I am one of those crazy people who finds painting completely relaxing. Just throw on a true crime podcast and go to town! Seriously, I am obsessed with true crime and probably consider my alibi at least twice a day, haha! A woman casually holding a paintbrush stands in a room with partially painted walls, contemplating a modern makeover. Wooden strips are attached vertically on the wall behind her, adding to the contemporary feel. The floor is covered with protective sheets.

This is my overall vision for the space, which I am calling Casual Modern.
This casual family room makeover features a modern couch, patterned pillows, and a matching armchair on a textured rug. A coffee table, potted plants, floor lamp, and decorative poufs complete the look. A large mirror is mounted above, with wooden flooring throughout.

Sofa | Chair | Coffee Table | End Table | Table Lamp | Floor Lamp | Poufs | Rug | Faux Banana Tree | Black Basket | Small Plant | Succulents | Decorative Jack | Sofa Pillows (similar) | Chair Pillow (similar)

So that’s the plan folks! Join me again next week to see how it’s all coming along 🙂 Did I mention we are DIYing our new railing?! YEP!

If you enjoyed my Casual Modern Family Room Makeover Plans, please share it on Facebook or hover over an image and save to Pinterest! And if you don’t already follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook, I would love for us to be friends! 

Make sure you sign up here so you don’t miss any of our progress! It’s going to be a crazy few weeks! I will also be sharing behind the scenes of all the makeover madness on Instagram and Facebook. 

Don’t forget to stop by the One Room Challenge to check out all the other participants and be prepared to be inspired!Garrison Street Design Studio - Casual Modern Family Room Makeover

Two views of a modern family room makeover for a design challenge. The top image shows a cozy seating area with neutral tones, while the bottom highlights an open, airy space with large windows, a staircase, and a dog looking outside.

This post, Casual Modern Family Room Makeover, appeared first on Garrison Street Design Studio.

2 Comments

    1. Thank you so much Lindsey! This room definitely needed a lot of work. I am excited to see your closet transformation too!

      Reply

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