REVEAL DAYS ARE MY FAVORITE DAYS. While the magazine (Better Homes and Gardens) is about to hit newsstands (revealing four of my favorite rooms in my brother’s house that you haven’t seen yet), this room wasn’t done in time to shoot, so I get to actually reveal it earlier (and hopefully get you excited for the rest coming soon). You see, the sectional we had in here a couple of months ago was one of ours, a sample of The Bennett that wasn’t ready for me to approve at the Texas factory, so I had to wait to approve it in Portland. Then once I sat on it, I knew it had to be tweaked. So we reworked it to make it way better, got the new one, and finally finished styling this cozy family room for my brother and his fam. This room is a cozy green cave, proving that green can be so warm when mixed with warmer tones. Let me prove it to you…
Our U-Shaped Sectional – The Bennett
Wall Color | Floor Lamp | Side Table | Ceramic Dish (Vintage) | Curtains + Roman Shade | Bennett Sectional | Left Side – Large Burgundy Pillow, Moss Pillow, Stitched Lumbar Pillow | Right Side – Large Cocoa Pillow, Dark Olive Pillow, Burgundy Lumbar Pillow | Throw Blanket | Merrick Rug | Coffee Table | Candle | Marble Tray | Faux Branches | Vase | Table Lamp | Sconce | Wall Mirror | Ochre Throw Blanket
Introducing my first U-shaped sectional, and it’s a pretty great one. I’m equally obsessed and proud. It’s a one-and-done piece of furniture, which isn’t that easy to shoehorn into a room you might already have other pieces for, but if you are designing from scratch or rethinking it’s a great way to keep a TV/family room feeling simple and yet so comfortable. Plus, you’re able to sit so many people. We originally designed this room with the cub velvet sectional, but when I redesigned the sectional it they didn’t have that fabric in stock so they did it in one of the other fabrics we were carrying it in, “evergreen” which is a green linen blend (poly blend and really, really soft) and once I saw it at the factory I said “ship it on up”. I actually think this fabric is better for their family, a bit more forgiving with dog hair, as it has more thread variation. And again, for a linen blend, it’s super soft and cushy (not stiff at all).
The proportions of it are so generous, as you can see – my brother is a big guy! We actually redesigned the original Bennett to make sure that the middle seat depth was ample so that no one got the shaft. The seat cushions are cushy but not sloppy (medium plush), and the back cushions are really easy to sink against, but made out of a foam combination, so they won’t just get smooshed down and deformed. The arms are wide and solid – it just feels so good when you flop into any of these seats. You feel comfortable and supported (isn’t that what we want out of most people/things in our life??). I might add this to the line as just a chaise sectional, as I know that a lot of people might not have the right room for a huge U-shaped gentleman.
The Paint Color + Vibe
Wall Color | Roman Shade | Pollack Bench Fabric
This room was kinda inspired by our family room – dark, tonal, cozy, and contained (you can close the door to the mess). We painted it Evergreen Fog by Sherwin-Williams, which is truly incredible – so cozy in the dark and extremely soft and beautiful with a lot of natural light. I became obsessed with this color after it was painted in here – I wanted everyone to come over and experience it (Warning: in Brian’s small writing office with only one tiny window, it looked sad for whatever reason, so you still have to sample it!) Of course, the OG sofa was meant to be this warm brown velvet, but we all agree that this looks incredible in here as well, and the green on green on green works really well to keep it all calm and un-busy.
Chairs | Table Lamp | Chess Set | Sconces | Wall Mirror | Left Bench Pillows – Fringed Pillow, Jacquard Tree Pillow, Fringed Lumbar Pillow (not pictured here) | Center Bench Pillows – Lumbar Pillow, Patterned Pillow, Burgundy Pillow | Throw | Right Bench Pillows – Pleated Velvet Pillow, Patterned Pillow | Bench Fabric | Art by Purl Samoheyl | Switch Plates
We accented the green with this super warm dark burgundy that is almost aubergine, and many hits of ochre and mustard, which pick up on the tones of the wood flooring, doors, and built-ins. I’m pretty dang obsessed with this color palette – it’s just so warm and balanced, and holistically looks fantastic in the entire house.
Art | Console | Floor Lamp | Side Table | Pillows: Left | Center | Right | Throw Blanket
I LOVE that this MaryAnn Puls piece made it in such a prominent place in their house. We had it in their guest room when we revealed it, but no one saw it, and it obviously works even better in here. I love it over that AllModern piece, which adds a nice, deep, darker wood tone (that works with the table/chairs in the opposite corner).
Their kids (7 and 10) still play some on the floor and craft in the corner, but there is plenty of room for that and this incredibly big sectional for TV watching. They wanted two cuddle corners (which fit one adult and one kid), and the proportions of this are big and really comfortable for whoever sits in the middle as well.
The Curtains And Shades
Roman Shade and Drapes | Floor Lamp | Right Side Pillows: Left | Center | Right | Throw Blanket | Merrick Rug | Coffee Table | Candle | Marble Tray | Faux Branches | Terra Cotta Vase | Chair | Glass Vase | Pedastal Table
That big window is western-facing, so it gets pretty sunny in the afternoon (and into the evening in the summer), so we knew we’d need blackout curtains. We worked with Decorview again, showcasing their drapery on the huge window and motorized roman shades on the flanking windows. We chose this dark green, almost black, which we loved with the wall color and all the hits of black in the room.
Chandelier
Note that the curtains are hung high and wide, making the room look taller and bigger, even though they are dark. Now, a warning – we really, really wanted dark curtains in here, but we were warned that the edges might fade due to the sun. We chose a linen poly blend for this reason, but over the years, there is still the chance that these dark curtains could fade just on the edges.
The TV And Built-In Cabinet
Black Picture Frame | Vase | Faux Branches (similar) | Marble Fluted Bowl | Door Pulls | Cabinet Color | Long Plate | Dark Wood Picture Frames
The sectional is centered on the Samsung Frame TV (an 85″ for scale), and we had these simple cabinets designed and installed underneath it (and painted a darker green). There is still enough room to walk in front of the sofa and play. The cabinet houses their media, board games, bins of crafting/toys, and drawing.
Picture Frame | Vase | Faux Branches (similar) | Marble Fluted Bowl | Door Pulls | Cabinet Color
The dark green is Foxhall Green from Sherwin-Williams, and it kept the room still tonal, but added depth and contrast in a non-busy way. The handles are stained black wood from Etsy.
The Game/Homework Table
Chairs | Pedastal Table | Glass Vase | Table Lamp | Chess Set | Sconce | Wall Mirror | Jacquard Tree Pillow | Velvet Lumbar Pillow | Bench Fabric | Patterned Pillow | Throw
We wanted to create this little corner where they could do arts and crafts, color, play a game, etc. They had this chess set on their dining table, so we styled it in here, which admittedly looks awesome (if not pretentious, lol). We had ordered 8 chairs for their dining table for when they have people over, but they only need 6, so they put two in here, and they look pretty great.
Lumbar Pillow | Throw | Pleated Velvet Pillow | Patterned Pillow | Bench Fabric | Art by Purl Samoheyl | Sconce
The velvet bench fabric is from Pollack, and it’s just so pretty and soft, with texture and a subtle pattern. I found the three paintings from Purl (a local artist and maker who I’m a huge fan of – he made our coffee table, corbels, and the large pencil and paintbrush that we love). They feel vintage, are moody, and color-wise, they are just perfect in here.
Wall Mirror
We balanced out the three paintings with this beautiful mirror from Anthropologie that reflected the light really nicely and rounded out the vignette. Again, the hits of this darker wood really pulled in the richer dark red tones of the fabrics and added a lot of depth.
“Before” and after slider time!
The room turned out really inviting, layered, comfortable, warm, and still design-forward. I personally love a darker TV/family room, especially if it’s one that can be closed off (not open to the rest of the home). It just feels like its own experience when you walk in, and yet the colors and style match the home (warm contemporary). I hope you like it!
Family Room Resources:
Wall Color by Sherwin-Williams
Media Cabinetry Color by Sherwin-Williams
Flooring by Stuga
Bench Fabric by Pollack
Window Drapery and Hardware by Decorview
Windows by Marvin Windows and Doors
Scones and Chandelier by Rejuvenation
Sectional by Room Service by Emily Henderson:)
*Architect: Anne Usher
**General Contractor: JP Macy of Sierra Custom Construction
***Interior Designers: Emily Henderson (me!) and Max Humphrey
****Styling: Emily Henderson (me!)
*****Photos by Kaitlin Green