The family room makeover

July 06, 2011

I’ve made a few changes to the family room over the past few weeks and I’m over the moon about them. I can finally say…

I LOVE OUR FAMILY ROOM!!

First time in seven years peeps. First time.

I showed you here how this space has driven me a bit batty for all that time. Many of you offered suggestions on furniture placement, and when I say we tried them all…we tried them all. ;)

The open layout and the location of the cable and surround sound stuff made it hard to make the layout (with enough seating) work.

So first up was a new sofa – a sectional to be exact. When we became debt free earlier this year, it was the one thing I was SO EXCITED to buy. We hadn’t paid for (I mean, PAID for) a piece of big furniture in seven years. And the sofa set from seven years ago just plain sucked. ;)

So we were going to splurge…but I wanted to make sure this splurge was going to last…well, FOREVER. So I did a ton of research. You can see the process here and here.

We decided on an Arhaus sectional, and I went against two of my original plans – one was I wasn’t going to get a microfiber sofa. But I did:

micro denier

It’s actually called micro denier and it’s a soft as a bunny’s bottom. For reals. I have never pet a bunny booty, but I’m guessing it’s pretty darn soft. As soft as this sectional. ;)

It’s all polyester, so it repels liquids and stains like a supastar. Arhaus had fabulously large samples that I took home, and I may or may not have tested out said sample with some spills. Shhhhh…

All I knew is I didn’t want to deal with stressing over the sofa all the dang time. And I don’t.

All along I had planned on a slipcovered sofa, and then one day it hit me – what in the HUH was I thinking? I know me…and I know washing and drying and recovering every time something spilled would put me over the edge.

(This is me here, and you all know me is a bit cuckoo for cocoa puffs at times, so if you are searching for a new sofa, take that as you will. I’ve heard from MANY who love their slipcovers. They are just much more patient people than I. Me? I.)

Anyhoo, we ended up with the Lansbury from Arhaus:

We were able to configure it just as we needed – the left side of the sofa needed to be shorter to go under the window just so. The right side could be long but not too long. I didn’t want huge arms sticking out taking up space, and lastly – the seats needed to be deeeeep.

Working in the decorating biz years ago, I learned a few things about picking out a quality sofa and that one has stuck with me. This baby delivers on the deep:

IMG_5590

I love the side view – isn’t that little curve so pretty?

The sofa is something like 103 inches by 80-something, and it fits like a glove in our family room:

lansbury sectional

I measured and moved and planned it all out beforehand, and I couldn’t be happier with how it fits in the space. At first it even seemed a bit smaller than I thought it would be, but there’s easily room for six people on there. (Six people who like each other, but six people.)

What’s most important is we (my family) can all pile on and it’s SO comfy. We are in heaven. :)

By the way – it is the most comfy couch I’ve ever sat my tuckus on. It’s kinda firm when you first sit down…and then you sink in and it’s perfection.

I was happy to find that, even though it’s deeper than our old sofa – it still gives us plenty of room for the sofa table and space in the kitchen:

I was concerned the longer section would stick out too much (even though I measured eleventy billion times and it was fine).  But because it goes almost up to the window, it doesn’t go out much further than the old sofa:

It most definitely makes the room feel twice as big.

That’s not the only reason though – the second third 15th happiest day of my life occurred when the surround sound folks came and moved our TV from the crammed spot next to the fireplace to over the craigslist dresser:

OH HAPPY DAY!! I cannot express to you the difference it made in this space. It instantly doubled the size of the room, seriously.

I would have done it forever ago, but it wasn’t as simple as moving the cable jack. All of the surround sound hook ups were on the wall by the fireplace, so we had to have it done professionally.

They ended up moving a speaker (instead of putting in a new one, to save money) and ran everything through the basement. (Hooray for unfinished basements!)

So now this large wall is now the TV wall and it has worked out perfectly:

TV above dresser

You might notice the components – the DVR, DVD player and receiver – are all under the dresser. I wanted them hidden away if at all possible and wasn’t sure it would work because of the potential dust under there. But the guys who did all the work kind of laughed when I mentioned that and said under the dresser will be no different than anywhere else. (And I believed them when I saw all of the dust in the old cabinet – YUCKO!)

They made sure there was plenty of breathing room under there, checked to make sure the remotes would still work and arranged everything for me just so. (We love Ovation in Indy – they always do an incredible job!)

(We did consider rigging the dresser and putting them inside, but I worry about the heat, and we use every bit of that dresser space for toys. :) We don’t even notice them under there anymore.)

The only issue that we’ve had (that I already knew would happen) is that we can’t watch TV from the left side of our kitchen (basically the island). It’s not a big deal, but come football season, (i.e.: parties) it may be. The solution is pretty simple though – we plan on changing out the TV wall mount for one that swings out. (Someday…not a priority!)

Right now we’re just loving how moving the TV has changed the room!

I can’t wait to show you more about this project too:

:) Love it!

Because the TV console was gone (whoo hoo party hardy God bless America!!!!!), I had a new spot with the potential for new seating. I waited till we got the sofa to make sure everything would fit OK, and then I checked out HomeGoods.

I have had so much fun changing up things a bit in this space – the chair is a bit contemporary but I LOVE IT:

homegoods chair

I knew I wanted something with legs to balance out the upholstered sofa. I also wanted something just a tad more sophisticated.

The little lumbar pillow in the red, blue, green and cream fabric adds a bit of casual, and the little candlestick turned itty bitty table fits perfectly next to it!

Having that console right up against the fireplace drove me mad. The chair still sits right next to it, but it’s a cozy, warm-by-the-fire-with-hot-cocoa kind of feeling now, not a the-TV-console-is-going-to-catch-on-fire kind of feeling:

chair next to fireplace

I LOVE looking at this angle now.

LOVE. 

(Yes, the poppy print is staying where it is. Not moving it, at least for now -- for numerous reasons, but mostly because we like it where it is.)  :)

This wasn’t my most thrifty room, to say the least. But after years of paying off a mound of debt, we got to splurge and it feels awesome. I can’t wait to show you more of the accessories and art I DIYed in this space though – I’ve got some thrifty projects to share!

This is my new view as I blog every night and I couldn’t be happier:

What is it with my flip flop shots lately? Sorry about the feet thing.

It took seven years (did I mention that?) – but I finally feel like our family room feels as big as it really is. This new set up just works.

Here’s a couple of before and after shots for you – earlier this year when I removed the loveseat and just left the sofa:

We lived with that one sofa for six months and it worked OK till the end – then we kind of missed being able to lounge together in the room.

And don’t get me wrong…I’ve always loved the warm, comfy space this was. I don’t think the before was bad or anything…it just never worked quite right.

Now it does:

arhaus lansbury

You’ll notice I took the drapes from the dining room. :) (More on that later.)

And a before before with both the loveseat and sofa and the TV console:

And how it looks today (the light was not great – sorry the pics are a bit washed out):

Up till recently, I thought having the sofa in front of the window would bug me. But I actually quite love it – it creates a weird cozy/open feeling all in one. (I did try our old loveseat in front of the window and it didn’t work – those big arms took up a ton of space!)

The sectional was the only way to make it work:

One final before (again, I don’t personally think this is a “bad” before):

And the after shot…at dusk. ;) Cause I love the evening shots:

"new" family room

I. am. thrilled. I’ve done quite a few happy dances over the past few weeks. ;) It was SO worth the wait.


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Comments

  1. It's beautiful! I love the sectional. Now I want one, too! But, I will do it the Dave Ramsey way, too, and wait until I have the money. I'm not going into debt for a place to put my tushy. :)

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  2. I'm so happy for you! I love that new chair. Is hard/weird to watch TV from the couch now? We have our TV up on the wall and I love that it doesn't take up space on the floor.

    Can't wait to see more! :)

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  3. So, so, so beautiful! (I've been refreshing for the past hour waiting for this post!) Such a comfortable and sophisticated and warm space. It looks much roomier and still so put together. You rock!

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  4. I so love it especially since we have the same family room colors now. It was well worth the wait. The sectional is gorg.

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  5. WOW! It looks amazing! I love the chair. So jealous!
    We have a man eater couch. Seriously! I don't know what I was thinking when we bought it. You crawl out of it. Just a thought... have you entertained the idea of
    the electronics for the t.v. in the drawers? Putting hinges of the front of the drawers to access them?
    The room is beautiful...great job!

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  6. Your work is amazing! I obsessively stalk your site everyday in hopes of learning something new! Where did you get the poof, footrest looking ball next to the fireplace? I saw those on a show on HGTV and they were saying they were a must have?!

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  7. Wow!!! I ABSOLUTELY love every bit of this room!! It is so bright and happy and cozy. Not only is it magazine worthy, it's kid friendly AND chat-on-the-couch-with-your-BFF worthy. I can't wait to hear more about the mirror above the TV and box of flowers on the dresser. LOVE it, Sarah! Congratulations!!

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  8. Love the transformation. Did I miss the before/after party this month?

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  9. It looks great! Love all the changes. And btw I have a bunny and it's butt is indeed soft ;) Glad you have a whole couch that feels like that lol

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  10. I have to laugh, because I recently got RID of our sectional to replace it with a couch..and I couldn't be happier! Great to love your space!

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  11. What a beautiful room! I love your color palette!

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  12. Sarah,
    I have to tell you that you and I went through the same living room funky layout, what do I do with this room thing. I have always hated sectionals (think blue velvety kind with those spider looking lamps behind them) ak!When you mentioned doing a sectional it got my wheels turning. Long story short, found one on craigslist for $200 and I think I like this couch more than I do the one I paid a couple of thousand for. Seriously, who knew. Glad we both love our new spaces and thanks for the inspiration. I now love my living room too!

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  13. The sectional ooks fab! I KNEW moving the tv over there would work, I am so glad you finally did it(albeit annoying to have to get a professional in there to do it). Very nice. I do however like your before pictures over the fireplace. But that's just me...I thought it was perfect before. Great work!
    K.

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  14. Beautiful!! And I am so jealous that Tracey is going to get to try it out!!

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  15. Beautiful!! I am so excited for you! And it makes it even more rewarding that you waited for the right thing at the right time! But now I have to go repent for committing at least two of the seven deadly sins over that sofa.... lust.... envy.....maybe even gluttony...

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  16. Whooo!!! Gorgeous!! Love your new sectional & the new look of this space!! Also loving how the new curtains really brighten up the room!! Really, Sarah its beautiful!!

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  17. Looks amaaaaaaaazing! Love the sofa. Love where the TV is now! Oh to have my TV tucked away above an adorable dresser and between two gorgeous lamps! Thanks for the inspiration, as usual!

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  18. It looks great! I have the same problem with our den. It is the bane of my existence. Your family room rocks!

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  19. Love it! It all looks great.

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  20. It's absolutely gorgeous!! The before was definitely not bad but the after is just WOW! You did a great job and after paying off all of your debt, I definitely think you deserved the splurge. I'm inspired, to say the least!

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  21. Wow, wow, wow!! Love it Sarah! You did an awesome job! Can't wait to see all the little DIY projects you did. I can imagine how happy you are to finally have your room the way you want it. My bedroom will be finished, someday. And when it finally is, I'm sure I'll be doing lots of happy dances too. Enjoy!! : ) ~ Catie
    http://catiescorner2.blogspot.com

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  22. LOVE IT! I wish I had your craig's list dresser... Just sayin...

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  23. The room came together so nicely Sarah! The fireplace looks great too!

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  24. Everything looks amazing. You did a remarkable job!

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  25. WHOOO!! Looks perfect and that sofa is awesome! So glad you found the right one and love this room now. It's beautiful!

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  26. Love it! It all looks so fantastic! Well done!

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  27. It is beautiful, but I would try and put the poppy large canvas on the fireplace area and put the mirror over the chair. I think scale wise it might work better, for fun just try it, I would love to see it in a pic just to see. I love your sofa!!! I want it as well.

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  28. Wooohooo! That looks awesome! You've done a fantastic job!

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  29. You are sooo right. The room works and looks great. I much prefer the new fireplace look also. Had a thought on the white electronic piece under the dresser - could you paint it, or cover the front with dark duct tape or fabric or something? Bet it would fade away and be even less noticeable.

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  30. Looks so great! Love the hydrangeas in the box. Can't wait to see that project!

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  31. Wow, Sarah, just WOW! It is beautiful. I love your before-and-after shots. . .you are really lightening up your space. . .giving me *lots* of inspiration. And congrats on doing the whole "cash" thing -- I didn't know people did that before I met my husband :) So glad he's good with money like that. You are my inspiration from 300 miles away -- love the internet!! Thank you for sharing everything.

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  32. WOO! Good on you. I love how you have put so much thought and effort in creating a great workable space for your family. The new TV spot is gorgeous and gives it a spacious feeling.

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  33. I love it! Great job!

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  34. Just love it! I need a new couch in a bad way, but will wait for now. Trying to get the debt down,also. We have a funny family room and I cannot find a furniture placement that I love. By the way, tell me about the S above the fireplace. too cute. Is that something you bought or did I miss a tutorial along the way?

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  35. Oh I am OBSESSED with all of it!! BEAUTIFUL! You did such a good job! Love the sofa...love the colors...carpet...and I just about DIED when I saw the box with hydrangeas!!! OMG!! Can't wait to see how you made it!!

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  36. This looks awesome! I love the chair by the fireplace--quite inviting. You've done such a great job and congrats on being debt free!

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  37. You should be very happy about your family room, it looks wonderful!

    I love the furniture and the colors and fabrics that you chose.
    It's perfect.

    hugs
    Sissie

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  38. You did a great job!! The corner fireplace really is such a nice feature and now it shows off beatifully. Love, love, love the sofa! And my favorite part - the new TV space. (What I wouldn't give to be able to find a different spot for my TV in our family room - it, too, is jammed against the fireplace which makes the corner look too busy.) When's coffee?

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  39. I LOVE how in the evening (dusk) shot--you can't SEE the tv in the living room. It seems so peaceful.

    I am searching for the COLOR you used in your living room--GORGEOUS!!!!!!!

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  40. Is it wierd to be so excited about a living room of someone you've never met? Well, I am! It is beautiful and I'm so excited for you that you were able to pay cash. That's an awesome feeling. I think changing the curtains really made a difference too. Thanks for sharing!

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  41. I love it! It looks right out of a magazine. Great job!

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  42. WHOOOO! Looks great! I love the colours you chose and the general feel of the room. Totally gorgeous yet family friendly. :). I also love the sectional. That's something we plan to get for our basement - you know, after the necessary walls, plumbing, electrical ... are done. Priorities. ;). Love the mirrored piece above the tv too!

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  43. I LOVE the redo :) You did a really great job with it! The before and after pictures are pretty awesome! As a fellow Dave Ramsey follower working it through baby step 2 its fun to see what you have done being debt free and just encourages me to continue pushing on!

    One thought... take it or leave it. The picture above the new chair you got from home goods is cool but almost a tad bit overwhelming next to the fireplace. If you are intending the fireplace to be the focal point it almost takes away from it a bit, I would almost put two smaller pictures or something there and move the bigger picture somewhere where its not competing for attention. :)

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  44. Looks absolutely gorgeous! Sorry, I am new to reading your blog so you may have addressed this at some point, but where did you find the rattan pouf shown in your before pics? Have seen little flat wicker ones at Ikea, but none so poufy and perfect for MY living room redo...

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  45. LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!! Looks awesome!!

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  46. Note to self...
    have a family room like this

    It's AMAZING!!!!

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  47. WHOOOOOOOOOO! It looks amazing.....the curtains and other changes really lightened up the space. What a great room - enjoy!

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  48. I LOVE it!! We have a sectional also and we love being able to all sit together for movie nights and popcorn! One question: Where did you get the white table behind the sofa?

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  49. oh my goodness. this makes me sigh with awe and jealousy : ) it's so very lovely in there. i can't wait until we get ourselves debt free and can do things like this. you are fabulous. seriously, my favorite blog to read. who wouldn't love it with these gorgeous pictures to look at?!

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  50. Jill C., Camarillo, CAJuly 7, 2011 at 8:36 AM

    Oh the feeling of finally (finally!) getting a room to where you just love it! Congrats! I think most of us, although we know better, still want that magical HGTV room that goes from before to after in the span of a 30 min. episode. Sadly, in real life, it takes a whole lot more work than that. Thanks for being a model of persistence and patience—it was so worth the wait!

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  51. Woohoo!!! So glad you finally got the sofa. The room looks great! Looks like a great place for napping :-)

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  52. I LOVE it! Seriously! Your room has turned into a gorgeous but user friendly space!

    I love your couch!

    I also think the crown molding makes a big impact on your space. It just really gave your place a certain oomph... Now if I could only talk my hubby into doing crown molding on our main floor....I would love it!

    Where did the (I think) bamboo shades come from? I seriously need to get some for our windows.

    :)

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  53. sarah, your place looks really terrific, you have really pulled everything together in a big way. just a suggestion, but have you considered angling your chair in the other direction - same angle but toward the window? also some other readers have suggested switching your artwork which may look good too. i love your blog, your home and writing style always inspire and make me smile. paula.

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  54. Your family room looks A.MAZE.ING. I love it! Please, please, please, please (did I say please) share where or how- the letter on the mirror came to be there. I need it. I can't stop thinking about it. :-)

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  55. The room looks fabulous! {And I must say again that I think that the mirror and moss letter just pull that corner into the room without it being a dark hole or being too instusive.}

    And "I"- make yourself the subject followed by your verb and you'll realize which is correct. :)

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  56. I LOVE IT! I have the exact same striped fabric waiting to be made into pillows for MY living room. How cool! Any chance you might tell us where you found the floral/tapestry type pillow on the sofa? I'm looking for something to coordinate with the striped fabric and can't find anything. That is perfect! hopingformolly@gmail.com Thanks!

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  57. whoo! don't you just love it when things work out and you can finally be in love with your things? it looks great! :)

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  58. Congrats on finding THE solution to your room layout- it looks great! And great looking sofa, too. Love the chair. Ok, to summarize, I love it all! :)

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  59. Beautiful, just beautiful!! Thanks for sharing the before and after pictures. You have done a phenomenal job. The room not only look larger, but it also looks classy and cozy, well done! XO ~Liz

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  60. I LOVE your area rug under your new sectional!!! Is that also a Home Goods treasure?

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  61. So light and airy! The curtain switch and mirror over the fireplace transformed the room!

    What color is on your walls out of curiousity?!

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  62. It looks beautiful!! Thanks for sharing!

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  63. Sarah, it looks GREAT!!! Seriously amazing! So light and bright. You made a fabulous choice with the sofa- I'm bookmarking this for when we decide to hunt for a sofa who is soft as a bunny's bottom ; ) Also, the TV over the console looks increddddible. Well done, friend, well done!

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  64. Well, praise-a-lujah! She is lovely, and looks very tushy-friendly. I like the light that you thought wasn't great. It looks like the heavens opened up for the picture! So glad you all are happy, 'cause that is the audience you are most trying to please. Love the hydrangeas! Also nice to see that you sit down and put your feet up like the rest of us "regular people".

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  65. Congratulations! This looks wonderful and I know how comfy a deep couch is! I'm also loving the new cube-ish coffee table...DIY?

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  66. Love it! All of it! Your new sectional, your new layout, and most of all..your new chair. I may just have to trot over to HomeGoods this week to see if my local has it.

    I'm waiting to hear back on an offer on what will be my first place, and your creativity always inspires me. Thank you for sharing your lovely home and DIY ideas with us every day!

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  67. Perfect! Thank you so much for the inspiration. I'm starting to remodel my living room and I think a lot of things that you did help solve my design dilemmas. (Like the sectional couch in front of the window.

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  68. whoo!! it looks great i love the layout looks like it works so well its always great to love the space we live in enjoy your hard work :)

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  69. I'd say the work and the wait was worth it--what an improvement! I love how you got creative and made the room more livable for your family. It was like a big puzzle, and you solved it!

    P.S. I love Arhaus! Great sofa choice. :)

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  70. wow! It looks great! Great idea to move the TV to the other wall. I love it!

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  71. Sarah, I love your new room! The couch is perfect! And the new tv area is the best. Your blog is still my #1 inspiration.

    Allison @ House of Hepworths

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  72. Your space is so open now, awesome job! Love the sectional and how you moved the TV over to the other wall. It makes the room flow and opens the space. Love it!

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  73. WHOO!!! You've definitely given me inspiration for our family room!

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  74. Whoooo! You must be so happy to have a space you love, congrats!

    Can you let me know where you got that mirror above the TV? the white garden gate-like one? I've been on the lookout but have only seen them in black at Target ~ affordable ones you know.

    Thanks for the help! Beautiful space :-)

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  75. Hell yeah you get a WHOO! How inspired am I to call up my local TV/electrical dood to move and mount my monolith TV? Very.

    Great job girl. I love that sectional. The artwork where the TV used to be is beautiful.

    Go. You. 7. Years. YAY!!!!!

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  76. you're going to get a billion comments so i'll be brief. 1. LOVE the conversation area it creates with the chair. 2. your fireplace and TV are no longer competing. 3.You can walk right by your TV and not know it's there! 4. the lighter color curtains are really working well in that room.

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  77. wow!!! this is a magazine spread, and yes, it actually looks bigger!! I love it,and i will be sharing this with all my email peeps!!!! great job, you are very talented

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  78. I LOVE your family room as well!! We recently had a sofa made to fit a space for ours as well (also paid for in CASH for the first time EVER!!) and we love it!!

    I have to know 2 things:

    1. WHERE did you find your area rug? I am so in LOVE with it!!

    2. Where did you get your blinds on the windows in that room? I love them!! So tired of the boring, normal white wood slats!!

    You are SUPER aWeSoMe!!!!

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  79. AHH! This looks phenomonal!

    I have a sofa in my living room that is the exact same color and material, and after having it a year now...let me tell you, that fabric is worth its weight in gold!!! My dog Sadie loves to run right in from the backyard and lunge at the sofa to look out the window, and everytime I cringe, and then get a wet paper towel and wipe it down...and it looks new again!!
    Great choice:)
    Enjoy your new space!

    -Adriane @ fruitfulhomejournal.blogspot.com

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  80. it looks so fabulous. it looks so much bigger. it looks so much sleeker. who knew the tv was mucking things up so much? i love the extra chair facing the sofa for easy conversing. a huge difference in this space, i love it. so glad you do, too, after 7 years!

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  81. Looks great! Can't wait to see your DIY projects...cause I absolutely love the candlestick table!

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  82. Beautiful....love the painting that replaces the tv! And I never would have thought to use country blue as accents, but it really works! I love the candlestick and the lamp done in that blue (maybe it isn't country blue, but baby blue....anyway, it works!). The one red pillow....the lamp shade (which I copied! woo hoo!) and the candlestick mini table are all so ingenious!!! When can my family move in??? lol You do such a fantastic job!!

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  83. It's beautiful!! I love it! The curtains add so much to it too! I love the colors of the rug and the pillows! Great job!!

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  84. Your family room is gorgeous! Well worth the wait...and I cannot wait to see the hydrangea project!

    Really...it looks like you thought through every detail...sometimes it takes 7 years to figure out what your room needs. :)

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  85. Beautiful room! My husband and I also have a dresser that holds our television. We just recently hid all our ugly boxes in the top drawers and so far it works great! It looks so much better too! We posted about how we did it here: www.jonathanandannsblog.blogspot.com

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  86. Love it! I am having a brand new polyester sectional delivered tomorrow! We will also be moving the tv...scary. I wish I had a blog so I could show you! Enjoy!

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  87. It looks awesome! I especially love the shade on the fan....did you do that or did it come like that....either way its fabulous! Great job, now sit back and enjoy!

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  88. Absolutely stunningly gorgeous! You enjoy that room missy! Feet up, flip flops and all and just ENJOY! Job well, well done. Thanks for the inspiration as usual! :)

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  89. This is fabulous! I am so using some of your photos as inspiration for my own re-do, which I think we'll be tackling either this fall or after the holidays. For now? The kitchen! (insert ominous music here) I love what you came up with - you definitely deserve all the happy dancing you can manage! :)

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  90. Looks amazing! How did you get the lamp shade to stay on the ceiling fan?? Love this idea!

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  91. Looks so great!!! I pretty much need everything in your living room to make my living room work! LOL...you did a beautiful job...also I could not help but pin a few of your pics on pinterest :) with a link to your blog of course.

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  92. I totally know where you are coming from. I've lived in my house 8 years and have NEVER liked my living room... you've totally inspired me to make that a space I love! The new sofa is amazing, great choice!

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  93. Woooo!!!! Your room before was definitely nice, but this new layout and look is fantabulous! So glad you could enjoy the splurge!

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  94. Sarah, it looks great! I love it! This could very much be considered a "thrifty project" in my book because you are going to use this room and enjoy it for many years, thus saving a bundle on having to buy new furniture again anytime soon. The cozy, fireside chair is my favorite touch of all. Beautiful! I can so see it with a wooly throw this fall/winter. :)
    Great job, Girl!

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  95. WHOOOO!!!!!!!!! I love it ~ it's gorgeous and cozy!

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  96. WHOO!!! I have been WAITING for this post and it was well worth the wait. I love it, love it, love it. Great job.

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  97. GET OUT OF TOWN! I have that same exact dresser that you are using as your tv console! I found mine on Craigslist for $75! That sucker is heavy!! I use mine in my entryway and I love it! So pretty!

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  98. Beautiful! You have given me some really good ideas! Thank you!
    Blessings, Joanne

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  99. Love the new space! Check out monoprice.com for swivel tv mounts. We have purchased from there for our home and the mounts are great and much cheaper than we have found anywhere else!

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  100. Sarah, it. is. BEAUTIFUL!!! I love, love, love it!!! SO much goodness to the square inch!
    :-D

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  101. Sarah,
    Thank you very much for sharing this post. I have been salivating to see it. It looks fabu!
    I also just wanted to let you know that your Dave Ramsey Journey has been inspirational. When I feel like giving in and giving up on being debt free, (by charging on a card) I just think about the freedom you and your husband are enjoying now, and I am motivated to stick with it.
    I have also been struck with how lately the American mantra is "I want I want I want." I have been trying to be at peace and have gratitude for all that I have (which is a lot), instead I list 5 things that I am thankful for each day, to help me remember that "I have I have I have" This new mantra has helped me, especially when I see all the fun things you do on your blog. I am being faithful with what I have been given, and I will be in a different stage of life later (a debt free stage), and I will have so many ideas from you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

    Lindsay

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  102. It looks great! After we spent 3 years paying off our debt, we also bought a sofa, chair and built-ins for the family room. It has made all of the difference in the world and we LOVE it!

    It has been so awesome to enjoy the furniture, knowing we paid for it in cash!!

    Congrats!

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  103. I love, love, love it!!! I am totally coveting your sectional!

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  104. Um, can I come live in your family room? ;) It looks amazing. Love the way you configured the TV.

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  105. Looks amazing. I have to agree with a few other posters that the poopy pic does look a bit overwhelming over the chair. BTW I went to a Homegoods for the first time just a few days ago and thought about you the whole time. You don't know me from Adam, but I iwll always think of you when I am there..lol

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  106. THANK YOU all!! I appreciate the kind comments!!
    The poppy art is staying-- at first I thought it may be too much, but it grew on me. A group of photos would be too busy by the fp, and anything smaller would look weird. We like it as is. :)

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  107. It all looks beautiful, I am not usually a fan of sectionals but yours in the perfect solution for that space and so attractive. I am itching to see ONE thing changed mind you. That poppy print is so lovely and seems to be the most impportant piece of wall art, what would it look like over the mantle (where I generally think the most impressive peice of art should go) and the mirror with the S over the chair? It may or may not work better but I would love to see.

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  108. This room is lovely, so warm and cozy yet still has a decorated feeling. This is exactly the feeling I am hoping to achieve in our home. thanks for all your inspirations!

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  109. Oh, I really puffy heart LOVE your family room makeover! It looks so cozy! I wish I could make mine look as cozy and cohesive as yours =) I really like the mirror and initial, I'm totally stealing that idea!

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  110. Sarah, Amazing changes, one and all. I added a sectional and moved our TV from one wall to another last year, and it has made ALL the difference. I totally get where you're coming from! Congratulations on finding the perfect balance for your family. :)

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  111. AMAZING!! So beautiful and open, and I heart your HomeGoods chair :) Well done!

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  112. HOLLA! I have been waiting with baited breath to see how your living room would turnout. I'm so happy for you...and a little jealous too. :)

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  113. Hi Sarah!
    I've been a follower of your blog for a while now and have been anxiously awaiting your B-I-G reveal!!! Sooooo exciting!!!! I can't believe how awesome it has turned out and I'm so happy for you!

    Not to rain on your parade, but I do have a tiny suggestion because I work in a lighting/ceiling fan store and this particular thing stood out to me... the downrod on your fan looks waaaay too long. It looks like it would be about a foot or so. It is very easy to fix and I think it would open your room up soooo much more if you got that up and out of the visual space a little bit. All ceiling fans come with short downrods and I'm not sure if you had this one put in by the builder or not, but you can visit any ceiling fan retailer and they sell shorter downrods, some as short as 3". If you were to take it up to 3" you would see an AMAZING difference.

    Again, just a suggestion but EVERYTHING looks AWESOME!!!!

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  114. Very charming. When is movie night??

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  115. Oh my word!!!!! Everything is so beautiful!!!!! I am drooling with jealousy!!!!!! It is so homey!!!! Something that I am so missing in my new home. ! wish I could fly you to NC to help me and my sad little house!

    Great job!!!!!! Thank you for sharing!

    Jessica

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  116. WHOO!!!!! I Love Love LOVE your new family room! Congratulations on getting it to where you love it!

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  117. You've figured out the layout!! It looks super comfy and inviting, a place that just says come and hang out! Perfect, enjoy...Janell

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  118. Congrats! Great idea on the electronics UNDER the cabinet. Our DVR overheated INSIDE our cabinet and I lost all of my saved shows last fall (all the new episodes). Sniff. Sniff.
    Love new furniture! laura@imnotatrophywife.com

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  119. It looks fabulous! That sectional is the perfect size... not one of those humongous ones. I also love the new tv setup. Moving that really opened up the room.

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  120. I love it! It is so light and airy..the sofa is beautiful and looks super comfy :)

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  121. Beautiful. I especially like how you turned a thrifted chest of drawers, a TV and other pieces into a really stylish feature wall.

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  122. Whoot! Great job, Sarah! Your happiness shines through and I'm just so happy for you! Looking forward to seeing all the fun "little" stuff you did to complete this special "place." Thanks for sharing!

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  123. LOVE LOVE LOVE this! It's GORGEOUS! Thanks for always being such an inspiration! I featured this post on my blog this week, stop by & grab a featured button if you'd like!
    dazzlingdomesticdiva.blogspot.com

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  124. I LOVE what you've done! I have been following your blog for awhile now and have seen the various layouts of this room of yours. I covet that sofa! It would work well in my odd shaped living room!! Enjoy your space, it's lovely!!

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  125. May I ask the dimensions of the new coffee table? It is a perfect fit for your new sectional. Thanks!

    hjnagel (at) hotmail (dot) com

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  126. Please Please teach us the hydrangea in a box project first!! I loooooovvvveeeee it! I have the perfect place for it too. Thank you for inspiring me to be thrifty. Also, I'm no expert and I def. think that if you love your space that is the MOST important thing, but I feel like the large "S" and the artwork above your new chair sort of "fight" with eachother.

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  127. Love all the changes. That sofa is beautiufl!

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  128. It really looks fantastic and it makes me itch to redo my family room! Great job!!!

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  129. I really do love the sectional look in that room. You get enough seating without it looking crowded. I am thinking about new furniture for the living room, but have had major sticker shock! Have fun with your new family room!

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  130. Woo to the hoo! It looks great and the different drapes add a nice touch for summer lightness. I've been working on drapes at my house too. Hopefully I'll have them finished this weekend and post about it early next week. Great work girlfriend.

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  131. It looks lovely!!! And it makes me want a new couch even more than I did before. I hate ours, mostly because it is SO incredibly uncomfortable!

    Question: What do you use to clean microfiber?

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  132. Wow~I love it, Sarah. The colors, the comfiness, the style...you done good :)

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  133. Your new family room is gorgeous! I bet you hate to leave it at night and can't wait to jump out of bed in the morning and see it again. But, I must say I am most happy for you being able to splurge guilt free and debt free. Enjoy your lovely space!

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  134. You bet, WHOO ! Comfort, convenience, beauty. Great view from the kitchen too. What a great post today - getting to see the before and finished photos was great. Getting the wiring moved made a HUGE difference.
    - Joy

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  135. OK -- so now I am curious about HOW soft a bunnies bottom is ;) Love the room! You did a great job. Doesn't it feel good to be in love with a living space?

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  136. WOWSERS! I am new to your blog today, stumbled across this post somehow and now I'm hooked! I love what you did. You have a great style. Thanks for the inspiration.
    Lusi :)

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  137. Looks awesome! Love your sectional. If ours was like yours we wouldn't be getting rid of it. So cute!!

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  138. I was always in love with your family room before BUT WOW!!! I love what an incredible eye for beauty you have! It's so REAL (aka not stuffy) and GORGEOUS!!! Plus, debt free!!! You're so inspiring!

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  139. Sooo very pretty!!! I love that you added in the blue!! It's so fresh and beautiful!! You are so inspiring!!!!!

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  140. Sarah, it looks FANTASTIC!! I heart the sectional so much, and the fabric you chose is just perfect. And moving the TV? Hello! It's like a brand new room. Enjoy it! :-)

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  141. Love the redo!!! I really want to know what color of blue you used on the candle stick. I like the picture by the fireplace, at first I thought people were calling it the "poopy" picture and was thing HOW RUDE! Finally realized it said "poppy" like the flower..silly me! Anyway I love the way everything looks!!

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  142. Gorgeous! Can you please share where you got the
    lamps that are on the dresser?

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  143. Lovenurnnewlyndecoratednroom! Ihav atv mounted like urs ,&!hav been unsurenhow to decor around it, love the mirror above & greennlamps &!hydrangea.m the lighter drapes look great in this room to! Its such a lift when doingna switch up, thanks for inspiring me!

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  144. Love the new arrangement...the tv and dresser look so much better on the bigger wall. The whole room has come together so well. I am celebrating with you! Looks gorgeous and you have debt free FREEDOM!

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  145. Great blog. Got it from a friend. I will be in the market for new sofas in about a year so I plan on coming back and stealing from your experience. It's beautiful. Are you wearing clear flip flops? Awesome.

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  146. very, very nice! What a difference it can make just to move some things around. We SO, so, so need a new sofa (ours is getting droopy), but we also feel like we need to pay down some debt first.

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  147. I never thought about putting the components UNDER the dresser! Is it a hassle to clean the floors around it?

    The room looks just gorgeous! Love the chair!

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  148. This looks amazing! I loved your living room before and am surprised at how much better this looks. I would love a tutorial (or know the store where you bought it) for that monogram wreath you have over the mirror, it's gorgeous!

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  149. love!! the sectional i bought from Arhaus arrived on saturday. i am in LOVE! and what a deal/score on that coffee table!

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  150. Gorgeous! Well done! I have been thinking about taking a loooong dresser from a bedroom and putting it in our family room for storage. I had myself talked out of it until I saw yours!

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  151. I know this post is old, but I haven't visited in a while! I wanted to share how my husband rigged a glass-door cabinet for our media. He also worried about the components overheating, so he installed 3 computer fans in the back of the cabinet. You can't really see them unless you REALLY look hard. They plug right into the power strip, no fancy wiring required.

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  152. Your room looks fab! I have a niche over my fireplace and am at a loss as to what to put in it. I love how you did a mirror and hung an "S". What is your S made of and how did you hang it?

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  153. I love your family room, too! Let's see...where to start? I adore the white table behind your sofa. Your window treatments look fab, and I'm in LOVE with the piece underneath your tv. Such inspiration!

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  154. WOOOOHOOOO, I love your new family room! I'm definitely going to check out Arhaus, thanks for all of your research,time, etc.

    It all looks amazing! Great job.

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  155. Hello! I'm a little late to the game but I love the new setup. I was wondering about the box of flowers on the dresser - did you make the box yourself or buy it? I'd love to do something similar in my home so if you have any tips, it would be appreciated :)
    ~Erika

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  156. Beautiful room. I noticed behind your sectional you have a white shelf from IKEA. where did you find those green boxes to fit in the upper smaller shelves. I can't find a basket/box to fit that size shelf. thanks.

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  157. Will you please post a close up picture of your fireplace? There's something new on there and I'm dying to see it up close! I hope you include that in your post about accessories. Thanks!

    Camille

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  158. Your whole space looks awesome! I was wondering what the approximate dimensions of your room (including kitchen, dining and living) are. We are trying to figure out what size space works best for a great room. Yours "feels" great! Not too big and not too small. :)

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  159. I just bought my first house and am about to start decorating...oh how I LOVE this family room! The flow is perfect (great job), and I didn't fully grasp the genius until I saw the before, before before, etc. pictures. Now, I am obsessed with that rug. Where, oh where, did you buy it?! Please tell me! I won't take credit for it when people come over! :) Thanks,
    Sumeyya

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  160. Hello! I love your family room! Wow I wish I could just transplant it to my own! PLEASE do a "how to" of your dried hydrangeas box. I want to do it myself but no idea where to start! Also, where did you find those wonderful colorful candle pillars? Thanks for the inspiration!

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  161. I love your family room. Can you share with me your paint color, brand and also where you purchased your rug and the name of it? Thank you.

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  162. Hey there, I was curious where you got the hydrangeas from? (I'm assuming they are not real). Thanks!!

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  163. Its gorgeaus. I have similiar colors in my family room. What is the paint color you used? are the pillows from pottery barn? I love it love it all.
    my sons room is very similar as well. Im so glad I found your blog. very neat ideas

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  164. Where did you get the adorable box and hydrangeas? That is lovely.

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  165. Hi! I LOVE the room! I had a question though, where did you get that box that holds the dried hydrangeas? Thanks so much!!

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  166. Hi! I was wondering what the name of your wall color is!? I have the same color palette in my living room but HATE my wall color right now. Thanks so much!
    Tara

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  167. Your living room is AMAZING! I need to know how you made (or where you bought) the box for your hydrangeas??? I want to make one and I am clueless how you did it! You are my new inspiration!!

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  168. I love your whole family room! The box with the hydrangeas is amazing! I'm wondering about your small curtain rods? I'm looking for some and I love yours!! Have a great day! ~ Jamie

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  169. Where did you find the lamps on either side of your TV in family room redo?

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  170. Where did you find the long box for the hydrangeas? I want to do this in our foyer at work!

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  171. Hello Sophia! I shared how I made that here: http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2011/07/diy-trough-thingy.html

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  172. We are about to buy an Arhaus sectional. It is a big investment. Are you still loving it?

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    Replies
    1. YES. One of the best purchases we've ever made in this house. :)

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If you have a specific question I will do my best to answer you back here!

You can find our paint colors and links to items at the "Our Home" tab at the top of my site.

THANKS so much for reading!