The Family Room, My First Imprint

After settling into my new home my plan was to decorate one room at a time.   I chose the family room as the first room to decorate.   The family room is located on the bottom floor of my four-story townhouse.  My initial plan was to move from the basement to the bedrooms and bathrooms as I decorated each room. I then planned on moving to the second floor to style the kitchen and living room.

It was a no-brainer, to begin with, the family room.  I wanted to have a room where the family could come together watch sports, play games and just hang out.   The easiest room to do that in would be the family room.    All the room needed was a  fresh coat of paint.  I also needed to add some furniture, a television, a few videos,  hang a few pictures,  arrange the furniture and I would be good to go.

Before

It’s a tiny room measuring around 10 ft. x 10 ft.  There’s a doorway which takes you to the garage.  The furnace and laundry areas are tucked away right at the bottom of the stairway.  It only took a gallon of paint for the family room.  The walls leading to the second-floor level would be part of the space upstairs. I painted the walls seen above with the double doors with a deep shade of yellow.  That wall only required a quart of paint.  It added a subtle contrast to the space.

I went with a light yellow gold wall color for the space.  There are no windows in this room so I used a light color to bring warmth and brightness.  Changing the carpet in this room was on the top of my bucket list.

An old sofa with a new paint color helped to liven up the room.  In a previous post, I talked about re-upholstering a sofa and love seat as a summer project. Well, this is the once floral sofa that was repurposed using a beige tapestry fabric.  This sofa will eventually be replaced.

Over time hardwood flooring replaced the ugly red carpeting;  The flooring looks so much better now.  It was a  major accomplishment to finish this project.

Shopping for Carpet

A new carpet upgrade now that’s a story in itself.  I went to visit my sister in Alabama with the intention of making a trip to Dalton, Georgia to buy carpet.  The carpet capital of the world is Dalton, Georgia where you can find lots of bargains on carpeting.   My goal was to purchase carpeting for the family room and the master bedroom.  The prices on carpeting were excellent.   I had the carpet shipped home.  My contractor whom I have worked with on numerous projects install the carpet for me.

It’s important to do your research. I visited several local area stores to compare prices. I also researched the cost difference between buying local and purchasing online.  Considering the cost of shipping and installation added to the equation. The online or out of state purchase would be a better value.  The savings were right on time for my budget.  It was one of the best decisions that I had ever made.

I constantly swap out old pieces for new ones.  I’m always looking for the next great bargain. I’m a lady on a serious budget who likes great deals.

The red sofa the artwork over the sofa and the two tan chairs in the room were purchased from a local model home warehouse.  Once a model home has been sold the furnishings are then sent to the warehouse to be sold to the public.   The warehouse is open only on Fridays (except during holidays)  from 8:00 – 2:00.  I have found wonderful home furnishings in this warehouse.

Most of the furniture is name brand top of the line pieces.  If you are just starting out furnishing a home or apartment this is the place to be.  You can find some quality pieces here.   The die-hard shoppers are waiting in line way before the doors open at 8:00 to be the first to have access to the new furnishings.  I’ve managed to find nice pieces at the model home warehouse while getting there at a later time.

After

Furnishing a home is not a race.  It’s about taking your time to create a space which is comfortable, safe and inviting for family and friends.  I think that this is now a space where family and friends will enjoy hanging out and enjoying one another’s company.