When my husband and I started looking for our forever home to raise our family, we wanted an older home with character and charm in a particular neighborhood located in Palos Verdes Estates, CA. Our search lasted quite some time, but when we finally found our home. We were ecstatic and exhausted!

Our charming home was chock-full of character and overflowing with projects. Like so many people, I wanted to wave my hand and have it all done right away, but that wasn’t going to happen.

So we enlisted the help of our amazing architect friend, Kim, who helped us strategize what to tackle first. We decided that while we came up with plans for the spaces that needed re-modeling, I would begin with the rooms that needed cosmetic updates, starting with our family room den.

Before: A Charming Space in Need of an Update

The den just needed some cosmetic updates to become a cozy family room.

I loved the look and feel of the cozy space. It just needed a bit of updating to make it a perfect room for our family.

Project Challenges

The room is long and narrow, so we needed to find a seating solution that allowed as many people as possible when we had friends over to watch games. The room also has amazing built-in shelves and large blank walls. Styling them can be daunting, but I was up for the challenge!

There is also limited natural light, so I wanted to lighten up the space. Unfortunately, due to the age of the home, there was no canned lighting when we moved in, so my electrician added several cans in the ceiling with a dimmer switch, which was so helpful.

Design Goals

1. Seating for our family and friends to enjoy on a movie or game night.

2. Brighten up the space with new lighting and pops of color.

3. Fill the walls and shelves with family memories.

After: A Family-Friendly Den Revealed!

What a transformation! The space features a custom modular sofa I designed to accommodate as many people as possible. The sectional has a square arm on one side and a chaise on the other.

The modular design is great because it allows you to move sections to easily clean or search for the remote when it gets lost! It also has space for more than one person to lounge while watching TV or movies.

As I designed the sofa, I knew that my young kids, their friends, my husband, and his friends (who act like young kids) would be living all over it. So I chose a denim fabric from Crypton Home. I like to think of my family room sofa as a great pair of jeans - it is comfy, but looks great and goes with anything!

I painted the bookshelves with a fresh coat of bright, white paint. I chose Cool December from Dunn Edwards because there isn’t a lot of natural light in the room, and I wanted it to seem bright and lively.

I needed to address the bookshelves and the large blank walls behind the sofa to finish off the room. My overall approach when I am designing and styling dens and family rooms is that you should display photos, items, and memorabilia that represent your family.

When working with clients, I discuss what they want to see on their shelves so that I can properly edit to make sure that items on the shelves are intentional and pulled together.

In my own home, I change out items as I find new treasures and update photos in existing frames to keep the balance of the shelves without adding clutter.

I created a gallery wall of family photos on the large blank walls behind the sofa. We have a rather large family, so I like to make sure I have at least one photo that contains grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, so when they come for a visit, they will see that we are reminded of them each time we are in the room.

This can also be a daunting task and takes a lot of planning and a strategic approach, but the result is great if done well! Gallery walls are another project that I enjoy working on for clients!

To bring in more color, I used a rug with a bold stripe as the base and layered a neutral jute rug over the top so it wasn’t too over-powering.

Due to my large sofa, I knew I needed a substantially sized coffee table. I selected a repurposed coffee table from a friend. It was a beautiful dark brown but I knew that it was too dark from my space, so I painted white to keep with the bright and fresh feel of the room.

A Delightful Modern Yet Cozy Family Room

Much to my husband’s dismay, I LOVE throw pillows, and since the sofa is rather large, I took the liberty of adding as many pillows as I could! I especially love the ones from Elise Home, owned by my friend Lauren Meichtry, in Manhattan Beach, CA.

I think the final result speaks for itself. The room is still cozy and charming, but it feels more modern, practical, and can accommodate all our family members, including two large dogs. With a few cosmetic changes to the space and the right furniture plan, this once dark and dated room is now a beautiful, family-friendly space.

What's Next?

Thank you so much for allowing me to share this transformation with you. If you would like to learn what it’s like to work with an interior designer, click here to download my Client Guide.

If you feel overwhelmed with a project in your home or just don’t know quite what to do with a space, don’t feel like you have to do it alone. I would love for you to reach out and schedule a Discovery Call with me.

Together we can create a gorgeous space in your home!

Until next time,

Julie

Project Reveal: A Family-Friendly Interior Design in Palos Verdes