Ok, you guys have heard me lamenting about my family room ever since we moved in. It is a small room, and really hard for me to get a grasp on. Most of the problems are due to the fact that the furniture we had in the last house just didn’t work in here, so I started the purging, replacing, shuffling routine that we all do. This poor room has looked good and like a disaster from time to time. I finally have an arrangement that I love with my sofa, horse painting, round glass coffee table and cowhide rug. It’s the chairs in this room that keep giving me problems. I’ve tried several different chairs and they all provide a comfortable place to sit, they just don’t say wow when they are all together. Top that with two recliners that hubby and I use every day, but are really worn and need to be replaced. (That’s still a budget item I am saving for). So the search has been on for something that pulls this room together in a more cohesive way.
I shared my recent yard sale finds – two wicker barrel type chairs. These chairs turned out to be the one thing that brings this room together more than anything else I have tried. It’s funny how things work out. I bought these chairs thinking of the patio, never thinking they would help solve a problem in the family room.
I usually show you this angle of this room. This is what this area looked like just a week ago. I brought the wicker chair back into the family room. It works well, but I didn’t have a coordinating chair to go with it. The Louis chair was just ok, but then the whole thing was a mess with the recliners. Now I like all of these chairs and I don’t have to have matchy matchy anything, however 4 totally diverse chairs in one small room looked just like that. Miss-matched and not necessarily great.
So, I changed out the pillows and added the two new chairs and this angle already looks better.
I rarely share the whole room showing the two recliners and the other chairs. This isn’t terrible, just not really fabulous either. I think all the diverse chairs make the room look cluttered.
Having two matching chairs seems to pull the room together better. The dark barrel chairs play off the leather recliner and then the light recliner blends with all the beige and cream.
My Antelope pillows work so beautifully with the seat cushion on the chair. They help tie all the cream, taupe and beige together.
Adding in even more cream, beige and taupe on the sofa just seemed to round out the colors.
Now I feel like the room has more of a cohesive look and feel. Amazing what a couple of chair changes can do for a room. I didn’t necessarily start looking for chairs like this, I just got lucky and found out they work. Sometimes luck is just on your side. I think two matching chairs of most any style would have helped this room, so I am so glad these did the trick. Since this room is small, it’s an added bonus that these are smaller in scale too.
P.S. I just have to add a new picture here. You guys always have such amazing feedback, I love it. You have such keen eyes and your suggestions are always appreciated. Karen noticed that the rug looked a little off and needed to be turned more horizontal to fit the space. I had hubby help me move the coffee table and we turned it around. She was so right, it looks so much better turned more horizontal and now it seems to flow with the room. It’s amazing how even the room looks bigger. I love it.
We had a couple other comments about there being too many chairs. I so understand, however on a day to day basis there are up to 6 to 8 people in this room, so I really need plenty of seating. I would love a bigger room, but since that isn’t happening, this will have to do. Lots of chairs it has to be. Thanks for the feedback.
What do you think? I always love your feedback.
Your rooms always look, lovely, functional and comfortable. I always enjoy your posts because you are honest and practical. Most other bloggers try to impress us with really unlivable, photo shoots Your home is an inspiration for those of us who can’t always change everything on a whim. I look forward to your posts and I have suggested your blog to all my friends. We all agree that you do it best and we thoroughly enjoy strolling though life with you.
Thank you so much Nancy, what a wonderful compliment. I try to keep it real around here, nothing fancy, just every day life. Thanks again, Marty
I love it. The wicker chairs seem like a perfect addition! Especially like the way the pillow colors compliment the color scheme!
I agree….amazing how that changed the look of the whole room. It’s gorgeous!!! I like how the brown in the barrel chairs pull out the brown in the horse, and creates a sort of triangle between the leather lounge chair, horse and barrel chairs. Easy and pleasing on the eyes. Great job once again Marty!!
Hi Marty! Oh, I love the look of your family room! Those wicker chairs look great! You do have such wonderful style. Wish you could pop over and help me get settled! 🙂 Wishing you a beautiful week.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia 😉
Love the wicker chairs…they look inviting!
I know what you mean…sometimes settling a room is frustrating..but you have a room now that fits you and makes you feel at home…
Great job.
Nancy
wildoakdesigns.blogspot.com
Awesome!
Your room looks cluttered, way too many chairs for that small room.
Marty, there’s just something I’m not getting about the rug in the room….maybe turning it more horizontal or it’s to plain. Not sure quite what…do you have another rug in your home you could swap it out for. Some kind of texture or color seems needed.
Oh my word, you were so right. I turned the rug more horizontal and it looks so much better. I added a new picture, take a look. Marty
Not sure where you put the new picture, with turning the rug, I don’t see it yet…and yes there are 2 Karen’s talking to you..LOL I’m Karen L. And suggested turning rug or change up….your room looks so much better, in using the wicker chairs.
Yes it was you that suggested turning the rug. I added it to the post as a PS at the bottom. Go take a look. It really does look so much better.
I think you nailed it! Don’t you just love when something you didn’t expect to happen just does! When we decide on a
purchase for one room and we discover it’s really meant for another is so great!
Another great solution!
Wicker chairs are the perfect addition to your cozy family room—especially with the pool right outside the patio doors! I’ve always wanted to compliment you on your blog posts but I do not have a google account, now I can! Hugs from this Grandma in Waco, Tx😎
So sorry, but Sherry is right, too many chairs. It’s great that they were yard sale finds and you did not invest much in them. Stash them away for when you have family reunions and need all those chairs later!
Marty, I love it!! I would remove the rug and the room will look bigger and more spacious!!!
I think it looks great! Recliners aren’t usually the most beautiful chairs, but oh my! they’re so comfy after a long day. Love how you’re being real and not just staged! Thanks for sharing your frustrations – we all have them!
I love those barrel chairs Marty! What a great find!
I think the room looks great. Everything ties together in my opinion. The couch with the ivory chair and couch. The wicker ties with the other recliner. They all tie into the rug and your horse painting.
Keeping it real is great by me. Getting tired of perfection on social media. Let’s get back to the real world.
We need to support each other. Sorry kind of tired of the perfection world. Tired at times blogging is forgotten.
Everything looks pretty.
Cindy
This is great. Karen’s suggestion on tilting the rug really makes a big difference too! I love the serendipity in not only finding the two chairs as a bargain but finding the room’s fix!
I have a similar dilemma with a small area of my husband’s space. I’ve left a chair parked there that is totally out of place (yet out of the way), but not sure if I want to shuffle it elsewhere or get rid of it. I’m just waiting it out while I hang pictures and organize some of my remaining stuff first.
The chairs are perfect Marty. What a great find. They look and go so well in the room.
Have a great week.
Hugs,
Kris
Your room is looking great, Marty! When your budget allows, one idea might be a reclining loveseat to replace the two recliners, maybe in a brown leather. That might solve the issue of so many chairs – just an idea. I know whatever you do will look wonderful. I also appreciate that you keep things real. I really miss that with so many of the blogs now.
Hi Marty,
I’m a long time fan and am always happy when I see your posts show up, in my email. As one, that is constantly making changes to get to the finished product I feel you are a kindred spirit. The family room is looking better all the time and these chairs are a real score and are just what the room needed. Do you also feel like the room tells you what it needs and what it doesn’t like? LOL I do! I always like help and of course if you were near I surely would ask for yours and since you mentioned, that you appreciate that too, l would like to offer some, if you don’t mind. I believe that your lamps, being a pair would look better on each side of the sofa for balance. Anyway, the room is terrific if they are moved or not!!
Thanks tons, I do appreciate help, you guys always have such great ideas and the more eyes the better. Sometimes I stare at something so long I don’t even see it anymore. Marty
I think it’s perfectly fine to have your 2 recliners. While I know most decorators say no to recliners, I think they are SO comfortable! And isn’t that what “home” is supposed to be like? It’s not just always all about looks!
Great chairs and I do like the one matching pair of chairs.
My recommendation would be a rug to tie it all together. Maybe it is me, but I am past the trend of the cowhide rug, and truth be told I was never too big on it. It even seems a little small and the white color of it doesn’t add anything. What about a rug with warm tones and texture?
What a great find! I wish I had been at that yard sale first. 🙂 LOL!
Happy Thursday friend!
KariAnne
Such a nice improvement! I always enjoy seeing your beautiful home.
I think the room looks great. I get so annoyed with commenters who never read the whole post before commenting. You explained why you needed chairs!
It looks great!! Your post was the most clicked this week at Best of the Weekend. Congratulations!
Liberty @ B4andAfters.com
Thanks so much, how exciting. Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life
Thank you so much. I am honored. Marty
Your room looks beautiful – what a great find! As Liberty mentioned above, your post was our most clicked this week at Best of the Weekend! Congrats and have a wonderful weekend!
Shelley
Thank you so much That is so exciting. I am honored. Marty