Here’s where we explain the second half of Farah’s home makeover (click here to read our first post on the subject). Basically HomeGoods offered us some free merch for our house and we asked if we could pay it forward and transform someone else’s casa instead. Unbelievably they agreed. And we decided that we couldn’t stop at just sprucing up Farah’s mom cave after we laid eyes on her family room. So we have another before and after for all you transformation loving fiends. Here’s her cute family again, just to refresh your memory.
And here’s their family room before:
Here’s the same room after we got our mitts on it:
It was pretty much a blank slate, and we were lucky enough to be able to work with a lot of Farah’s existing things (the sectional, the recliner, the side tables, the wood frames, the coffee table, etc). So it just came down to adding some room-making accessories and bringing in a ton of kid-friendly function for Laila without cramping the grown up’s style.
One of the biggest changes came from suggesting some warm artichoke green for the walls (Benjamin Moore’s Nantucket Breeze color matched to satin Behr paint). The room glows like candlelight with a soft green tint. And thanks to everything from the new table lamps to the soft texture-adding rug, the space really feels warmer and more inviting.
Farah even primed and painted the existing recliner (see how here) and we brought in a cute green bench (which used to sit unused in a corner of Laila’s room) to create an entire area that could be devoted solely to her toys and games. Because it’s always nice to work in some kid-space within a public living area. You know so they don’t feel banished (like those old formal living rooms where children weren’t allowed and the sofas were covered in plastic).
We thought hanging three white hooks with inexpensive Ikea baskets on the wall above the green bench would add even more stash space for Laila and her gear (while keeping things looking organized and simple). Plus we’re not gonna lie, it was a whole lot cheaper than buying a big cabinet or console table to fill up that wall.
And over in the kitchen, we moved the white bench (which used to live where we put the green bench) over into the kitchen near the table. See, whenever Farah entertains she pulls the table out into the room and adds the bench. This way she doesn’t have a blank wall in the family room anymore when she has guests over. And Laila now has a little zone to enjoy every day. Win-win.
And see that print above the bench? We’ll explain more about that in a bit.
But first, here’s another POV of the seating area:
And another one:
And another one:
And see that basket under the side table atop that stack of mags? It’s just one of two leftover woven Ikea baskets that we got for the wall above the green bench. We thought they would add even more function if we used each of them to corral Laila’s board books. Now adult reads and kid reads can peacefully coexist without looking like a doctor’s waiting room.
And not only did we make a little Laila zone with the green bench and those hanging baskets, we also tossed a few of her toys on a plastic (read: unbreakable) tray on the coffee table. Since kid stuff tends to inexplicably migrate around a room, I figured that embracing that fact by using some pint sized play things for the reveal would depict how the room would really look after Laila works her decorating magic. Let’s just say I was channeling my inner two year old. Plus how cute are those tiny plastic bananas? Maybe plastic fruit will be my new obsession akin only to ceramic animals.
Here’s that photo that we said we’d get back to. It’s actually a portrait that we shot of Laila in the backyard holding mini grapes.
When Farah said she was looking for a berry-related print for a frame that she already had to hang above her bench in the kitchen, she asked if we could shoot photos of her own daughter’s hands holding berries for a one-of-a-kind customized result. One DIY photoshoot with Johnny P the photog and twenty bucks later (we had it printed at a local shop downtown) we had our one of a kind print for the wall. Now Farah can enjoy something a bit more custom than anything that she’d ever find online or in a big box store.
Oh, forgive me for being captain obvious here, but here’s a cheap (and edible) centerpiece idea for you. Nothing beats a bowl full of fresh green apples:
This is just a gratuitous basket detail shot because I can’t get over those cute blue shoes that match our color scheme. I’m shallow like that.
And now for another budget breakdown:
- Paint: $100 (five whole gallons- we suggested Farah paint the ceiling & adjoined kitchen to avoid breaking up the room)
- Rug: $299 (8 x 10 from HomeGoods)
- Kitchen blinds: $60 (faux wood blinds from Home Depot to unify the kitchen windows)
- Side table lamps: $29 each (from HomeGoods)
- Blue bird: $9.99 (from HomeGoods)
- Blue finial on mantel: $12.50 (from HomeGoods)
- Pillows: $55 (brown ones from HomeGoods, rest from World Market)
- Custom Laila hand photo in kitchen: $20 (printed locally at Uptown Color)
- Decorative remote box: $15 (from HomeGoods)
- Kitchen table runner: $12 (from HomeGoods)
- Kitchen bench pillow: $20 (from HomeGoods)
- Baskets under green bench: $22 (from Target)
- Hanging toy baskets above bench & under side tables: $30 total (from Ikea)
- TOTAL: $713.49 ($296 spent by Farah thanks to HomeGoods!)
We went into this family room (and semi-kitchen) makeover with the Trading Spaces spirit- we definitely gave Farah her fair share of homework, from painting the walls to hanging the blinds and even priming and painting her recliner. So we assumed the total would come to around a thousand dollars a la Vern Yip or Genevieve Gorder from their glory days on TS. Needless to say, we were pretty darn psyched when we crunched the numbers and realized we were about $300 short of that, especially since we squeezed in some big ticket items (like a giant 8 x 10 rug, tons of paint, and matching side table lamps) as well as a slew of accessories (from pillows and a table runner to baskets and hooks, a ceramic bird, and even a large custom photograph of little Laila herself). We had so much fun with Farah and family! Thanks for letting us barge in and order you around like Doug Wilson. What about you guys at home? Do you have a corner in your family room for kid-paraphernalia? Or small plastic bananas as coffee table decor? Somebody please say yes to that.
Ali says
Wow, I’m a Richmonder and that home was my EXACT floorplan in my first house – what a treat to see what your talent could do to that space – I loved every bit of it! Now if only you could do one for my current situation, ha ha – we’re in need of a serious bedroom makeover – my two little ones have adorable nurseries but somehow it’s hard to get around to our poor master (exhausted parents and pocketbooks, I guess!)
Rita says
Very nice job! However, I noticed that the TV disappeared. Did it go into a different room?
YoungHouseLove says
The TV is actually still there in along with the armoire! Check out the picture above the detail shot of the side table (the 8th after pic down). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
James@signed autographed says
Wow. I’m really impressed. I wasn’t sure what exactly you guys did but you really brought a fresh new feel to the place. Great job!
KC says
the yellow walls are great so bright and cheery! what a great change!
xoxo
KC
KD says
Great transformation! On an unrelated note I was looking through your amazong store and noticed that you use Tom’s of Maine toothpaste WITH fluoride. Since you are into organic and natural, healthy options I thought I would let you know that fluroide is now actually proving to show signs of causing tooth decay and damage to teeth, not to mention it’s really bad for our immune systems, as is chlorine. Tom’s also makes a non-fluoride option which is fabulous! Just thought I’d let you know. Crazy to think back on the fact that they literally came into our classroom as a kid and gave us fluoride to swish around for a minute on a regular basis. Ick.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip! We actually switched to the fluoride free formula for three months last year and we both got cavities. Might be a coincidence (both of us?!) but from that experience we’re sticking to the version with fluoride, at least for now. No more cavities since. To each their own though!
xo,
s
Melissa says
Right now there are 3 board books and a toy truck on my coffee table! Not to mention two laptops and a couple of magazines. Yikes.
YoungHouseLove says
Just add plastic bananas… perfect!
xo,
s
Sima says
Amazing how a few changes made soo much difference. You did a great job. I have still to visit Homegoods in my area. I really should go. I love the accessories and the rug is gorgeous. It just looks so pulled together now. Great job.
Julia M says
I am getting ready to tackle painting our ENTIRE home. What’s the deal with color matching? Is one brand better? Cheaper? Why do it?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Julia,
It’s all in the name of saving money! It’s about $10 a can cheaper to go with Behr than Benjamin Moore, which adds up to $60 saved for both rooms in Farah’s case. We love BM paint of course, but Behr is great stuff too (and good for anyone on a budget).
xo,
s
Alison says
I love that you did a makeover at someone’s house! The rooms look awesome! They look totally pulled together now. I hope you do more of these in the future (you can totally come to my house anytime!)
Jill says
I love that blue bolster pillow from Home Goods! I have to make a mood board for a living room design, and I am going to steal that color! Fabulous!
Jen says
You both have such an incredible tallent to transform any space into a space that just gives off a fresh, glowing feeling!
Love everything you have done! So much inspiration to be found!
xoxo,
Jen
liz @ btb says
I have plastic bananas on my coffee table!! Ok, I lie. But I do have real bananas right next to the coffee maker on my kitchen counter. Same difference right? No? Dang.
Jessica says
Woah, that HomeGoods store looks incredible. I wish we had it here in Australia (I actually wish we had a lot of things here! Pottery Barn, the GOOD range of Target that the US has but we don’t). I just watched the little advertisement/movie on their website and it looks so funky on the inside.
The transformation is great, simple but makes a huge difference.
sally says
love this….so inspiring! that paint made all the difference! my living room is similar to the before. we have super tall, vaulted ceilings. i love the openness of the room, but i can’t decide how to paint! i can’t tell in the photos: did you all paint the ceiling in this room? seems like vaulted ceilings especially would look odd if they weren’t painted? i’ve got that “paint paralysis” you mentioned!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! We always recommend carrying a light wall tone up onto a vaulted ceiling!
xo,
s
Christen says
Could you tell me more about the sofa? Is it Pottery Barn or does it just look like one of their styles? I’ve been looking for a sectional for a while now and I really like the way this looks in their living room!
http://www.bakerlanegang.com
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Christen,
I think it was from Value City furniture but we’re not sure. Maybe Farah will drop in to confirm!
xo,
s
Carolyn says
Amazing, amazing!! Good job and what a cute family they look to be.
I would love to see you guys do more of these style of projects. For instance, decorating a rental home without any major modifications (e.g painting) or even a habitat for humanity project.
Just curious, did this project take as long as it does to put a mood board together?
P.S regarding the plastic banana talk from this post..I actually pulled one out of my Poang (ikea armchair) this morning! (now that’s a sentence I never thought I’d write!) ahhh, kids :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Carolyn,
It actually took about four times as long as a mood board since we made three visits out to their house, a few shopping trips, and also added the Laila hands photoshoot, etc. But it was tons of fun and we’d love to do more whenever we can squeeze them in (perhaps 4-5 times a year)!
xo,
s
katie.kiNdess says
I live in Indiana~ please come by my house and help with my family room. thanks.
>wiNks!<
Love HomeGoods. We don't have one close to us that i have found yet, but continuing my search for a rug. Love the one you found for their room!
Robin O says
Do you know where they got that green/white bench that you guys put in the living room for the kiddo’s area?
YoungHouseLove says
They found that at a consignment store for $20!
xo,
s
Anna says
Awesome. I really love the toy storage area. Will definitely have to bookmark that one. Thanks for sharing!
From Bali With Love,
Anna
http://annaelizabethpoole.blogspot.com/
Ann M. says
This is incredibly gorgeous. I love how warm the room seems and the coloured pillows you used.
Laura says
I didn’t notice the ceilings were painted until the previous poster mentioned it. The ceilings are also painted Nantucket Breeze same as the wall color?
I also have cathedral ceilings in a open floor plan. Planning on Wishes for the walls and white on the ceilings. Should I also paint the ceiling in Wishes?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes yes yes! All the way up!
xo,
s
Becky says
Hi Sherry and John!
I was watching TV last night and a Homegoods commercial came on and the premise was the husband comes home and says “what happened to my man cave?” and the wife says “I turned it into a mom cave”. I thought that was so funny to see after reading your post yesterday! Did you guys see that too?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s funny! Haven’t seen it yet, but we’ll keep an eye out.
xo,
s
Karen says
I love the bright colors you added, it adds that punch the room needed. The bright green tray and the bright pillows help a lot. I am so happy when beige bites the dust…
Sherry says
You guys are amazing. That room looks fantastic. Really goes to show you don’t have to spend a ton of money to make a huge impact. When are you coming to my house? :)
Liz says
Wow, you guys should do this more! I love what you did in the family room! You are so inspiring — keep it up!
Jen S says
I read your blog posts every day and have to say that I found these posts a refreshing change to the everyday. Seems to fit in with the resolutions you posted about last week (or so). Thanks for inspiring me!
bria says
you two have a gift – and how nice of you to share! That blue is amazing and it matches the front door!
You both make it look so easy, i def. second guess every decorating decision i make
Lani @ diapers and divas says
Great room! I’m trying to lighten mine up and these are almost the exact colors I’m using (with a little orange….cuz that’s my weakness).
I noticed a little white ceramic(?) elephant hanging out on the mantel. Was that already there or is that going to to be a signature of “Rooms by John and Sherry?” Love it! Great job!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, I’d love to leave a little ceramic animal behind if we tackle more of these in the future- haha. But that one was actually Farah’s (from HomeGoods a while back, of all places!). Funny right? The makeover was meant to be.
xo,
s
Carole says
okay, I’ve never heard of HomeGoods, but I *must* go there immediately…that rug is so pretty and inexpensive! what a lucky family, you’re so kind to ‘share the wealth’!
Monica says
It looks so amazing! Great work, as always guys!
kay says
I loved what you did for the living room. And enjoyed reading the “what”…
and maybe it’s just me, but I also like to know “how” you decided on a color scheme when you walk in a room. What inspired those particular colors, as opposed to something else.
ALSO… did you paint the front door that deep blue or was it already that way (I couldn’t find a pic to show). THANKS! Love your work.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kay,
The front door was already that color, and since the homeowner told us what colors she liked, those inspired the choices (along with the awesome door color)! She mentioned rich inky blue and soft greens and we added in the yellow-ish green pillows and the lime green as accents to keep it fun.
xo,
s
Andrea | HomageStyle.com says
Love the bench! Terrific idea!
I’ve been trying to come up with a place for backpack storage in my kitchen, since my kids do the drop & run on the table or on the breakfast bar stools after school, since the coat closet is not particularly accessible, since it is a solid 20 steps further than the kitchen drop off. ;/
With a large table & limited space otherwise, I was at a loss. But a bench…that works!
Jessica G. says
This is an amazing transformation! The room was nice before, but now it’s so warm, cozy, and inviting. The rug and the wall color are my favorite parts. I’m in NYC and have never heard of HomeGoods, but I just did a quick search and there’s one on Staten Island! I do believe I’ll be making a trip there this weekend.
Christy says
I love this room! One of the places I get stuck when trying to pull a room together are the details of mixing black, white and wood tones. Can you someday address any “rules” you follow? In this room re-do for example, how did you know it would look better to paint the recliner white when there are other wood tones in the room that it could have tied in with? And why did you decided to frame the print of the little girl in white rather than black? The fireplace has a black mirror hovering above the white mantel, so I think I would have been tempted to repeat that black/white combo again? Do you not really worry about balancing out the white/black/wood or is there a method you follow?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Christy,
We like to layer things as opposed to keep them matchy-matchy. Here’s a post all about that: https://www.younghouselove.com/2009/04/email-answer-match-point/
As for the dark mirror above the fireplace, we also hung dark frames on either side of the big window behind the sofa (and there are some dark furnishings) but there are also white pieces so we thought the recliner would look nice an crisp with a white coat of paint and the white frame in the kitchen worked with that idea as well (which is great because Farah already had it around).
xo,
s
Alexandra says
Ooohh home goods! We have one near work and I am known (as well as many of the girls that work in this area) to spend my lunch break at that store
I had a moment of pure joy when I saw the extremely good looking cousin to your living room pooch for a mere $40! Thanks to technology I snapped a quick photo and sent it to my husband and, well, this is where the happy ending does not exist, my husband was far less impressed than I was. Regardless I was excited and so I thought I’d share
JoDi says
Wow! Both of these room makeovers are great! They’re like mood boards come to life with the “after” photos everyone is always begging for! I hope (pretty please) that you’ll be doing more of them!!!
Carrie says
Can you offer any tips on layering area rugs on top of carpet? Does the thickness of the rug make a difference? Do you put additional padding under the rug? How do you keep it from buckling under heavy furniture like the couch? Also, any color suggestions for layering on top of dark brown carpet? Can I treat it just like darkly stained wood floors?
YoungHouseLove says
Thickness doesn’t seem to matter (we’ve seen lovely thin or thick rugs layered over carpet) and as for the under furniture question it performs just like the carpet does under furniture (indents slightly from the weight, but nothing very awkward or noticeable). You usually don’t need padding under the rug because the furniture keeps it in place (and it doesn’t slide around like it would on wood flooring). As for layering on brown carpet, we’d definitely treat it like dark wood flooring since it’ll have a very similar effect. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Bromeliad says
Wow-wee. The colorful pillows do so much.
Doris says
Is the frame and mat from the print shop as well? I’m having a hard time finding affordable frames and thick mats to frame large pictures.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Doris,
The frame and mat are from Ikea (Farah already had it around, see it leaning on the recliner in the before pic?). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
carolyn says
Oh My! That is awesome! I have a similar window configuration in my family room and I’ve struggled with it for 5 years… I have to say it looks great with the white wood blinds and nothing else!
Elle C. says
I love this room! I never would have called it a “Mom Cave” before, but now that it’s got a name, I guess I’ve got one too!
This picture is a little outdated since we replaced the metal bed-frame with a West Elm daybed, and the carpet is being replaced this weekend, but this is MY morning spot where I have my tea, read my Bible and try to center myself before the “momming” begins. BTW, I would LOVE to get your advice on a (cheap) side table that would work next to a WE daybed. It needs to have a small bit of storage for overnight guests. Thanks!
http://memoirsofawannabegypsy.com/2010/09/1140/
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Elle,
There are lots from Target (and target.com) that could work. Oh and HomeGoods too!
xo,
s
Nikki says
Looks great. Do you know where the side tables by the couch came from? I have been in need of tables for a year.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Nikki,
Maybe Farah will stop in with that info! We know they were brown but she painted them white a while ago.
xo,
s
Colleen says
I found the hanging baskets at Ikea online. “Lidan” They are bathroom accessories.
YoungHouseLove says
Sweet! Thanks for the info!
xo,
s
Meagan Francis says
Oh my goodness, I LOVE this–that rug makes a huge difference, the color is fantastic and those baskets are TOO cute. I think I might have to get some of those myself!
Amy says
I love the hanging cloth baskets and found them at Ikea online…but it said they are only available in stores…any way around that? I would love to get them but the nearest IKEA store is 4 hours away!
YoungHouseLove says
Maybe try checking ebay for them?
xo,
s
Kelly Clawson says
Love, love, love the idea of the hanging baskets! I am trying to find 4 of them right now. We have a 2 story house and junk always piles up at the bottom of the stair case and the top, of stuff that needs to be taken down or up to the other floor. So I would love to hang some baskets to hold the stuff until we go up or down again. I also have stuff on the floor right in front of my sons room. I don’t like to go in there when he is sleeping, so I just put the stuff on the floor and put it away when he is awake. I would love to hang a basket next to his door to throw the stuff in. If you have any other ideas of baskets, please post them! I have been looking but everything is hard and I am looking for a soft basket, something that will lay flat when empty.
Serina says
How wonderful! My daughter has her own little arts and crafts area in the “art room” of our house that I just put together in September. It is made up of the IKEA Stuva and Trofast kids collection. I’ll send pics to your e-mail if I can figure out just how to do that from here at work…
Sara says
OMG I love this after room. You guys really spruced it up nicely and gave it the ultimate younghouselove touch. Are you looking to do this again? Or would you guys ever be interested in people submitting pics of their rooms and layouts and asking for your or the general public’s assitance in seating arrangments, accecories, etc.?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sara,
We’ll definitely make a big announcement if we’re in the market for another house to spruce up. We had tons of fun!
xo,
s
Lindsay says
Hi Sherry and John,
I was trying to figure out a storage option for above the changing table in my son’s nursery, and I remembered this post and those hanging baskets from IKEA. I’m having trouble finding them on the website though and I don’t have an IKEA near me (sadly!) in St. Louis. Do you have any idea if they’re still available, or how to search for them (I’ve already tried “hanging baskets” and “baskets” and can’t find them.) Thanks! Love your blog, it’s very inspiring!
YoungHouseLove says
I think they’re still available, but only in stores. Maybe call a store and ask if they have them (and if they’ll ship). Good luck!
xo,
s
Lori says
I know I’m super late to the game commenting on this post, but where is the couch from? I’ve been looking for something like that! Thanks :)
YoungHouseLove says
I can’t remember but I think others asked in the comments, so the answer is hopefully there for you if you scroll back!
xo
s