Let’s talk family room decor and the little items that can make your space feel homey!

photos by laura sumrak

similar vase | similar marble container | eat pretty every day book | cupcakes and cashmere book | c/o gold frame | c/o side table

Decor can really make or break a room. While decor is typically little additions, these items make a BIG impact. I will happily {more like sadly} admit that the little decor items, isn’t really my thing. I am not great at choosing lots of little decor items to go together. Ones that mix well and aren’t all the same color. Typically what I choose is all the exact same color and/or metal. Therefore, they don’t create a lot of excitement or really give that cozy + homey feel, most of us are after. My friend recently told me about selling room additions since she just had her home remodelled. Her house looks amazing now and I’m quite tempted to get my home remodelled now too!

Shannon, of Shannon Claire Interiors, however, rocks that! She has such an eye for choosing decor accessories and making them look amazing in a space + together. Having her pull our space together from afar absolutely amazed me and taught me A LOT! Shannon is based in Washington D.C. and created our space from there. She also went to Home Goods to do a final decor shopping trip to pick up all the little items before seeing our space person. HOW?! This just blows my mind. BUT, all the pretty little pieces you see were picked by her.

similar vase | coasters | c/o monogrammed matchbooks | candle | c/o marble tray | c/o coffee table

So let’s talk about a couple of things Shannon taught me by decorating our space. One, plants are needed! They instantly give your space a more cozy, homey feel. As seen above, even adding just a little greenery here and there can create that homey feel. Fun fact: when eucalyptus dries out it still looks just as beautiful as the day you brought it home from Trader Joe’s. Pick up a bunch from your local grocery store and place it in a vase on your coffee table, side table, or tv credenza. This is easier then buying fresh flowers all the time, will save you money, and still has the same effect! But speaking of tables, a friend of mine has recently invested in new dining table for her home. If you live local, you should give farmhouse tables Dallas a try!

Also, investing in a few house plants is a great idea. Shannon had us filled the corner by our tv credenza with a variety of plants and they honestly make the space. I am obsessed with them! Just be sure to consult with someone at your local Lowe’s or nursery about the amount of light you receive in your home before picking out plants. We receive almost zero light in our family room so we had to skip on the beautiful fiddle-leaf fig as they require a TON of light and would died pretty quickly. Make sure your investment {house plants are not too cheap} is going to be worth it!

basket | similar pink pillow | c/o navy pillows | c/o rug

You can truly never have enough pillows. It’s true! They add so much to a space and are a perfect way to pack a punch with some color. Our space was pretty much blue and white until the final day when Shannon came from her trip to Home Goods. She brought three or four pink pillows. A color I honestly would have never picked but one that looked amazing in the space. Brought out the pink from our paintings and really brightened the space.

She also brought about five other pillows {we already had four}. We loaded the couch up {see below} and filled the basket you see above. This created such a cozy vibe in the room. You just wanted to dive right into that couch and cuddle up with all of those pillows. Bottom line, add more pillows. You can see the full shot of our couch here in all of it’s pillow glory.

simple decorating book | where’d you go, bernadette book | always pack a party dress book

Books are a lot like pillows, just add more! You can never have enough. Shannon definitely taught me this one! I already had 8-10 coffee table books and Shannon had me collect another 8-10 before our project was finished. Books look great stacked on your television credenza {seen above}, on and under your coffee table {if it has a bottom shelf}, and on end tables. Go for books that coordinate with your space. Since the family room consist of mostly blues, pinks, and white – those are the colors we went with when purchasing books. A couple of books I had previously, still made the cut as they are neutrals {metallic and black}.

similar lamp | similar frame | similar candlesticks | c/o side table

Mix metals! This is something I wasn’t too comfortable with. Something I would NEVER done without the push of Shannon. Thankfully, she pushed me and also brought pieces from Home Goods in various metals to force me to say yes haha. While the candlesticks and end table you see in this photo are both from the gold metal family, they aren’t the exact same shade. Which previously would have driven me bananas. Also, you can see that the metal on the lamp is silver, not gold. I would have NEVER picked it before because of that. However, it looks amazing in this little corner and adds a little boho vibe to the space. The lamp also pulls in the blue from the wall behind it and from the rest of the room.

Additionally, the table top is mirrored with a cooper wash, bringing in another metal color. Again, something I would have never picked out but how fun is the mix of all of these metals and this little corner? Lesson learned: have fun with metals! Pick one metal to be your “main metal” then add small touches of other metals. This keeps the room fun, interesting, and unique. No more cookie cutter, all the same metal spaces!

similar pink pillow | c/o navy velvet pillow | c/o stripe pillow | c/o couch

Again, you can never have too many pillows! Also, have fun with mixing patterns, textures, and colors. This again, will create a more homey feel for your space and also a little playful one. I really feel like our Bazaar Velvet rug goes well with the pillows!

similar tray | teapot dish | c/o vase

Again, with the plants. Just this little bud makes such a statement! If you ever want to freshen up your space, go to your local grocery store, pick up a variety of flowers, and fill a mix of vases. Place these vases in various spots around your family room, sit back, and enjoy! Your room will instantly have more life and feel homier with this small addition. If you want the addition to be more permanent, I again recommend stopping into Lowe’s, your local nursery, or even Ikea to pick up a house plant. Don’t forget to ask for help or read the facts on the plant before bringing one home!

Isn’t it crazy how these little items MAKE a room and pull it all together?! Truly blows me away that these pieces are the ones you need to really think about when completing your space and giving it that homey feel. Yes, the big pieces are important and can make a statement but they won’t make the room the way pillows, vases, books, lamps, picture frames, plants, etc…will! Hope this post helped you figure out a couple of items to add to your space or how to spruce up your already completed family room.

Catch up on all our family + dining room posts: The BIG Reveal, Dining Room Design Board, Living Room Design Board, Wall Art + Decor, and Statement Drapes. Next week, I will share an interview with Shannon Claire Interiors, the gal that created this amazing space, and there will be ONE BIG GIVEAWAY!!! So stay tuned and be sure to check back often, next week!