Decatur Sunrise: Light, Bright, and Cozy Family Room

Looking at this family room just makes me happy: light and bright theme with some serious style.

My clients wanted this room to be family-friendly and comfortable where they could play games and kick up their feet to watch a movie. But they also weren’t afraid of injecting a bit of formality into the space.

So my goal was to create an area that could gracefully handle the normal messes that come with having a busy family and little kids while also feeling bright, airy, and clean. The design, then, is soft and cozy juxtaposed with fun splashes of color. And because this room opens to the kitchen, I intentionally incorporated colors that seamlessly connect the two rooms.

I first took down the dark bamboo shades to allow natural light to stream in from these incredible windows. I added patterned window treatments that bring color all the way to the ceiling—a trick I love to use to visually lengthen a space and add color in unexpected ways.

Photo credit: Cati Teague Photography for Gina Sims Designs

I added a new sofa in virtually un-stainable Crypton fabric and accessorized the existing sofa with pillows and throws for warmth and comfort. A few of the pillows are by a local artist who takes her paintings and turns them into textiles. I. am. obsessed. 

Photo credit: Cati Teague Photography for Gina Sims Designs

I added a console behind one of the couches and chose this stunning coffee table to anchor the center of the room.

My clients really liked their television cabinet, so we simply painted it a soothing shade of gray to allow it to blend in with the surrounding space.

To incorporate color throughout the room, I brought in a soft, blue-patterned rug, a gorgeous pink chair and matching ottoman, art, and pillows. Lots of white pottery balanced the multiple hues.

Photo credit: Cati Teague Photography for Gina Sims Designs

Because my client loves gold, I added several fixtures and accessories in the shade, including sconces on either side of this stunning large-scale abstract. We filled surfaces with architectural pieces, and layered art in front of the built-in shelves, which we filled with baskets and interesting decorative accessories.

The result is a room that is simultaneously elegant and comfortable, colorful and soothing.

Photo credit: Cati Teague Photography for Gina Sims Designs