Tour of our Christmas great room!

December 11, 2018

Hello my friends! I'm back with another Christmas tour -- this time the family room. Thanks so much for your kind comments on the kitchen and morning room! :) The family room decor isn't much different than it was last year, but I've quite a few DIY projects in this room since then!

Like the last tour, I will leave links under each photo to projects or posts. I'll also sprinkle in some of the same views from last year so you can see the changes I've made in here! 

Enjoy my favorite room in the house -- we love the high ceilings, the spaciousness and the beautiful staircase in this space. :) The first before and after -- with the dark blue added and DIY built ins:
Blue and red Christmas decor


This is how it looked last year: 
Using ribbon in tree

This angle is one of my favorites (if not my favorite) in the whole house. LOVE! 
Dark blue gray accents with white

I went with fresh greenery on the stairs this time -- I like to use them here and there in the house, but last year we had just moved in and I used our faux greenery. 

I love the look of the real swags:


Open staircase with stained steps, white risers

DIY wood and white stairs (from our last house)

I went back and forth about adding something to the greenery -- adding the DIY bows from last year at first. Then some ribbon. I removed it all and just ended up with some berry picks instead. The little touch of red was all it needed! 

Fresh greenery does get crispy -- and it's messy to take down. I only put in in spots we don't touch. :) But it is soooo pretty and it saves a ton of storage space to not keep that fluffy stuff year to year. 

Here's a look at the stairs last year:
Greenery with lights on stairs


Seeing the progress I've made throughout the house in photos is one of my favorite things ever!!

The DIY picture ledges filled that awkward wall beautifully:
DIY long wood picture ledges


I love the contrast of the dark blue fireplace wall, especially at the holidays. I love how the pretty tones of fall and Christmas look with it: 
Faux greenery with berries on mantel

This year I used a variety of faux greenery swags to build up the look on the mantel. I just placed them on and then started stacking them. I added flocked pieces here and there. It needed some red so I stuck some of those berries into this as well. I LOVE it! 

The little reindeer votives are a favorite -- I found those at the Dollar Tree and spray painted them in a copper color. They are adorable! If you missed my other cute dollar store find, check it out in my kitchen tour. ;) 
Christmas family room with red accents


Symmetrical layout with two sofas

I love this shot of the fireplace straight on -- the symmetry. 😍 Gosh I love balance so much. This is that view last year: 
Tall fireplace wall and tile surround

And how it looks now!
Sofas facing each other layout

I've taken a few weeks off of DIY projects and I'm already starting to get the itch to start more next year! I need to relax for a few more weeks first. ;)

I'm not usually a big fan of red in decor, but I can't imagine our house without it during the holidays! It's so festive and classic! I like to add touches of it everywhere:
Symmetrical family room furniture set up

Classic wood and white staircase

I went a bit simpler on the tree this year -- I did big glittered, wired ribbon down the tree and then ornaments. I did add a few of the berry sprigs in there as well, but didn't have many left over: 
Great room Christmas tour tall ceilings


Our tree is 12 feet tall and we've always had trees this big. The old one was a MESS last year (probably from the move) so we found this one at At Home soon after we moved in. I really love it -- it's SO much easier to put together and the lights turn on as you assemble it. Awesome. 

The tall tree is ALL my husband. He just loves it!! He doesn't ask for much when it comes to the decor, so this is my labor of love for him. It makes him so happy when it goes up: 
12 foot Christmas tree family room

My three-year old niece reminded me that our tree was missing something -- a topper. ;) I told her I didn't have a ladder tall enough and she offered to do it for me. I'll take her up on that in about 15 years. :)
Two story great room with 12 foot tree

Dark navy built ins and fireplace wall

I hope you enjoyed the family room tour this year! This space is SO tall and quite large, but it feels so cozy and comfy. It's what sold us on this house back when it was just studs: 
Dark blue fireplace wall in tall family room

Here's the same view last year: 
Tall fireplace family room

And that same view this year:
Wood stairs and handrail, white baluster

Thanks for indulging me! How tall is your tree? I'm usually cursing when we pull ours out, but when it's up and decorated I do love it. It definitely makes a statement! 😂

Hope you enjoyed the tour! I'm hosting girlfriends this weekend and am focused on getting all of the glitter and needles swept up now that the decorating is done. 

This tour of the family room has a list of sources if you are interested! 
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Comments

  1. I can’t tell you how much I love that dark blue,it’s gorgeous! My little 4 ft tree is up since I’m traveling this year.

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  2. I love how the Christmas spirit and decor is in full force! I love it! Thank you for showing us your living room! ❤️❤️

    Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
    http://charmainenyw.com

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  3. Love it! The dark blue wall has really made a difference in this room. Love the garland! Any problems with the cat eating the garland?

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    Replies
    1. Surprisingly they leave it alone! They can't get to much of it though. :)

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  4. Your home is just so lovely. It takes talent to make your home look updated and chic but also cozy and homey as well. Merry Christmas!

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  5. I just LOVE your great room! I love to see how it was last year and now how much it has changed since you've been living there almost a year. I especially love the dark blue and the gorgeous built-ins. Every time your great room shows up in your blog, I always show it to my husband so he can see the built-ins. I'm going to get my built-ins one day!!

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  6. Absolutely gorgeous, Sarah! The blue really makes quite a difference on that wall, it makes it even cozier - you really have such a great eye for decorating and design!

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  7. I love your family room - well, actually your entire house. I do think that the "gather" piece above the TV is distracting. Before the blue/gray paint, it was needed, but now the wall speaks for itself. Please don't take this as criticism. It's just that "gather" catches my eye and I miss the other amazing things in the room. Just my own thing ....

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  8. I’ve been your fan for years. Love your style and design sense! Your house is so lovely decorated for Christmas. I am in the process of renovating a house. When my husband and I are trying to figure out a new dilemma, I will say, “Let me show you what Thrifty Decor Chick did a few years ago.” Thank you for being such a great teacher and sharing your home and ideas with us :)

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If you have a specific question I will do my best to answer you back here!

You can find our paint colors and links to items at the "Our Home" tab at the top of my site.

THANKS so much for reading!