Last week, we got word that our sofa line with Interior Define was going to be on sale later this month and they would love new assets to promote the sale. Cue us frantically squeezing in a basement family room paint session to make it look its best.

The truth is, we have been meaning to do a family room makeover for quite some time–and ordered most everything for it back in March (check out the initial mood board here!), but this deadline was just what we needed to light a fire. Paint and a few accessories worked wonders–again!

You can see in the before (above) everything was kind of all one color. The walls and ceiling blended into the carpet and even the sofa. The biggest standout in the room was the orange-y wood trim! Haha. Overall, the room lacked depth. It actually gets a good amount of natural light during the day (for a basement anyway), but the wood shutters blocked so much of that and painting it white wasn’t going to convince anyone this was a light and airy room.

Remember my tip? Don’t paint a room with low natural light WHITE. It will just look dingy. So we did the opposite and painted it almost black.

The color is Greenblack by Sherwin Williams. We did the walls in eggshell and the trim and doors in the same color but semi-gloss. It’s a striking mix and the color has a beautiful greenish-blue tint to it. It’s hard to capture on camera, but in the photo below you can kind of see how it looks in contrast to the black TV.

Also, yes, we still have some cord/outlet moving to do. The previous owners had the TV hung VERY high, so when we add trim to the walls down here (that’s the plan eventually!), we’ll be sure to move it then.

Besides painting the walls really dark and the ceiling white (our basement ceilings are 8′ so we are painting all the ceilings down here white–we did the same in the guest room!) there there were a few things that really took this room to the next level. We had the sectional, rug, ottoman media cabinet–all the furniture. But this turned into an accessorizing game. We made a short video of our styling tips!

1. Never underestimate the power of lamps. They will MAKE YOUR ROOM and at night when they are all glowly, you will feel more relaxed and happy. You just will! They create a mood and an intimate moment and I love to layer at least 2 into every room. Here, I was so happy to finally use the one I thrifted earlier this year on one end of the sofa.

And the floor lamp we had here on the other end. The mixed vintage and modern style tell the whole story of the room (and the house) and I love the balance and asymmetry and table lamp + floor lamp bring.

2. White curtains, hung high and wide, saved the day. By hanging two panels on each side, spanning most of the window wall, we were able to help make the small look so much larger and really soften the room. I love to use curtain clips for easy open and close and the brass just POPS against the dark walls. I linked the exact curtains we used below because they are the best ready-made I’ve found.

3. No room is complete without art and I wanted to do something more modern here, since I leaned traditional in other elements. A couple years ago, I got these abstract gesture drawings that I cherish! They have been hung a few places in our home but I think they REALLY shine here!

The white against the black walls. The modern against the traditional lines. The floor the ceiling application feels so fresh!

It feels playful and boundary pushing and a little unexpected–all good things in my book.

4. Do you want your pillows to stand out or quietly contribute? Besides paint and curtains, the only thing I ordered for this makeover was pillows. Our previous ones weren’t selected specifically for this space and they were very contrast-y and attention grabbing. I really wanted a more soothing color palette that quietly contributed (in a big way!). A supporting character, instead of the star (and you know, supporting actors get Oscars too)–which we’re trying to make the sectional, remember?

We mixed a lot of patterns in textiles in this room–the rug + plaid ottoman + 7 different pattered pillows–all that could look crazy if they weren’t all in a subdued color palette with varying pattern sizes. Instead it looks interesting and collected. We’re so thrilled with how this quick makeover turned out!

Sources:

Wall Color: Greenblack by Sherwin Williams
Art (old from Etu Home)
Charly Corner Sectional in Vintage Plush Sisal
Hans Pillow Cover
Dorian Pillow Cover
Deliah Pillow Cover
Saraya Pillow Cover
Minerva Pillow Cover
Ellen Dotted Pillow Cover
Pillow Insert
Ottoman (no longer available from Shoppe Amber Interiors)
Rug
Rug over Carpet Carpet Pad
Leather Accent Chair
Throw Blanket
Floor Lamp
Side Table
Curtains
Curtain Rod
Olive Tree
Media Stand
Mirrored Tray (similar)
Candle
Vase
Rustic Bull
Habitat Book
Hide and Seek Book
The Nature of Home Book