We have a chameleon in our house and I am not talking about a colorful cute lizard, although Sylvia the cat would LOVE a pet lizard I am sure 😯 . The chameleon I am referring to is actually a room adjacent to our kitchen. It’s definitely one of my favorite spaces in the house because it has so many beautiful large windows that look out over the water and almost make it feel like a sunroom. This fabulous room has changed it’s “colors” so many times over the last 9 years and I just can’t help but call it a chameleon. The latest phase is quite colorful & eclectic, but before we get to the “Colorful Family Room Reveal”, I want to remind you where we began 9 years ago…
It was a dark dreary cave and our dear dog “Dude” made it his dog cave. He would let us borrow it on Thanksgiving and Christmas for a big family dinner, but that was the only use we would get out of it. It really was a waste of space. Adding the unique DIY “X” wood beams on the ceiling, and even putting a pretty light fixture in didn’t help. The dark metallic grey paint that I used was just way too dark and we avoided the space like the plague. I was still learning my true style at this stage.
BEFORE BEFORE:
Even in the daylight the grey was not my favorite. Below you’ll see how I finally got smart and transformed the un-used room into my much needed office. Don’t worry, Dude still had his spot in that back corner.
BEFORE:
Earlier this year I had enough of the grey, and we painted the walls crisp white (like the rest of the house). It really is shocking how much white opens up any space. You may also notice that I painted the credenza behind my desk black. You can read my full tutorial including what paint I used here: Black Painted Credenza.
EARLIER THIS YEAR:
Welcome to the room today! I finally grew tired of the “Coffee Lounge” in our kitchen (if you are a newsletter subscriber you know about that already), and I moved everything including the very large sectional sofa into this room to make new colorful cozy family room, or feel free to call it a coffee lounge if you like. Here’s that original fun story if interested: “DIY Kitchen Coffee Lounge“.
NOW!
How do you like that fancy gold mirror? Can you believe I found it at the thrift store? All I had to do was hang it.
And that cool brass light fixture…whoa! My vision for this room was all about fun family time. I wanted bright colors, and a little bit of an eclectic vibe up against my favorite stained wood and white walls. I also like that I can switch out the accents at any time. We are thinking about putting our Christmas tree in here this year, too.
I gotta tell you, I really like the “lounge” in here so much better. You see, this large sofa was taking up way too much room in our kitchen.
I could barely get by it to be honest with you. Now that we have this larger space I could also include several more chairs and even a few surprises like the new modern brass chandelier I mentioned…
Below is the room in it’s entirety and you may be curious why the TEA & COFFEE letters on the wall? Well, I am a tea drinker and my husband and kiddos all love coffee, so this fits us (see sources below). Luckily, we already had cable in that one corner, so the flat screen television on the wall was a no brainer. This will make for a nice family room movie night with the entire family curled up on that couch. Sylvia is totally digging it, too.
FIND LIGHT FIXTURE INFORMATION HERE
When I was taking photos of the room, I realized that the light fixture actually matched up with the design of the beams that we installed years ago. How crazy is that? That was not planned folks. I guess you could say they are a perfect fit. I love the modern glam factor it adds.
Here’s the view from the other side looking into our kitchen.
*** Some of the links in this post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. Read full disclosure policy here.
I want you to know that I don’t believe in measuring for gallery walls. Just begin in the middle and USE THESE TO HANG ALMOST EVERYTHING.
By the way, the blue lamps I found on clearance at Michael’s, but I picked out a few that I really love (even more than these) at the end of this post.
Lastly, you can learn how to grow indoor impatiens HERE like I have growing on that coffee table.
So, would you like tea or coffee? 😀
Colorful Striped Rug- Ikea (sorry no link)
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Tags: coffee lounge, color, family room, room makeover Posted by

Wow, lot of work, what a great job, love, Dad in NY
What shade of white is that? I like it. Ar the undertones grey? Looking for one with no grey. Love the room.
The color is Swiss Coffee (ironically enough) and it is a tad warm. Keep in mind I do edit my photos and brighten them and take some warmth out. Check out the color on line or at HD to be sure. It’s very vanilla creamy. (Swiss Coffee/Behr Ultra egg shell sheen)
What a Beautiful transformation.
A lot of hard work but the end result is Gorgeous.
You guys deserve a big pat on the back.
Oh, coffee for me Please
You got it, Colleen! Thank you!!
Love Swiss coffee (paint) have it in my bathroom and have never gotten tired of it! It is absolutely amazing the difference paint can make in a room. The fun colors have made it a happy place for your family to gather and that’s what this world needs more of. You rock Julie!
Hey Darlene! My kids are super picky about the rugs I get ? This one passed with flying colors. I was terrified showing them. Too funny!! Have a great weekend-
Wow, the room looks amazing! Can you come visit and help with my house? 🙂 Coffee, please!
Thank you, Kathy!! ?
Isnt it amazing what paint can do to a room. Your fern just loves it there. Do you think it will survive the winter even with all your loving care?
I hope so!
Love the pretty gold mirror behind your sofa! This room looks so fun.
Thank you, Vickie! Doesn’t it look really heavy? That gold part is fake. SHH!! 😉
Oh please, please don’t hate me for this, but I loved (from your pictures) the way the sofa looked in the kitchen. I love how you brighten the now, new lounge room, it made a big difference. There are so many other peices in your new lounge that I love to. Thanks for sharing.
Oh Ivory!! I could never be mad at you! I totally see why you think this, and if I had more room in my kitchen I would have totally kept it. ???
I love your new makeover, it definitely makes since to use it as your family room. It looks so comfy and homey. I’m not able to see any wires on your tv. How did you hide the wires for your cable.
Ooooooo u caught me, Mary!! The cords are not there because they are not there ?. We bought strips of white conduit from Best Buy to hide them, but haven’t done it yet. The wires will hide behind that eventually.
Julie, you are the best! You rock!!! Thank. You
Hi … your room’s transformation is beautiful. Can you clarify the color of your woodwork. My home is filled with woodwork that resembles a slight orange tint. I’d love to change it ….. easily. Do you have any suggestions how to perform a change. Thank you for the inspiration.
What woodwork are you referring too?
Oops … sorry … I was referring to the wood trim around your doorway and windows.
It is painted! Here’s the color I use on all my trim and even staircase: https://redheadcandecorate.com/2014/05/staircase-makeover/
Lovely room. But what happened to your black credenza? I loved that piece!
Great question, Kathy! You have a good memory. I was actually going to sell it, but I came to my senses and we moved it into our dining area in the walk-out basement. I wanted it to fit in this room, but it just took up too much space. I’m always moving things, so you never know where it will end up next, lol. Thanks for stopping over 😉
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