I’m so excited to show you our family/TV room today. I love it so very much, as exemplified with my romantic cuddle session with Lady Buttercup. It’s dark and cozy and I honestly don’t think I’d change one thing about it. I love landing on that sectional in the corner, two kids piling on and watching TV (especially in the winter). This ended up being far more of a TV room, not really a family room as the kids don’t tend to play in here, but living in the PNW in the winter we sure do love to spend time in here at night and on the weekends.
We, of course, made a really fun YouTube video for this room! Go check that out HERE and for a little preview, watch below (just wait for the short ad to play:)):
If you are just popping by (welcome!) head over to the process post if you want to see how this room came together (it was a totally different color when we first moved in). This room is right off the living room, separated by a pocket door, and the perfect room to throw children in when we have friends over while we hang in the living room.
Wall Color | Sconces | Art (vintage) | Table Lamps | Sectional (no longer available but this is similar) | Solid Velvet Pillows | Striped Pillow | Patterned Throw Blanket | Faux Fur Throw Blanket
The sectional is incredibly comfortable (gets more comfy with more use – they are always on the stiffer side at the beginning). Sadly it’s currently unavailable. We added a lot of velvet pillows to up the cozy factor and two of my favorite throws – a pretty wool one and that faux fur blanket I won’t stop talking about. The lamps were pretty much made for this room – the dark blue linen is perfect, the shape of the shade contrasts so well with all the squares, and the gold detail just ties it all together. The sconces light the art so beautifully and are on a dimmer so we can keep them so low and create quite the vibe.
Dog (Butter) | Coffee Table (Unavailable) | Vase (vintage) | Rug | Rug Pad (similar)
The rug is so beautiful – it’s wool and has so much movement in it, with color variation, making it forgiving. Don’t forget to add a 1/2″ memory foam carpet pad for a lot of plushness. The coffee table I’ve had for over 10 years (originally from Anthropologie) and the striped pillow was a splurge from Lost and Found LA.
Let’s talk paint color – Stillwater by Sherwin-Williams is on the wall and it’s PERFECT. Now if you have a brightly lit room (natural light) you should know that it can be a really bold/saturated color (almost like a bright teal) but with our lighting and vibe, it goes super moody. I could not be happier with the level of saturation and color in here (any darker could look black and any lighter would be too bold or light).
Art (vintage) | Framer
I continued the thread of this vintage plaid Boro fabric that we have throughout the house (in the powder room and living room) and this time framed it as a piece of art on the wall. Dave, our framer, mounted it expertly preserving the edges and imperfections. We chose to not put glass or plexi on it because it would make the piece hard to see and would essentially just reflect the outside that it’s facing. I LOVE it.
In case you missed it, I did a whole blog post and reel about how to hang a gallery wall in this room. Those seascapes make me so happy and while I never say this (and likely shouldn’t) I don’t think I’m ever going to touch them.
On the opposite wall, we have one last seascape given to me as a gift from Julie, our antiques dealer/client of the kitchen we did last year for Crate & Barrel. It’s so perfect! The art light above it really shows it off (and contrasts nicely with the sconces over the gallery wall – both from Rejuvenation).
Wood Flooring | Bookcases | White Marble Tray (similar) | Vase (vintage) | Wood Bowl | Switch Plates
We didn’t need a ton of storage in here, just enough for games and puzzles really. But the real problem that we had was not having a surface for lamps or drinks. Since the sofa is slammed up against the far wall and there was hardly any room for a side table on this side of it, we needed a sofa table. Enter this bookcase from Pottery Barn that fits PERFECTLY along the back of the sofa and is where my wine or tea sits when I’m watching TV (as well as those gorgeous lamps). It looks fully integrated and almost like it was professionally designed!
Fireplace | Frame TV | TV Bezel | TV Art Store | Knitted Throw Blanket
The sofa faces the TV and fireplace wall, and if you missed my spiel about how that piece of art is actually our Frame TV (with an awesome Bezel around it) head to this blog post. If you are building or remodeling I love this configuration of a TV wall – with a stove fireplace next to it. We worked with Vermont Castings on this fireplace – it’s gas direct vent fireplace. It warms up the room quickly so we use it mostly on the chilly nights and that ambiance, obviously, is quite the mood boost during what we call “the long great dark” up here. While I truly wanted to stay off the grid with natural gas where possible, the electric fireplaces that were available at the time were aesthetically not something we could put in a 100-year-old farmhouse (they have since gotten better, btw, but it’s still tricky to make them work in all environments). It’s definitely a luxury and perhaps not something you need in all lower/warmer states, but up here it takes a dreary/depressing night and turns it into an event to look forward to.
That chandelier is from Rejuvenation and I’m so sorry I didn’t shoot it with the light on! We just did a reel about it, showing how it lights the ceiling in such a pretty and soft/glowy way. You can configure that fixture so that it lights down or up but we didn’t want to look up into a bulb (and we have recessed lights should we need more) so we faced them up and love how it gives the ceiling an ambient glow.
Striped Bolster | French Doors | Roman Shades | Picture Light (similar) | Art (vintage) | Door to Living Room (vintage)
Lastly, you’ll see the French doors to the patio, which I don’t really think that we needed but it creates nice exterior symmetry with the sunroom on the opposite side. What we didn’t predict (well I did but nobody would believe me) is that the afternoon summer light (that stays light til 10 pm) blasts through here and makes it impossible to watch TV (or perhaps I’m sensitive to that) so we put shades on the doors (from Twopages that are so lovely) and we ended up installing a swing door into the hallway that is also flooded with light. So you can truly shut it all out, like vampires, even on the sunniest days 😉
The detail of the rug really shows off the texture of it. I’m getting inspiration from Enkay for our next rug launch. I know that this kind of quality, weave, and texture is usually quite expensive (hand-dyed yarn, artisanal weaving) but my goodness it’s so pretty. Now for some good old-fashioned before and afters of this room. But wait, let’s go back in time to remind you what it looked like when we bought the house:
She has come a loooooong way. Here you go!
I can’t BELIEVE it was ever that light/boring and wrong. This room always wanted to be dark.
Here (above) you can get a sense more of the Ponder paint color, which I really did like for a lighter room but looked dead in here).
I hope you enjoyed this room process as much as I enjoy this room. If I could have you all over to experience this level of vibe and cozy I would. Thanks to all involved and don’t forget to watch the Youtube video of the whole process with really pretty reveals.
Family Room Resources:
Paint Color: Still Water by Sherwin-Williams
Wood Floors: Oregon White Oak by Zena Forest Products
French Doors: Sierra Pacific Windows
Roman Shades: Twopages Curtains
Entry Door: Vintage
Sconces: Rejuvenation
Chandelier: Rejuvenation
Table Lamps: Crate & Barrel
Switch Plates: Rejuvenation
Art: Vintage
Picture Light: Rejuvenation (similar)
Sectional: Rejuvenation (no longer available)
Bookcases: Pottery Barn
Coffee Table: Anthropologie (unavailable)
Rug: Enkay
Fireplace: Vermont Castings
Art Framer: Limitless Creations
Bench Cushion Fabric: Sunbrella
Bench Cushion Upholstery: Raleigh Hills Upholstery
Cushion Bench: Dinihanian Design Build
*Design by Emily Henderson and ARCIFORM
**Photos by Kaitlin Green
Absolutely one of my favorite rooms you’ve ever done! Absolutely perfect!
Bravo!!! Gosh I love this room. Going moody was such an incredible iteration. The seascapes, the lighting, the velvet, the stove— swoon. It has me dreaming of a room like this in my future. As an east-cost northerner I understand the value of leaning in to the cozy (& also getting outside exercise as much as possible) to get through the dark and cold months. Love this!
Amazing room. It feels very signature Emily Henderson but also very current if that makes sense. I absolutely love it. I adore the patterned blanket on the couch. I have admired it from Schoolhouse Electric for years but it is out of my budget. It looks like it was made for your room or that you designed the room around it. What a happy accomplishment that you were able to find so many blues that all look the same. The framed boro fabric also makes this room for me. I don’t think the room would have the same impact without that piece breaking up the vintage vibe from the seascapes (the boro fabric feels both modern and vintage). What a cozy space. I’ll be curious to see if you do any holiday decorating in here.
Such a cozy space! I was also going to comment to say I like the patterned blanket on some couch. I’d love to see this room styled for the holidays with some reds.
All of what Lauren said! Gorgeous cozy, pretty pretty room!
I love how all the wood tones and gold pillows really pop against that blue. Quite an incredible space.
Wow. A real beauty. A REAL BEAUTY. With absolutely nothing stuffy or fussy, a room to live in. Congrats! We should all feel so comfortable in the rooms we craft!
Oh my goodness!!! 🤗
K, sorry (not sorry) Buttercup n Oscar steal the snuggliest vibe! 🐾🐾 (Butter is sooo Mommy’s gurl!)
This room is truly, drooly gorgeousness.💓
Those throws and cushions almost match too perfectly.
I think it’s a room I’d want to spend forever in.
Love this room so much!! The framed Boro is my favorite. Can you fix the link for the rug please?
“The rug was supposed to be the greener version (Enkay’s Raksha Rug in Aqua) but this indigo version still looks good and is so pretty! (and the greener version is now back-ordered). So we think we are going to mix blues and greens in art and pillows and make it work” from this post: https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/dark-moody-family-room-ideas
I agree, my favorite application of the Boro so far!!
the rug link is working again – they had a site issue but it’s all fixed! 🙂
It’s so insanely good.
Incredible. Love the tone on tone blue and the nautical gallery wall.
Love this room – feels like every part of it is singing the same song! And the yellow pillows add the perfect pop.
The tray is the Angelo Platter designed by Warner Wolcott (Magnolia Ceramics) available at Lawson Fenning..
None of the rug links take you to an actual rug to purchase and the Enkay site itself is hard to navigate to get a rug price. Or is it just sold to the trades? Love how the room came together. So cozy
good catch! i flagged for the enkay team – the site went down but it’s back up and running! here’s the rug 🙂
gobsmacked by how incredible this room is! Wish I could move in!
Swoon. No words.
This room is beautiful! Love it!
Question – it looks like you walk through this room to get to the powder room on the main floor. Have you found that to work okay or does it feel far from the living area when you have guests asking to use the bathroom?
With that cozy throw, comfy couch, and the fireplace, I would fall asleep in this room SO MUCH.
Love it!
I can tell in the video how very much you love this room! Is the back corner lamp bright enough to read a book by (a paper book?) That’s the only possible change I could imagine – a reading lamp because I would be hiding in there with a book for sure!! One of these days I will have a cozy dark TV room for hibernating in. Our current house is large enough to have the extra space, but none of the rooms are right.
Gorgeous! So relaxingly cozy with the navy blue cocoon, and the golden touches add such a lively, contrasting brightness. Nice movement with the marine paintings gallery wall, and the well framed boro textile, as Lauren H. noted in her comment that it “…feels both modern and vintage.” Love it ALL!
Seeing the 3rd photo of the room full on, immediately made me think an apparel translation in a navy, midi sweater dress layered with a navy (slightly) puffer vest, chunky gold earrings, bracelet with navy tights and dark boots – so cozy and classic!
Emily, and your team have shown us beautifully how dark rooms can be so special; your TV room, Sara’s bedroom and TV rooms, Bowser’s Den, and Arlyn’s old navy dining room, I love them! Maybe someday I’ll create one, though living in Seattle I do crave rooms that are light filled, S.A.D. is real folks!
Thank you for sharing the journey!
Looks great Emily! This turned out much better than I was anticipating. My only add would be to have a table under the painting between the doors. That side of the room feels a bit empty compared to the rest. Otherwise, great job!
I think she left that open as the walkway to the powder room, her bedroom, and the mud room. I’m guessing it gets a lot of traffic through that space, so a table might impede it.
Oh wow, we only have the upstairs to go…it’s almost done!
gorgeous! and so cozy. what a difference the paint makes. i also love a Frame tv. i wondered if you ever considered hanging a mirror instead of any of the art since there’s basically art on every wall if you count the tv (not a bad thing! just curious)
I would love to curl up with a book in here or watch a Christmas movie. Which fabric colorway was used tmfor the Roman shades?
I love this room! Color, sectional, book cases, lighting, seascapes, rug, pillows, roman shades, and the wool blanket are all wonderful. While I am not able to splurge on pillows like that amazing diagonally striped one, it’s actually not a bad deal when you consider that custom pillows can be over $400 just one for one of them! And, wanted to say thank you for mentioning Diwali yesterday, too.
Can you update the rug link? It says page not found. Love it all so much!!
This room is an absolutely triumph! I live in the PNW and am just getting ready to convert a formal dining room into a tv room. I’ve gotten so much inspiration from you! Many thanks for sharing so generously!
While I love color, and saturated colors a LOT, I would not naturally be drawn to a dark cozy living/family room like this (more mid-tones & pattern). But after you painted too light the first time, I saw how this room was asking to go dark and monochromatic with pops of the gold & ochre — and it came together SO well. I now have a dark living room, although there’s many windows it’s surrounded by redwoods blocking the light. I’m itching to paint a saturated color to give this house a warm cozy personality, but the walls and ceilings are old redwood paneling/beams and I’m afraid people would hate me for painting old wood (I don’t own it although I have permission to make it my own) but seeing this beautiful room be so inviting makes me want to paint even more!
Just soooo lovely and perfect and inspiring!!!
Lovely, warm and cozy room. And thank you for saying “given to me as a gift” and not saying “gifted”!!
Lol I can tolerate gifted but the new thing on YouTube apartment tours seems to be saying “sourced” instead of “bought” or “got” as in “I sourced this table from the flea market and I sourced this sofa from the curb a couple blocks over” and that I just can’t handle!!!
This (followed by the kitchen plus mudroom) are my favorites in this house. The family room is so cozy, beautiful, and inviting, plus I love every single use of your vintage Boro fabric throughout the house.
I love it , love it, love it!!!! Sooooooooooo Cozy! Great job! Enjoy your space!!!!
I thought nothing could top the sunroom, but this room is my new favorite. So so beautiful and cozy. It’s perfect! I want to come over and watch Lessons in Chemistry. I read over half the book and could not get into it. Thought I was the only one. Haven’t watched the show yet, but if I had a room like this, I’d be in front of that TV often – with a fire going! Also, I now want nothing but bright velvet pillow. They really make the room!
The narrator for the audio book of Lessons in Chemistry is the best I have ever heard! Highly recommend it as an audio book listen! I generally prefer reading vs. audio books but this one is the exception.
I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the book, so I’ve been surprised by the people who DNF.
Yes, I loved LOVED LOVED the audiobook! I often wonder if listening vs. reading affects how you feel about a particular book.
It looks fantastic! I’m wondering if the French door link could take us to the particular doors. I’m only getting to the home page. Thanks so much!
They are Sierra Pacific – Aluminum Clad Wood Door (white oak interior and aluminum clad exterior in Steel Blue 114). Here’s a link: https://www.sierrapacificwindows.com/Galleries/Index/#imagemodal?modal=ModalDetails&id=720
I am obsessed with this space. I’m loving color saturated rooms. I want to get Roman shades similar to the ones you have on your doors, any tips for measuring them?
This might be my favourite room you have ever created.
Very cozy! Perfect for watching movies!
I never properly understood the benefit of a “den” until I had kids. A small room you can pile the kids into (or cozy up in as a family) is a real delight!
Let’s call it Em-cave.
i want to move into this room and hibernate in it for all winter, and i mean this as the highest praise! there’s so many interesting things to look at in here, i would never get bored even without the tv. just gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!
I have loved watching this room progress!! We just finished a whole house rebuild and have a room that is identical in function and light. I’m happy with the color (Farrow & Ball Green Stone) but wish we had painted the ceiling. What did you end up doing with the can lights?? Mine have white cans and I cannot for the life of me figure out how to make them not look terrible with a painted ceiling!!!
I love, love this room! I’m so glad you decided to go dark, and the tonal layers are amazing! It’s going to be so cozy as we enter the cold and rainy season.
Love everything about this room, but personally would mix the paintings up just a bit. The sameness of them makes it seem as if they came as a matched collection decided by some big box store buyers instead of being individually curated over time (as they were if I recall). But it clearly works for the people who need to like it the most.
this room has been the inspiration for my own tv/den room! I was wondering if you had a sound system put in? We are also getting a Frame TV (and my husband wants more surround-sound than can be emitted by the TV itself..) I don’t see any speakers in the photo… we are trying to avoid a sound bar for aesthetic reasons, but the hardwired options are a challenge as we’re mounting our tv onto a brick wall..