Holiday Home Tour + Living Room Refresh

This is a sponsored post with Birch Lane.

Sharing a fun post today…a family room refresh! This has been a project spurred by COVID-19 (I mean, who hasn’t done a home project during the pandemic?!) Read on for all the details, and how I decorate the space for Christmas!

When COVID first hit, Tyler and I decided to paint our eat-in kitchen area/family room (it’s an open concept space). Previously, it was a khaki color and the wall with the TV was a deep cognac color. 


We opted for a light gray since our kitchen is white cabinetry and has gray backsplash so it would be a more cohesive as you look at the entire space.

Looking back at it, I have no idea how we found the energy, but we did it bit by bit after the boys went to sleep earlier this year. We are SO pleased with how it turned out– so much brighter. I feel like the space seems bigger too…amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do!



We did this refresh on a budget, so we worked with the furniture we had like our sofa, loveseat and chair. (And just being realistic…brown makes sense for two young, messy boys and a dog right now…new family room furniture is realistically a few years down the road haha!)

We rearranged the furniture to create more of a closed off space, but it still feels open, cozy and inviting. 

I’ve been slowly adding pieces to refresh the room, like pillows/blankets, etc. We added a light fixture, which the room never had before and it really made a difference. The most recent addition has been this wool blend rug from Birch Lane.  The rug brings the furniture and walls together so well and gives the room a nice dimension and brings in some texture too.



Here’s how we currently have it set up and decked out for Christmas, as well as our other decorations in various spots throughout our home! It’s a lovely mix of DIY pieces, Target finds and cherished pieces I’ve collected since we got married.

Details:
DIY Entertainment Center…a DIY from 7 years ago! (see post here)
Rug // Rug pad
Wall shelf
Candle
Blanket
Cream pillows
Light fixture
Coffee table
Side tables (via Pier One, option)
Round mirror
Black frames (via Ikea)
Felt letter board
Wood Christmas art sayings via NAP Creations


The wall shelf is also new from Birch Lane. It is on the wall in our eat-in kitchen area. I’m still playing with how to style it post-holidays, but loving the farmhouse charm it adds to the previously blank wall. Next year, I might add a garland for a pop of greenery…


And a little more about this candle…
It comes from a local shop in Libertyville, IL called B.Bungalow. They carry a wide array of items, from clothing to housewares to beauty and more and aim to provide ethically made items.

The Whistler Winter Pine candle is an eco-friendly soy candle that fills your home with the warm scent of holiday pine and fresh forest. It is made from recycled glass and is hand poured locally in Chicago. By purchasing this candle, you support jobs for young moms returning to the workforce. 


It even has a seed topper that you can plant to grow wildflowers!

That’s why it makes for such a great gift– it’s something that means a little bit more, especially when it’s local. Personally, I love receiving quality candles as gifts because it’s something I normally wouldn’t buy myself. They are so beautiful and fill my home with great scents!

They are $36 each, but when you buy 2+ they are only $25 each with code winter using their holiday pop up shop link. (Or you can scroll down to the bottom of this post for a chance to win your own!)

DIY on our floating shelves…found here




Overall, I’m really pleased with this refresh and SO happy with the space…we spend a lot of time here so a fresh coat of paint and updating a few pieces kept it within budget and a spot where we love to hang! And having everything decorated for the holidays just makes my heart happy…such a special time of year!

And now for a fun giveaway! Enter to win a Whistler Winter Pines candle of your own from B.Bungalow! You only have 24 hours to enter, and winner will be selected at random and will have the candle shipped to them. US only. Enter using the options below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thanks to Birch Lane and B.Bungalow for collaborating on this post!