Color Scheme of the Moment: Blue and Pink Rooms, and My Family Room Decisions

Thank you all again for your insightful and detailed advice about our family room.  First, I wanted to address a couple of questions that have come up over and over:

1. We do like having the sofa not face the tv. It was intentional. The kids and my husband can't watch tv without laying down. They don't want to put their feet on an ottoman, they want to put them on the sofa laying down. So in our life, the sofa should not be facing the tv.  I appreciate the comments, but in our house this works better and it was planned for.

2. For the same reason, we will not have chairs facing the tv. It doesn't work for us.

3. The sofa is not too large for the room. Although it may look like it in some of the photos, I swear, it's really not. I can't stand far enough back to get the whole wall in a photo, but it is 20' long. So an 11' sofa is definitely not too big. Smaller ones look dwarfed actually. When I had a smaller sofa I had to have absolutely ginormous tables in every corner to try to fill the room.

4. Yes, the light is formal, and the tables are unusual. That was intentional. I know it's not for everyone, but there is no way I am changing those. I wanted a unique and unusual room that is really my creation and not a copy of something I see everywhere.  So yes, it's not for everyone, and many people (most actually) would do differently, but I'm more than ok with that.

So, here is our decision. We are going to buy another sofa just like the one that is there. It will be opposite the current one, and they will face each other. They will line up under the windows, and there will be about 10 feet between them. This is the general layout:

This Rug by Caitlin Wilson is my current favorite. Although if I buy it I am going to ask her to make it with a slightly more greenish blue in the base: 

And of course lots of pink and purple accents - pillows, art, etc.

We are excited about these decisions, and although we have to wait 10 weeks for the sofa and rug, it's exciting to look forward to.

And surprisingly, it is totally consistent with what the majority said here. Usually readers are split 50-50, so this was a nice surprise:

Again, thank you so, so much for the advice. I got a lot from it and I am so grateful. There were too many really detailed and long comments for me to be able to reply to individually, so I tried to do it here. I feel badly about that, but it's because tomorrow is my daughter's birthday, I have a project due for an e-design client, and I am going on a short vacation Tuesday.....so please forgive me this time!

I'll be out of touch from now until next Monday, but I think you guys can live without me, especially because I have prescheduled posts. But if I am slow answering emails, that is why. Have a great week everyone. Here is your eye candy:

And some new shopping favorites. I might ask for shoe #1 or the ballet flats at #18 for my birthday:

                              

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Reader Poll Answers, and Another Question..... Family Room Drama Continued

Hi everyone! I'm sorry, I was overwhelmed yesterday and published without comment. I knew I had a lot to say and needed time to think and digest your amazing advice from Thursday (about my family room).  You guys honestly are the most creative and helpful group of people, and I am so lucky to have you. I was so grateful for the words of encouragement and how supportive you all were. I absolutely know that I will figure this out. Honestly I haven't had a lot of time to focus on it, and I only think about it for two or three minutes at a time, and then I move on only to later get frustrated with myself that I have not addressed it yet.

Of all of the advice that you guys gave me, here is what a few of you said that really hit home. You said "Your daughter said she wants beds to lay down and watch tv. That's not useless advice. She is telling you the room isn't comfortable." BAM. You nailed it, and point taken. I'm kind of embarrassed that I laughed at her comment and disregarded it, and didn't see this (now) very obvious point. Thank you SO MUCH for showing me I was being blind to her point. You are right - it is about making a "family room," not a fancy room. So my goals have changed, and I'll tell you what I'm thinking.

But first, your poll results:

No surprise there, right? You guys are ALWAYS split right down the middle. I think it shows how there really is more than one good way to do most projects, and people with great taste and talent can disagree. I told you that my husband and I also disagreed, but I didn't tell you our choices. It turns out that he wants the neutral, and I want the colorful. You're surprised, by that, right? I even surprised myself a bit with that. I never go in that direction, but it's still appealing to me for this room.

Anyway, yesterday we borrowed a rug from a local rug store to see if we should order it in a larger size. If they had had a colorful one we liked, we would have borrowed that, too, but they didn't (more later). So here is the neutral:

Do those of you who said neutral still like it? Does anyone change their vote? It is SO thick and soft and the dog absolutely loves it. The kids want a rug, but don't care about the style.  I know they would lay down on this one though - it is practically begging for it.

I also looked at 8 million colorful rugs online. There are lots of problems, maybe deal breakers:

-I need an absolutely huge rug. The sofa is 11 feet, so the rug width should be at least 12 feet. But the room is very long, so a 9 or ten foot length in a 9x12 rug isn't enough - I need at least 14 feet. And 10x14 doesn't work because the 10' isn't enough for the width of the sofa. So I have to go up to 12x15.   

-Rugs that are 12'x15' are very, very expensive. 

-The selection is not great for this size, either.

So after all that, I literally only found one rug that we could afford and also like. I really, really wanted to try a dark pink, and found some, but they were all $10,000. Deal breaker. But here is the one we like and can also afford:

 So now I am down to two options:

  

If we buy one of these, I would add some floor pillows and throws to the corner where you first walk in.

NOTE:

A lot of you commented on things like the mantle, the magazines, the pillows. I should have said it, but none of those are where they will stay. The pillows were on hand and the magazines just got there somehow. And I never did a thing to style the tulip table. I am not straightening up this room or styling it or deciding on accessories until the major elements are in place. So I really appreciate your advice, and I agree - those things will change :)

Ok, don't get mad, but here is one more option that I'm thinking about. What if I sold the tulip table and chairs and bought another sofa? For opposite the one above? In addition to adding more seating, I could spend a lot less on a rug - it would only have to be 8x11 or so (just to go under the table and between the furniture), and there is a much better selection for both neutrals and colorful rugs. And the sale price of the table and chairs woulds cover a big chunk of the sofa cost.

Do you want to vote again? I love you guys for helping me!!!!

Question 1: 

Add another sofa across from the one already there?

Yes - more seating is better and it solves the balance problem.

No - floor pillows are better because there is more room for the kid to spread out and play.

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Question 2:

I asked this last, time, but now that you can see that actual rug available, I thought I'd ask again:

Do you have a rug preference?

The white shag

The blue and white rug

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