Emily and I have always been ones to gather people together. We love having people in our home, whether that’s for a birthday party, neighborhood movie night, kids friends, or just having our friends. We love to gather! But one of the things our home was missing was a gathering spot. And what better place to gather than to have a decent sized family room, right?

What inspired the family room?

A few years ago we decided we needed to make our backyard patio bigger. We poured cement, got a large dining table, and a perfect outdoor sectional. This became a place to host parties, but only when the weather permitted.

When we looked at that space we thought, “This would be perfect, if we had it inside our home!” That’s when the idea of our remodel was born.

We had looked at the space and had decided to push out to add our dining room, bump out our kitchen, and add a family room.

The perfect vision

The biggest reason we did our addition was to have a place for gathering friends and family! Emily quickly created a vision board to see how we’d make this space a gathering place. Seating for talking, reading and entertainment. A place to house all sorts of people in our home where they feel welcome and loved.

Our contractor (Duncan Frazier) built a custom entertainment center that is better than we could have ever imagined! It has shelving and cupboards along the bottom for practical storage.

We painted it Farrow & Ball “Blue Grey” which is actually a more green color. We also built library bookshelves in the nooks on each side of the window seat. Click here for our favorite books for adults and our favorite books for kids.

It will be a great place for kids to relax and read. Emily can’t wait to set up a puzzle table right by the light of the window.

The perfect couch to gather on

We purchased this Peyton couch from Crate & Barrel. It will be great for lounging around, but comfortable for entertaining. When we went into the store to test out the couches, we looked for something with structure, high performance fabric (since it will be frequently used), and of course super comfortable. This couch checked every single box.

This couch not only checked those boxes, but made perfect sense for the space it’s going in. This will be a gathering space so it needs to be comfortable, but not slouchy. We sat on it and instantly felt the comfort that Crate & Barrel items provide. You really are paying for good quality and it’s a style that isn’t going to go out. Classic, some would say.

Honestly, I just picture lots of times with friends chatting, family gathered for holiday’s, and of course bundled up watching our favorite trashy TV shows.

Chairs that we couldn’t NOT get

These swivel chairs are from Furnishh, a local Utah furniture store. We knew we wanted a swivel chair since they would be in a location where if they want they can watch TV, but then swivel to those on the couch for conversation.

We looked around at multiple stores to find swivels chairs we loved and the second Emily saw these ones she knew they were the ones.

Don’t forget the decor

Clearly, we can’t wait to add some art and make it feel just like home! If you know anything about us then you know that we love to collect items that are great for decorating all these spaces.

Some of our favorite places for simple home decor items are Foundation Goods, Jolley’s Corner, La Petite Maison to name a few. The great thing about these stores is that they are local to Utah and carry unique, fun items, but only get a few of each item. So when you see something you like, buy it because it could be gone the next time you are in the store. They all are great shopping places to check out.

Now, I have been on a major coffee table book spree lately. I have been collecting some of my favorites over the years. Here are a few of our favorite coffee table books and home decor that will be found on our shelves.

Whether you are sprucing up the space you have or preparing for a new space, these links will help you get the best of the best! Happy decorating!