First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR! I never thought this blog post would see the light of day but nothing will light a fire under your ass like the deadline of a newborn. After living with our family room untouched since we bought our home in 2017, and then living with it in complete disarray for more than half of 2024, it’s such a RELIEF that this project is over and we’re now able to enjoy this room. December was a mad dash to the finish line which was not the most fun being seven months pregnant (late nights and early mornings spent painting, panic-buying what was left on my list, etc.). I simply could not fathom the thought of this space still being incomplete once baby girl arrives in February, as I know finishing and photographing would be near impossible on maternity leave.
THE BEFORE
As a reminder, here’s what we started with…
When we bought our house in 2017:
The *only* thing we did in here since 2017 was paint the walls Agreeable Gray during my sad grey era and added some crappy furniture, knowing it would one day need a complete overhaul. I’m ashamed to admit that this is how we’ve lived with it for all these years
And a quick summary of the work that was completed to get to the “after”
- Spiraled over blue paint
- Removed old slab doors/casing and replaced with new doors and casing
- Cased out the support beam
- Removed the old gas fireplace
- Framed for a new gas fireplace
- Vented and installed new gas fireplace
- Spiraled over green paint
- Sheet-rocked fireplace
- Swapped recessed lighting
- Re-wired electrical
- Spiraled over brown paint
- Installed custom built-in cabinetry and picture lights
- Installed marble fireplace surround
- Installed carpet
- Installed Frame TV
- Added grills to sliding doors
- Painted every.single.surface. of the room (in December alone, 7 months pregnant. Even with Angelo’s help there was still so.much.painting)
- All new everything – furniture, art, decor, textiles, etc.
THE AFTER
There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s talk details…
THE PAINT COLOR(S)
For some brief historical context – I chose Benjamin Moore Wales Gray as the paint color in 2023, and my initial vision looked like this (it was definitely the popular choice):
I sat on it for about a year. And then around October, when I was getting closer to actually painting the room, I had my usual “green” epiphany and wanted to paint the room a shade of green:
But a few weeks later, and because I thrive on drama and a plot twist, I thought “what if this room was actually dark brown?” These were some of the responses I received to the idea:
So I went for it
The walls and built-ins are Benjamin Moore Mocha Brown – a beautiful, deep chocolate brown that engulfs the room, making it feel warm, cozy and classic. While brown paint seems to be trending right now, I feel compelled to mention that I did not choose it because it’s trending. It’s a timeless choice in my opinion.
I typically gravitate toward more muted colors found in nature, and this room feels on par with my style while also being unexpected and different than what I’ve done in the past.
There’s something so aesthetically pleasing about the contrast between the lighter elements paired with the dark brown paint – it really makes every little detail pop. I also love that I can switch up furnishings and textiles as I please with this bold yet neutral color.
I decided to use my tried-and-true Benjamin Moore White Dove on the ceiling, doors, trim, and railing in order to avoid the room feeling too dark and heavy with all the brown.
THE TEXTILES
Since I didn’t wallpaper this room, I pushed myself to bring in plenty of pattern via textiles.
Drapes
Skirted chair
Sofa
Carpet
Lampshades
THE BUILT INS AND FIREPLACE
The fireplace was by far the most complicated, frustrating part of this process that took the most amount of time. As you saw in the before photos, we started with an old freestanding gas stove. This whole fireplace-built-in process was supposed to begin in early 2024 but without going into too much detail, nothing actually happened until June.
Here are the order of events that took place in order for the new fireplace and built ins to be installed (a lot of this is saved in my Family Room highlight on IG):
- June-July: Once we removed the old gas fireplace, my contractor patched the wall and framed for the new fireplace (we went with a basic Astria DLX)
- July – Sept: We had to acquire gas and electrical permits through the town. Waited about two months for permits
- Oct: Once gas permits were approved, a gas company had to come and hook up the new gas line that the fireplace would be connected to. We failed our first inspection due to an unknown leak outside. Gas company came back to patch the leak, then we passed the next gas inspection
- Oct: The fireplace guy whom I purchased the Astria DLX from came to install the fireplace and realized my contractor didn’t do what was necessary for venting (basically he thought the venting would be through the built-ins, but it was supposed to be vented through Angelo’s office, which was not properly setup for venting). My contractor came the next day and fixed the issue. Additionally, I found out my contractor did not file the proper electrical/fire/framing permits as I thought he did, and so he rushed to do that while I sat thinking this room would take another 6 months to complete. Luckily it was a quick fix because he knew someone in the permit department but OMG what a stressful week
- Nov: a few weeks later the fireplace guy came back to install the fireplace
- Nov-Dec: contractor added sheetrock around the fireplace, made the built-ins according to the images I provided, and installed everything. Then marble mantel was installed
- rest of Dec: panic painted every single surface of the room
Again, I’ll go over costs in a separate blog post, but wanted to share a quick overview of the process in case anyone else was thinking of installing a new gas fireplace in their home.
THE ART
I wanted to bring in lighter/neutral art to soften the dark brown walls. I’m definitely not finished with art in here, but I found some pieces I truly love just in the nick of (photoshoot) time
Frame TV art: Alexis Walter
Jennifer Pino framed with this chic wavy frame:
Catherine B Jones shared some of her available work via stories in early December and I jumped on the few that I thought would look great for a gallery wall in here. I ultimately think I could have went with slightly larger frames to fill out this wall space, but overall, I’m really happy with how it turned out. I used these budget friendly frames and these custom mats. I have to say, the pop of blue in the mat was a great decision.
Then a mix of stuff in the back corner and on the shelves. I also adore the piece I framed from Katherine Wirth (in the same budget friendly frames I shared above).
THE TABLES
I like to pair modern tables with traditional seating, and this World’s Away Nicola pagoda burl cocktail table (gifted) – which has been on my wishlist since we built our own burl coffee table back in 2019 – completes the space.
I’m so drawn to the sleek lines, chow foot base and matte burl wood grain. It’s the perfect touch of modern in this room.
And the perfectly petite Sherrill Lane drinks table brings in some texture (with casters for easy maneuvering)
THE LIGHTING
I was eyeing these lamps for a while and purchased them on Black Friday while they were on sale. Then Maxine Makes messaged me a link to an open box pair on eBay for a few hundred dollars less than what I spent, so I canceled my order and bought the open box pair that same day.
I want to take a moment to acknowledge the brands I had the pleasure of working with for either gifted or discounted product for this makeover. I personally reached out to them because I genuinely loved their product and wanted to include it in my space, and I am so grateful they provided me with the opportunity to do so.
- Kravet/Lee Jofa: discounted fabric for drapes
- Perennials: gifted fabric for sofa
- Couristan: gifted carpet
- Martha & Ash: made the drapes and gifted curtain rod
- Sherrill: gifted chair and side table
- Worlds Away: gifted coffee table
- Novo Building Products: gifted door casing
- Emtek: gifted doorknobs and cabinet knobs
SHOP THIS ROOM
My sincerest apologies but my two-cents take on this room: the coastal-style and feminine furniture clashes with that fuggly color of brown…like really BAD.
While I normally LOVE what you do design-wise (actually, I think you’re amazingly talented), the brown walls are hideous.
This is an absolutely insane comment. Not only did she not ask for your categorically bad opinion (brown is the most common natural color on earth that is found everywhere and also this style is not “coastal” in the slightest), but this is also so unnecessarily over the top and negative for no reason. Hoping your 2025 is filled with some self-reflection and understanding about the energy we put out towards others on the internet. Be well.
I love this room! Brown paint for the win. It’s so perfectly curated with items you love. It’s beautiful💫
If you feel compelled to apologize before typing the rest of your comment, you should just close the tab and walk away. Go touch grass Helen
Well said on both replies to Helen. Have some grace, Helen. The def. of grace is “courteous goodwill”. I strive to walk through life with it, and recommend how it works.
Show us your family room, Helen
Love this room and everything about it! The soft muted colors against the rich brown make the room cozy and inviting. I think you accomplished exactly what you set out to do. I can just picture you sitting here with your sweet baby and little Angelo playing on that gorgeous carpet! Well done!!!👍🏼
thank you for the kind words, Jan!
I’ve been plotting for almost two years to paint my office chocolate brown (it’s such a great neutral!) when we did our second stage renovation on our house. I thought I had settled on BM Middlebury Brown, but your choice also looks like a great neutral brown (not too red and not too purple), so I’ll be off to grab a sample of that! Pairing mine with Bird and Thistle wallpaper in the brown colorway for my foyer and cannot wait!
OMG that sounds dreamy!!! Send photos when you’re done, can’t wait to see!!
Hi Alisa,
Happy New Year to you and yours! I tell you, this post has made not only my day, but I think my whole year to come. Congratulations! It might have taken longer than planned, but the end result is absolutely stunning. I can’t stop looking at each photo, studying every single detail and smiling at what you’ve created. I knew it would be wonderful, but this is far beyond that! What you’ve done to other rooms in your home has been amazing and this is perhaps the best, if that’s possible! I know there are so many more important things in life, but being a fan of beautiful homes and decor and seeing how you use your talents for repurposing things you’ve found on line, you deserve a huge “Bravo!”
Thank you for the time you spend making such a wonderful blog and I wish you all the best with the upcoming “baby girl” event!
thanks so much, Gail! we really love it and can’t wait to spend time in here 🙂 and appreciate the kind words <3 wishing you a happy and healthy new year!
Ignore rude and insincere apologies.
The room is beautiful and cozy and it’s great watching
your design capabilities develop through the past several years. Proud you stepped out of your comfort
zone!
You’ve created a room your family and guests will enjoy. I look forward to the cost breakdown and have appreciated the sharing of your processes to obtain
what you’ve accomplished.
thank you so much, Diane! I appreciate it.
Lis, this is such a beautiful space and I know all of the thought and intention that went into it! Cheers to you and the babes enjoying it for many years to come! xxxx
thank you Shann <3 you are the best!
OMG! 😱 I knew it was going to be beautiful, but this is simply stunning! I think the brown is the perfect color/non-color. It does make everything in the room stand out without saying “look at me, I’m a color”. (I hope that makes sense.) Wishing you and your family plenty of good times in this special room. Happy New Year!
thank you so much, Arli! I completely agree! Happy new Year!
You did a lovely and thoughtful job. Wishing you a wonderful 2025 and much happiness with your expanding family.
thank you, Sue!
I had no idea what to expect from the brown, but I know you always hit the mark, so I trusted… And yes! What a gorgeous example of what a perfect paint color is supposed to do: provide a backdrop to the actual pieces in the room. It’s unexpected but somehow that’s exactly what makes it fresh and cozy. The spiraling and the timeline are also super relatable (thinking of my own living room, a work in progress for over a year). It’s been amazing to watch your process & skills evolve over the years; I really appreciate all the work you put in to sharing it with us.
thank you so so much, Courtney! I am glad you can relate. I hope you land on some of your own living room decisions soon, I know it can be stressful! happy new year 🙂
Team brown for the win. Yay!!! It’s beautiful. The power of paint is amazing. The room now, even with a darker color, looks bigger and brighter.Well done my lady
thank you Mary!
Absolutely stunning! I’m loving the brown neutral as it’s cozy and warm and doesn’t disappoint. Your selections in this room now stand out and look beautiful! Would love to paint our room brown, unfortunately hubby doesn’t care for brown, so I’ll need to find a tan or taupe that is adjacent to the Mocha color!
thanks Gina! Any shade of brown is gorgeous, IMO. You can’t go wrong with it!
The key to great design is that the room looks like it’s been lived in for centuries, with each owner putting her own spin on how to make it special, choosing things that are unique and special to them. That’s exactly what you did at one sitting, with a comfortable and beautiful vision for how you wanted it to look. Truly, you are a great designer. I hope you family finds many happy days in that room, and thank you for sharing.
thank you so much, Peggy!
Happy New Year!
What you have done in this room is absolutely amazing! It is so true to the other beautiful rooms in your home!
I could not believe the difference from the before photo. You are so seriously talented!
Good on you for being true to yourself, and I know that you and your beautiful family will have so many wonderful times there together.
Apologies for all the !!
thank you for the sweet comment, Heather! Happy New Year!
BEAUTIFUL!!!! Looks like a wonderful space to make lovely family memories!
thank you!!!
Absolutely gorgeous! And doing this while 7 months pregnant?! Hats off to you! A family room which will undoubtedly play host to the hundreds of meaningful (and stylish!) memories!
haha definitely not easy, thank you Julia 🙂
Wow! I really love this, Alisa! It’s such a wonderful mix of bold, classic and timeless. I hope you and your family enjoy this for many years to come. Happy New Year!
thanks Lindsey! happy new year!
I’m in love with that coffee table! I remember when you (and Angelo) created your own version using burl veneer. I (very briefly) thought I could do the same, but, nope. Definitely not in my wheelhouse. Bravo in creating this beautiful space.
I think the brown is great, especially with those green chairs. I think it stands out right now because the whole room is new. My sister’s living room is this color and it really is a great neutral backdrop for both furniture and art. Green is my favorite color, but I think this is perfect. I hope you keep it.
The room looks gorgeous and cozy. Thank you for sharing your talent! You have some serious skill!!
I’d been rooting for the brown since you first floated the idea and I just love the way this room seems so cozy and inviting and fresh! The evolution of your home has been so fun to witness. Hoping you have a wonderful 2025 and enjoy many years with your family in this lovely space!
Happy New Year and congrats on your new sanctuary (Fam. Rm.)! It is beautiful and cozy all at once. Years ago I helped a gal design her new apartment in NYC. Her place didn’t have a lot of natural light and we had the entire space painted chocolate brown except for the small kitchen. The colors we used as accents were a pale celadon green and a gorgeous pale aqua. The trim and doors were white. It was a jewel box of an apartment/home and we both loved the final result. Brown is never a trend bc it is truly nature’s neutral. I think you chose the right paint color in the end!
Good job! Not my style but I hung on your every word.
Good luck with baby.
It’s such an inviting, well-thought space! All the details shine!
I love the brown! I think it is really hard to make a basement room feel light and bright — a light paint color without adequate sunlight just looks shadowy and flat. So might as well embrace the coziness with a richer color like this one. I also personally love the contrast with all the more pastel colors rather than trying to “match.” It turned out beautifully and I’m sure will serve your family well for years to come.
I love this room! Love the shade brown used.. I had my parents paint my room a similar shade when we moved into a new house when I was 10..maybe an odd choice for a 10 year old but I loved it then and I love it now!! Congratulations!! So well done!
The whole room looks really great!!
I echo every positive comment above and hope Tina approves and appreciates you! Brava Alisa! Thank you for sharing the journey and for including all of the details. I love this community you’ve created in this corner of the internet.
What an absolute dream! Love everything about it, thank you for taking us through the positives and negatives of renovation life.
What a warm, cozy family room! Once you started sharing sneak peeks of the room, any concerns I had about the brown colour were gone. Your style is impeccable and, as usual, the combination of colours and fabrics have made this a timeless room for your family.
I missed the brown paint process posts – I love that you went with something new and out of the ordinary! It looks amazing!!! And the timing is extraordinary because just last night I was looking at the last vestige of light gray in my house and wondering what to paint the living room/dining room that open onto the hallway that I’m painting a darker blue. I have so much blue and other colors and couldn’t figure out where to go with those walls that wouldn’t be color overload. Brown it is! You’ve done such a gorgeous, sophisticated job down here!!!
Gorgeous! So inviting and cozy. I’m a brown lover so I was pretty sure you’d be able to pull it off, and you and your talented eye did not disappoint. Wishing you and your expanding family a Happy New Year and many happy memories in this room and throughout your lovely home. (Oh, and go away, Helen, these are not your people)
Stunning makeover. I LOVE the brown wall color. So cozy. Looking forward to the cost blog post. Might be moving a gas fireplace, too.
Is it weird that I feel personally proud of you for choosing something other than blue or green? 🤣 And funnily enough, the (deliciously beautiful) brown makes the blues and greens stand out even more, so they can really shine in the curtains and upholstery. So, so beautiful, Alisa; I know you’re gonna have so many wonderfully cozy nights in here with your family. Enjoy your hard work—it was a huge success!
Absolutely gorgeous. I love everythibg
I applaud you for going with the brown — it is great to embrace something new that still feels true to your style. The drapes are stunning — I am in love with the tassel trim! Your house has come together so beautifully and it must be wonderful to have so many rooms decorated to such perfection! Now you can welcome Baby Bovino into a settled home!
Stunning! I love all the fabrics. I die for the curtains. What a joy to get to enjoy that space with your family.
It’s gorgeous!!! I love how you think of every detail and take your time making each decision. It really creates a space that is harmonious, inviting, and beautiful. It’s perfect!
Very pretty! I saw on insta that you did your own painting. I also love painting (plus I feel less enraged by the flaws I find later when they are my own)! Did you also do the cabinetry painting yourself? Trying to decide if I am capable of woodwork. Thanks!
I’m late to this, found you via Design Darling. When I first saw the photo of the after my first thought was F@#$, she has hit this out of the park. I LOVE it all. The fabric of the drapes is divine. And doing this all while 7 months pregnant! Well done.
I’m here because I saw this picture on Pinterest of your amazing chocolate-brown walls paired with green accents. I am planning a similar colour palette for my bedroom and wasn’t sure if I was able to make these two colours work together. You did an amazing job; this pairing looks so fresh and sophisticated in your interpretation, I feel encouraged to continue with my plan. Would you please tell me what finish did you use for the walls and for the cabinetry? Thank you very much!