Our Fixer Upper: Family Room Design Progress and Big Decisions

This post is sponsored by Samsung.  All opinions are mine alone.

This has been a big week at the house.  After what has seemed like weeks of tearing things apart, this week, for the first time, things are starting to be put back together.  That is is an exciting and welcome change.  It will still be a long process, but to see changes happening daily that are moving towards the finish line, is exciting!  Moving closer towards the finish line also means that big design decisions deadlines are starting to come at me at a record pace.  I feel like daily I am making multiple decisions that will really affect the outcome of the overall look of the total project, which is a bit scary!  I want to make sure that I am making the right decisions to make this home as comfortable and user friendly for our family as possible…all while being beautiful.

The family room has seen a big change this week with the addition of the new, centered fireplace.  Wahoo!  We shortened up the brick hearth and added a new gas fireplace.  Next up is the mantel.  Here’s a sneak peek at the new, centered fireplace…

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Now that the fireplace is in, it is time to make final design decisions for this space because the electrician needs to know where to rough in the electrical.  This room is long and narrow and connected to the kitchen.  It is a great gathering space and will definitely serve as the hub of our home.  As much as I sometimes don’t like to admit it, the TV is the most important piece of furniture that will reside in this room.  We gather around it nightly to watch rounds of Jeopardy, weekly for installments of our favorite family shows like Survivor, and Saturdays are definitely spent watching sports of all kinds and hosting parties to watch our favorite games.  It is undoubtedly the centerpiece of the family room.  So, where to put it?  I have not historically been a fan of the TV over the fireplace and didn’t initially plan on putting it there, until I was introduced to one of the coolest TVs I have seen last week…Samsung’s  The Frame.  Have you seen it?  Well, it has turned my design plan upside down and suddenly has me rethinking the location of the TV in this space.

Originally I thought it would make sense to put the TV in a built in unit over on the long empty wall opposite the windows.

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That layout would be similar to the family room in our CA house, leaving the space above the fireplace available for art and family pictures.

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Well, then I saw this…

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and this…

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and I was blown away.  Can you even believe that is a TV?  It is SO beautiful!  The Frame by Samsung is designed to look like a picture frame hanging on your wall when it is in “Art Mode.”  Instead of fading to black like other TVs, this beautiful Lifestyle TV lets you select from over 100 art pieces in a myriad of categories and when you aren’t watching TV, the display transforms into a work of art that compliments your living space.  If you prefer to display your favorite family photos, you can do that as well simply by uploading them.  With a customizable frame and a new No-Gap Wall mount, it literally hangs on the the wall like a picture frame and works seamlessly with your decor.  This is definitely taking the gallery wall to a whole new level!

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So, now I feel like I am back at square one.  The addition of The Frame into this space is a game changer as far as the design is concerned.  I know that I spend most of my time in the kitchen preparing food and entertaining guests.  Because the room is so long and narrow, if I put the TV over on the far wall, I wouldn’t be able to see it from the kitchen.  With the multi-functionality of The Frame, I can have my cake and eat it too.  I can enjoy the look of artwork and family pictures when I’m not watching TV, and be a part of the action when I’m in the kitchen and everyone else is watching a show…all without sacrificing the beauty and style of the overall design of the room.  The other option now, instead of creating a built in cabinet to house an unsightly black box, is to order a pretty console and create a great gallery wall seamlessly incorporating the TV in that collage of art and pictures.  Decisions, decisions…and I have to make them soon! 🙂  So, what would you do? I’d love to hear your ideas and suggestions in the comments.  Where would you hang The Frame in your home?  I’ll let you know what I decide as the design process moves along.

Happy Designing!

Tammy

Tammy

Creative Director at Pink Peppermint Design
Tammy Mitchell is the founder and creative director of lifestyle blog pinkpeppermintdesign.com. Along with being a homeschooling mom of two kiddos, she is also an in-demand prop and event stylist, photographer, interior and graphic designer. On Pink Peppermint Design, she shares creative DIY projects, easy entertaining and gift ideas, inspiring interiors and events. She lives in Southern California, with her husband and two children.

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