I’m pretty sentimental writing this post. After four years (maybe 5?), this is the last room reveal of my brother’s family river house. Working on this project has been so incredibly fulfilling. If lessons are gifts (which they are), this project gave me too many to count; I’m spoiled with the bounty. Not every second was easy, but almost all were enjoyable, and I’m happy to report that our sibling friendship is stronger because of it (which is the real win here). So today you are going to see their living room, which is really just a big beautiful family room, TV on tiled fireplace, and all 🙂 I love it very, very, very much.

But not before we go back in time and indulge in some process. This isn’t a concise magazine; we belabor the details here by really forcing you to watch the process, Clockwork Orange style.

Let’s go back in time…

Anne Usher, the architect, designed the house and did an incredible job. The living room has a huge fireplace in the middle, flanked by windows and a bench seat, creating symmetry which is really easy for your eye to understand (and thus be pleased by). I also love symmetry. It makes my brain so happy (which is why I could never ever ever buy one of those houses with odd angles like a dome). Symmetry also makes a room easy to furnish. It should also be noted that I like clear and easy sight lines, so this layout worked for me.

As you can see, the living room opens to the game room, entry, kitchen, and dining room. Perhaps that’s why they call it the “great” room 🙂

It also opens to the back patio, and there is enough room for flow. She’s big and could have been laid out a million ways (keep scrolling for how I did it). The white oak windows are by Marvin, which they bought after being in our Mountain house (they are so pretty – goodness, I miss that house).

Ceiling Lights

My biggest design decisions were the fireplace tile and the lighting. The ceiling lights were chosen because they were the perfect scale for the room and they gave off the light that we wanted, while being stylistically simple. While having really high ceilings might not be your everyday relatable problem, if you should find yourself so lucky, make sure that your lighting is scaled to the size of the ceiling and you aren’t staring up at a bulb searing your eyeballs. These look like hanging lamps, with warm fabric shades that give off a lot of light (there are four of them after all), but never harsh on your eyes because they have a diffuser underneath. And the fact that we could adjust the drop to help bring the ceiling down (making it feel warmer, more intimate) sold us. They aren’t distracting. They don’t pull your eye too much. They are, quite literally, the perfect choice (she pats herself on the back here).

The Tiled Fireplace

Fireplace Tile

Ken/Katie, Max, and I all went to Ann Sacks, who was partnering with me on this home, to choose the fireplace tile, and we were extremely drawn to this 3-dimensional, incredible tile. We knew that it would be high impact but quiet (Ken and Katie don’t love flashy design) while catching the light in a way that added a pattern and texture. It’s truly excellent. Now, the reason we chose black was because we knew that they wanted to hang a TV in here. We seriously debated the green, but I felt strongly that if they were going to hang a TV on it, it needed to be black so as not to break it up visually as much.

Hanging A TV On A Tiled Fireplace

I understand that some of you might feel enraged by this choice – to drill into beautiful tile just to watch TV? It might feel like blasphemy to make the focal point of your living room a screen. It’s a real designer’s nightmare…and yet I was all for it. I know my brother, and I knew he wouldn’t sit in here on the weekends unless there was a TV in here. He’s a former football coach! Could they have laid out the room differently to provide a blank wall for a TV? Sure, but they didn’t. And I, for one, love the shared focal point, the symmetrical layout, and with the Frame TV. I think it looks RAD.

My #1 Goal with homes …

I believe in designing rooms to be enjoyed and used. I never, ever, ever, want someone to have a pretty room that has no real purpose and no one enjoys. I’m an enneagram 7 – I want everyone to be happy and have fun. I knew that they needed a TV in here, and frankly, there are times when I wish that we had one in our living room (Brian is adamantly against which I appreciate). I also forced Kaitlin to put one in her living room, and she hasn’t stopped thanking me. A room needs a purpose to gather. It doesn’t always have to be a TV, but it sure can help.

The Scenic Doors

Sliding Doors

I wasn’t involved in these, but boy, are they gorgeous and function like a dream. So smooth and just accordion open and closed so easily. They bought them from Western Pacific.

The Final Reveal

Here she is – a really warm, comfortable, easy-to-live-in living/family room that is kid/pet-friendly and yet design-forward (isn’t that what we all want???). I’m so proud of this room. It’s calm and quiet, and yet doesn’t feel basic.

Like I said, it’s a really easy living room to live in, as it should be. Look at those sweet kiddos! My kids are pretty obsessed with their kids, which makes living here 100% worth it – cousins growing up with each other is not something I got to enjoy, but always admired. Elliot and Kennedy are best friends (seriously, they prefer each other over all of their separate friends), and Charlie is Frank’s big brother. We feel very grateful.

Hallway Ceiling Lights | Entry Rug | Game Room Planter

When you enter the house, you have the game room to the right, then the kitchen on the left of the green rug, and the living room on the right. It’s extremely open and filled with natural light (like brother, like sister). I love this shot, and it really showcases Anne Usher’s skills.

Sofa Console Table | Small Sphere Lamp | Large Bowl (no longer available) | Side Table | Table Lamp

The scale of the room is big, therefore the scale of the furniture has to be big. The rug is a 12×15, the sofas are 108″ and 96″. You walk into the back of one of our sofas (the Otto), which is attractive (I love the curve of the arm from the back), but there was so much extra space, so we added that IKEA bookshelf to help fill it out.

Entry Rug | Large Faux Tree

I love the green rug leading you out to the river. It feels really cohesive and just so intentional (which it is).

The Otto Sofa | Coffee Table | Bowl | Vase | Side Table

Behind the living room is the kitchen, positioned so everyone can chill and even watch TV while cooking and hanging with friends. The coffee table is from Crate & Barrel and is pretty fantastic for the scale. I love peeping at the stairway railing in the background – so pretty.

Burgundy Pillow | Stitched Lumbar Pillow | Ochre Pillow | Striped Pillow | Throw Blanket | Tray

Man, this house sings to me. Your eye isn’t trying to figure anything out; it’s very easy to compute. The kitchen is to the left, and the dining room is back on the right. Such a dream.

The Oscar Sofa | Blueprint Wall Sconces

Looking back towards the game room, you have a lady who is seemingly very comfortable on her sofa (perhaps because it’s rated one of the most comfy sofas in the world??). I love those Blueprint sconces that act as sculptures and the glass doors that create a really cool architectural element. Shout out to the $30 World Market lamp (don’t ever accuse me of being a design snob – I’m picky, but not snobby).

Burgundy Lumbar Pillow | Throw Blanket | Burgundy Pillow | Silk Pillow | Wall-Mounted Table

I really love our Oscar Sofa and Otto sofa, talking to each other in this shot. They seem to really love each other – both friendly, soft, and welcoming 🙂

Frame TV | Bench Pillows, left to right: Cut Velvet Archways Pillow | Classic Cotton Velvet Pillow | Italian Velvet Pillow Cover | Classic Cotton Velvet Pillow | Jett Throw Pillow | Burnt Green Throw Pillow

Now, I get that the fireplace without a TV would be stunning, but I think we can all agree that the fireplace with a Frame TV above it looks pretty fantastic. Don’t let your aesthetics hinder your function; just find a way to make them work together.

The Baby Barb Chair | Green Pillow | Side Table | Canister | Floor Lamp

I love this shot. The Baby Barb is baby barbing hard. She’s really big (a chair and a half), but I’m so jealous that Ken gets to sit in her every day. I’m a really, really good sister.

Roman Shades | Pollack Fabric | Bench Pillows, left to right: Relaxed Washed Organic Velvet | Cut Velvet Archways Pillow | Italian Velvet Pillow | Classic Cotton Velvet Pillow | Italian Velvet Pillow | Throw Blanket | Side Table

We partnered with Decorview on the shades and curtains in this room, which I’ll write more about later, but it’s a fantastic reminder that rooms can feel cold without them. And a huge shoutout to Pollack fabrics for creating a fabric that brings the entire house together.

And presenting Harvey as tribute. We all love Harvey, who sheds and barks but is the sweetest dog and only wants to be held by his big baby big brother daddy Ken.

UGH. That’s a GREAT view right there. I can’t wait for the slider on this one – we worked so hard and cared so much. It’s incredibly rewarding to see it all come together (and we shot this before we had all three green runner rugs to connect together – now it’s a big, long corridor rug).

I’m really proud of this room. It’s so comfortable, coz,y and conversational. It’s easy to hang out in and yet still commands the importance of the home. Thanks for following along. This isn’t the last river house post (I want to decompress with you), but this reveal has been coming for a long time. Thank you so much for reading. I really, really appreciate you. Ask all the questions in the comments. xx

Oh, and of course, here are the before and after sliders:)

Living Room Resources:
Fireplace Tile: Ann Sacks
Benches: Custom
Bench Fabric: Pollack
Wall Color: Alabaster by Sherwin-Williams
Pendants: Rejuvenation
Sconces: Blueprint Lighting
Faux Tree: City Home PDX
Seating (Sofas and Chair): Room Service by Emily Henderson
Window Shades: Decorview
Windows by Marvin Windows and Doors
Slider Doors: Western Pacific
Flooring: Stuga

*Architect: Anne Usher
**General Contractor: JP Macy of Sierra Custom Construction
***Interior Designers: Emily Henderson (me!) and Max Humphrey
****Styling: Emily Henderson (me!)
*****Photos by Kaitlin Green