Self-taught designer Mollie Surratt shares her living room makeover featuring our cut and bound Ashland broadloom carpet.
When the weather turns warmer, my creativity is awakened along with the fresh rain drops and blossoming flowers. And this spring, I opted to focus my creative attention in my home, so that my entire family could enjoy the fruits of my labor. Along with sprucing up our kitchen, my husband and I decided to give our well-loved family room an overhaul.
Although interior design is my life’s passion, I have two active little girls, Caroline (6) and Charlotte (3) as well as three small dogs. This means that my design choices must be family-friend first—and beautiful second. While I would love the all-white monochromatic look in my family room, it just isn’t practical during this hectic season of life. In fact, I’ve oftentimes considered wrapping everything I own in bubble wrap until they turn 18.
Since bubble wrap isn’t exactly chic, I selected my family room textiles with care. The family room is large and open with a ton of natural light pouring in from the oversized two-story windows. My walls throughout the main floor are painted Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter with trim in Benjamin Moore Navajo White. To ground the room and provide dimension, the built-in bookshelves and mantle are painted Benjamin Moore Galveston Gray. This is one of my favorite warm gray paints because of its taupe undertones.
When creating a room of this size, I always begin with the floor. A great rug defines the space and sets the tone for the feel of the whole room. After thorough research, I opted to create a 12’ X 13’ cut and bound area rug crafted from Karastan’s Ashland broadloom carpet. A cut and bound area rug made from broadloom carpet is the perfect choice for large rooms like this—and provides comfort as well as space coverage. Just ask your local Karastan retailer about Karastan’s Cut Above program for more information. Our new rug is absolutely perfect and gives the space the definition it needed.
Not only is the rug an ideal size, it’s made from Karastan’s SmartStrand Silk fiber and carries the All Pet Protection and Warranty. SmartStrand Silk provides luxurious softness that is also family-friendly because of its built-in stain and soil protection that never washes or wears off. It’s almost as good as bubble wrap but a whole lot more beautiful. To clean up spills and accidents which are inevitable in our house, you simply need a mild detergent and white cloth. As my Caroline says, easy peasy lemon squeezy!
To compliment the rug, I selected oversized gray sofas with a single long cushion to avoid any more surprises found in the cracks. The modern sofa is accented with rustic-chic pillows in neutral tones of taupe, blue and gray. To bring the eye upward, we hung authentic tobacco baskets over each bookshelf and selected accent tables made of reclaimed wood to scatter throughout the room. Accessories are an eclectic mix of treasures from throughout our journey, including favorite books, family photos, preserved boxwood wreath and antique-store finds.
The finished room is a gorgeous blend of old and new—and my entire family, even the furbabies, love hanging out in here. Most of all, I love that it’s stylish enough for entertaining but comfortable enough for family movie night. In my opinion, that what’s real luxury is all about. Thank you, Karastan, for truly helping my family Live Beautifully in our new family room!