Before & After: Family TV Room Makeover

How blogger Bianca Hall transformed her cluttered home office into a cosy family room.

When French for Pineapple blogger Bianca felt her home office and guest bedroom were in need of a new lease of life, she decided to take on a dramatic revamp, not only redecorating each space but switching the two rooms’ functions altogether.

You might remember ogling over her beautiful, safari-chic Home Office Makeover. Now Bianca explains how she transformed her least favourite room in the house into a relaxing and stylish family TV room using a little lick of Sea Urchin 2.

What was your inspiration?

I wanted to make better use of the space and create a room for all the family to use. For the kids to escape the adults when they want to hang out with their friends, and for us all to hang out in and watch movies on the weekends.

As far as the style of the room goes, I had an image in my head of what I wanted it to look like – laid-back but a bit glamorous, cosy and calm. Some blue House Of Hackney palm fabric that I’d bought in a sample sale that was my starting point, and it evolved from there.

How did you decide on a colour and how did you find the 'right' shade?

I had blue in my head pretty early on, but it was important that it wasn’t a cold blue, which is why I ended up choosing Sea Urchin 2 – it’s such a beautiful shade of teal. The process of landing on that colour was trial and error as always. I usually end up buying at least six tester pots when I’m deciding on a new room colour, and I’d rather do that and find exactly the right colour, than be less than thrilled with the result!

Did you repurpose existing furniture and accessories or did you invest in new things?

A bit of both. I splashed out on a new sofa for the room. It had to fit a very specific space, and be able to be used as a guest bed too. The big chest of drawers are antique and were a wedding gift from my husband’s parents. We also bought a new TV, and I found the rug on sale. Oh, and I couldn’t resist the brass floor lamp!

Which part of your makeover are you most proud of?

Definitely the decorative moulding. I’d been wanting to experiment with moulding for a long time, and this room was crying out for something, be it art or some kind of detailing on the big back wall, so it was the perfect opportunity to give it a go. I’m super happy with the result, and it only took a weekend and wasn’t expensive to do.

How has the revamp of this room changed your day to day home life?

We’re using the whole house now. Before I repurposed this room and what was the guest room on the same floor, we barely used the top floor of the house, which was a huge waste. Now it’s where we all want to be, especially now as it’s getting so cold - it’s really cosy up there and it’s used on a daily basis.