Back in August, I shared my plans for updating our family room. Since then, life has taken me on quite the adventure as I traveled from Georgia to Pennsylvania, England to Tennessee, and Virginia to Colorado! It’s funny how stepping away can spark so much creativity. After all that travel, I’m so excited to finally reveal our English-inspired family room mood board.

Unsurprisingly, London was a treasure trove of design inspiration. From the charming brick exteriors to the detailed interiors that effortlessly blend tradition with modernity – I was in absolute heaven! After that trip, I now have a clear vision for how I want our family room to look and feel. It’s about time, right?

England has a very strong Victorian design influence, and some of my favorite inspiration came from centuries old exteriors of the markets and pubs that line every street. In particular, I fell in love with The Market Porter in Southwark, London. It’s rich green paint feels so historical and quintessentially English!

Green – no matter its undertone, has a warm and earthy quality that can act as a neutral in any space. I especially loved the jewel-toned green paired with the mountain-grey brick and antiqued brass accents. The unexpected pops of pink and orange florals also added a fun and playful touch to the otherwise masculine exterior. These details pair together perfectly and really helped to spark just the inspiration I needed to dive into this project.

The Family Room Mood Board

You can see that I’m drawing major inspiration from The Market Porter for our family room design! I’m so in love with the green exterior that I’ve decided to really lean into it. Unsurprisingly, I’ve selected a green sofa to act as the focal point of this space. To balance the boldness, I’m pairing it with a traditional dark wood coffee table with spindle legs which will add a classic English touch.

To contrast with the dark furniture, I’m leaning into a lighter color palette for the walls and trim. I love the charm of cottage-style brick, so I’m planning to update our fireplace to remove the orangey-red tone and to make it feel cozier in this space using The Market Porter’s exterior as inspiration.

To make this space feel even more like a cottage, I plan to incorporate a ton of pattern. Pattern mixing is one of those things that the English have mastered, and I really want to embrace pattern use in this room. So, I plan to layer different types of patterns like toile and subtle geometrics to add depth without overwhelming the space. This mix of textures and prints will bring a ton of warmth and character and will help to create a cozy, lived-in feel that feels authentically inspired by our travels.

What do you think? What inspires you when selecting materials for your home? Have you ever tried pattern mixing in your spaces? If so, how did it turn out? I can’t wait to hear your thoughts and to share the final look with you soon!