French Country Family Room: Get the Neutral Look Now

In today’s exploration of how to Get the Look of a French Country Family Room, we’ll consider lovely design resources inspired by “The Club House.” This renovation by Chip and Joanna Gaines (season 5 of HGTV’s Fixer Upper) was designed for homeowners Matt and Leigh Ellen. The Club House renovation entailed updates, upgrades and freshening with a more open floor plan, as well as a lighter mood.

Today’s focus?

A room open to the kitchen Joanna refers to as the “family den” (a Texas thing?) that you and I might call a great room or family room.

The existing paneled wood walls in the room were painted, and wood beams on the ceiling contrast with all of the pale colors.

I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.

Get the Look: The Club House French Country Family Room

One of the first questions you may wonder is what the paint color is for this beautiful interior at The Club House.

It is a warm off white (find several contenders HERE) which may have grey undertones. You’ll see I have suggested a paint color below, and another possibility if you are after a more greyed-white is THIS.

After so many episodes of HGTV’s Fixer Upper series, I think most viewers have a firm sense of how Joanna Gaines approaches American farmhouse style.

Let’s take a peek:

It’s her interpretation of French country and French farmhouse styles that is always of particular interest to this Francophile and Hello Lovelies. Did you know you can watch Fixer Upper episodes whenever you want for a few bucks?

The particular design elements of Country French design she tends to highlight in European inspired projects on the show include:

white oak, vintage finds, muted colors, fresh flowers, and curves as well as arches.

She also seems to pay extra homage to more gracefully refined silhouettes.

Notice the Scale of the Decor

You’ll notice the scale of certain decor items is more refined and graceful than the more rugged chunky objects she chooses for more American farmhouse designs.

This French country fixer upper renovation of a beautiful Texas home known as The Club House is indeed worth a closer look!

For French-loving viewers of HGTV’s Fixer Upper (Season 5, Episode 11), the mood boards, shopping resources, and decor ideas here will help you pull together a similar look.

The BEFORE look of this French country room already had so much going for it!! Vaulted ceilings, beautiful wood paneled walls, built-ins flanking an elegant fireplace, spaciousness, and great natural light.

Painted Paneling to Lighten the Mood

Initially the design plan called for addressing the finish of the dark stained wood paneling for a lighter, more natural effect. However, with so much veneer, those plans bloomed into an alternate strategy with paint to create a lovely, more elegant expanse of billowy white.

I so appreciate how such details are shared on the show because as a real life renovator, I can tell you design plans inevitably get tweaked all the time. You start with a perfect plan–even a solid, smart plan–yet you must hold it loosely. Once the work is underway, there are always unexpected developments that plague every step of the transformation work!

Belgian Linen Sofa in Club House Family Room

Turns out, for this family room, Joanna chose a sofa very similar to the one in my own living room which we bought 13 years ago for our former French country home. Here’s mine…

and here’s the one in this Country French living room on Fixer Upper:

While they are both slipcovered sofas with Belgian linen (the color looks just like mine which is SAND), and both have a single cushion for the seat, the sofa in The Club House living room has TRACK style arms whereas my own sofa is the style with SLOPE arms.

I love that the arms on my own sofa have a gentle curve – they are not as sloped as other styles you’ll see (like the classic slope) yet they are not as straight-lined and modern as the track arms.

Slipcovered Sofa Options

McGee & Co’s Everleigh Sofa

Not sure if you’re familiar with McGee & Co’s furniture offerings, but I think you’ll love the curated sofas there.

Isn’t their Everleigh sofa a handsome one?

Just imagine all the ways you can personalize a neutral like this with pillows of varying color, texture, and pattern.

While the Club House family room has a pale palette with just a few pops of black, it’s helpful to see a room like this with more black as well as warm earthy colors.

Lulu & Georgia’s Portola Sofa

If you like sofas with a single cushion (such a European inspired look!), this one may appeal:

Worried about wrinkly linen and the slipcover style?

Make sure to order and inspect a linen swatch before ordering – this way you’ll be able to examine the weight of the fabric.

For example, the Belgian linen on my own RH sofa is heavy and lays flat so wrinkling has never been an issue.

Slipcovered Sofa from Lulu & Georgia

Here’s another single bench cushion sofa with straighter lines and a very classic style.

Pottery Barn Sofa Ideas

I love the wood platform on a sofa like this one:

Slipcovered and skirted sofas are not for everyone, so if you admire a style like this, you’ll still get that relaxed comfy look.

If you have the opportunity to sit on a sofa at your local Pottery Barn, that will help matters considerably.

It also helps to take the time to read through lots of reviews before investing in something you’ll live with for quite some time.

Crate & Barrel Slipcovered White Sofa

Notice how the same sofa looks completely different in a traditional room:

Here are more options for a similar look:

01// Basket // 02// Console Table // 03// Sofa // 04// Rug // 05// Coffee Table // 06// Pillow // 07// Lamp // 08// Side Table // 09// Vase Idea // 10// Stems

This sofa would work with any number of styles and has a more Modern French feel:

Quiet Muted Neutral Area Rug

Exact Grey Chunky Geometric Pillow

Paint Color Ideas

While we don’t know precisely which creamy white Joanna Gaines used in this family room for The Club House, she often favors Sherwin Williams Alabaster 7008.

Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee is a similar creamy white you might also sample:

Rustic Black & White Earthenware Vase Decor

Tray Style Accent Table

Brass Tripod Table Lamp

Traditional Gray Wood Coffee Table

Tall Woven Oval Basket

Romantic Photos of French Country Decor Inspiration

Console Table Ideas

Vintage Book Bundles

If you loved this episode of HGTV’s Fixer Upper with the renovation of The Club House, you may want to get the look of other rooms. The entry, living room, dining room, and kitchen have mood boards with resources as well.

I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.

Peace to you right where you are.

-michele

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