According to designer Nathan, there is no reason for families to sacrifice style in their family rooms, even when they have kids and/or pets.  The key, he says, is to focus first on where the kids and the pets are going to be in the room, and then buy comfortable, dual-purpose furniture.  According to Nathan, family rooms are often one of the rooms that can really benefit from de-cluttering.  “Because the room serves so many different purposes for different family members, it’s easy for this room in particular to end up with too many furnishings.”  For that reason, he believes that it is important to keep the family room furniture classic, durable, and simple.  He suggests buying furniture with tough fabrics, such as polyester and blends, and keeping the colors neutral.  Instead of using occasional tables consider using cocktail ottomans that will double as extra seating for parties, a place for snacks, or an additional work surface when needed.

Nathan recommends replacing any loveseats with two or three chairs.  “In a casual setting, love seats are often only used by one person at a time, so it’s more practical to replace them with separate chairs.  And when you have chairs, it also makes it much easier to re-decorate and move them around when you’re ready for a new look.”  Sofa and chair pillows should also be purchased with a dual-purpose in mind. “If you know your kids will be spending a lot of time on the floor,” Nathan says, “it’s a good idea to buy sofa and chair pillows that can be tossed on the floor and sat upon or used as armrests.”

Next Tuesday I’ll be sharing some tips with you on how to furnish a smaller home.  Nathan has some great ideas.  Talk with you then!

Deborah
A.k.a. Design Sleuth

Alan, the owner, said that de-cluttering is a simple way to freshen a space.  “In many homes we find that most of the rooms contain way too much stuff.”  Once a room has been de-cluttered, re-arranging the existing furniture often results in a whole new look.  He also suggested adding greenery.  “High quality greenery used effectively makes a big difference.  Many people put greenery and florals in the wrong places, or consider price before design.  When you look at professionally decorated rooms in homes or magazines, more often than not they contain more greenery than what is used by the average homeowner.”  Because of their collective purchasing power, DOTI at John’s Creek is able to offer a variety of high quality greenery and florals at competitive prices.  When I was there, they had some beautiful silk orchids as well as some big dramatic floral arrangements that would make a grand statement in large rooms.

“Replacing pillows is another easy way to update or change the look of a room,” Alan said.  He suggested using “fun” pillows with polka dots, stripes, or with a bold color or pattern to punch up the “wow” factor in living spaces.  Pillows with textured fabrics, such as furred animal prints or smooth satins and silks, can also be used to update a room.

DOTI at Johns Creek has “fun” pillows displayed throughout their store.  Be careful though, because the pillows look great with their sofas, you might be tempted to take the sofa too and exceed your $1000-or-less budget!

Next week, designer Nathan shares his ideas for updating your kitchen for $1000 or less.  I’ll talk with you then.

Deborah
A.k.a. Design Sleuth