Family rooms are usually one of the more popular rooms in most people’s homes. For those without separate home theatre or game rooms, it is often where you’d put the television set, the gaming equipment, and in some cases, the family computer or home office. In many families, both kids and adults entertain their friends in the family room. I know at our house, we’ve always tried to make the family room appealing to our kids (often to the detriment of its style!) because we wanted it to be a comfortable place for them to hang out with their friends—and it sure beats having them spend all of their free time in their bedrooms.
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
I love it that the Sleuth is addressing issues that confound us all in our homes. The clutter that others leave absolutely drives me insane, and it a constant battle. We all want our homes to look good, but our families do not always share our sense of style and orderliness. I have a large living room with a couch, loveseat, chair, and separate ottoman, but also have to include arranging around a fireplace and television. It is not cluttered, but it is lined up on the walls. How do you rearrange without sacrificing space?
Great question, Gail! I’ll talk with a couple of the designers and share their suggestions in a future blog. Thanks for the compliment.
Deborah