Family Room Design Must-Haves
When it comes to family room design, here are a couple of tips for you to create a space that's both beautiful and functional and that the whole family will want to spend time in!
A family room is all about comfort and togetherness, so the first must-have is comfortable seating. If your space can accommodate it, a sectional is a great, versatile piece of furniture that will maximize seating and help define your room. Sectionals are built for comfort and come in various shapes and sizes. Sectionals feel less formal and are the perfect piece for lounging and relaxing, stylishly, of course! My other must-have for Family room seating is swivel chairs. Most Family rooms now have multiple focal points, Like the fireplace and the TV, or the view outside. I like the flexibility of the swivel chair, where you can swivel to face the people on the sofa for a conversation or turn around to watch TV.
Another must-have is enough sources of light. Do not simply rely on overhead lighting. Make sure you have various sources of light, preferably including dimmable ones. A family room is often used for multiple activities such as watching TV, reading, playing games, chatting or taking a nap. All these activities require varying degrees of lighting, so make sure you have lighting options for all of them. Use various light fixtures such as a floor lamp, table lamps, and dimmable overhead lighting that will allow you to control the room's mood and create the desired ambiance. I also love pharmacy lamps next to the "favorite reading chair: the pharmacy lamps come in various styles, are low in profile, and provide reading light.
To make the family room functional, start your space layout focusing on the primary focal points; it can be the fireplace or the TV. If you are making the TV your focal point, make sure to place your seating far away enough based on the size of the TV for the most optimal TV watching distance. If a fireplace is another one, add some seating in front of it to give you a spot to enjoy a cozy evening by the fire on a cold night. If kids are using the family room, create a corner that is mainly for them; continue the room's color scheme throughout the kids' corner to seamlessly integrate it into the room. I love to use a game table, especially in large family rooms. It is a perfect spot for activities with kids and provides additional work surfaces. Storage is also an essential element for family room design. Custom built-ins, Etageres, and Chests are an efficient way to hide all the TV equipment and have a space to display personal artifacts like pictures and knickknacks, and books.
Window treatments are an essential element to finish the room. Not only are they necessary for practical reasons but also to complete the design of the space. Add a practical light filtering base layer to avoid TV glare during the day. If you get a lot of bright sun exposure, add UV filtering window treatments of window film to prevent your furniture and rugs from fading. Adding a decorative layer adds the finishing touch to space. Efficiently placed window treatment can make a small room look bigger, highlight beautiful views, create an illusion of length in a short room, and create a sense of warmth.
Lastly, the final must-have is your personal touch. If the family room is the most used in a house after the Kitchen, make it your own and add personal, meaningful items that make it feel like home. Display art that you have collected over the years, treasures you've brought back from vacations. Use coffee table books for styling that spark conversation. Add pillows to add some color and pattern to space. Accessorize with luxurious throws for those cool nights. Frame your favorite memories to make the room feel warm and inviting, and one that you love spending time in!
