Beautifully Organized: Family Rooms
A family room is the workhorse of the home: television, playtime, conversation, games, relaxing. It’s the room that has to handle it all. Here are some examples of rooms that manage not only to accommodate all those activities, but also to do it beautifully.
TOP ROW:
1. Chris & Colleen’s Small, Hip Family Home: Here, instruments on the wall are ready-at-hand and decorative. Books in a unified color palette make the glass-front media storage seem neater, and while you can’t see it in this photo, they have also come up with a handy arrangement, such that the piano is behind the sofa, creating a fake hallway, and there is ample storage for outdoor items, thanks to hooks and shelving.
2. Before and After: Dark, Unloved Room Turned Fresh Family Room: This room is truly multipurpose, with bunk beds, a sofa, a TV, plenty of seating, and a work surface for homework or craft projects.
3. Hakarl & Jili Build a Family Home: This is a beautiful example of how adult and children’s spaces can be one and the same. Refined furniture and dark walls make this a perfect grown-up space, while kids toys can nestle against the wall and fit into enclosed storage. Picture frame wallpaper and magnetic letters add plenty of fun and offer a clear, tidy place to display kids’ artwork.
4. Charmaine & Mark’s Lovely, Lively Family Home: Built-ins flanking the fireplace contain books, games, and other frequently used objects, while still looking organized and neat. Closed storage is always a good option for families with kids as well.
5. Alexandra & Mike’s Bright and Colorful Family Nest: Minimal, modern furniture makes the space seem tidy, and all of the seating is lightweight enough so that it can be rearranged when necessary. Because of this, the space feels lighter and more flexible. The desk area (not visible in this particular photo) also has a shelf for books that keeps them floating off the ground.
BOTTOM ROW:
1. Pam & Bryan’s Comfortably Creative Family Home: As in Mark and Charmaine’s house, built-ins with a mixture of open and closed storage make the ideal hiding spot for kids’ toys. Storage bins along the wall (visible in another photo in the tour) also serve as a neat way to corral necessary items, while still keeping them easily accessible. A mounted TV also obviates the need for an additional piece of furniture, and everyone has plenty of cozy places to sit, all of which allow a direct view of the television.
2. Lucy & Thomas Say Goodbye to Their Artful Family Home: Cubbies and storage bins, all at a low height, make sure that kids can access their toys easily, while a squared-off seating arrangement makes the large basement space feel cozy.
3. Courtney & Michael’s Scandinavian Comfort: Another basement family room gives the family plenty of space to relax. Toys are kept in a floating credenza, which gives the illusion of even more floor space, and beautiful, oversized objects like the wire toy and the dollhouse are left in the open, which makes them easy to reach and even easier to admire.
4. Cyndi’s Fearless Family Home: Just because it’s a space shared with children, the family room doesn’t have to look childish. Wall-mounted storage looks elegant and adult, while keeping objects off the floor and out of walkways.
5. Lori’s Layered Family Loft: Sometimes, the best way to organize is to pare down to the basics. Here, Lori’s family has some low-slung storage for necessary items, but the room looks clean and fresh in large part because the storage and the items within are so minimal.