Family Rooms Are For Families

Family rooms.......there's a reason they are called that. It's where the family hangs out. Sometimes it's immediate family only, sometimes it's extended family, and sometimes it's friends who feel like family. Because it needs to work for the family it serves, there aren't any hard and fast decorating "rules" to follow. But here are some ideas that just might make yours a little more fun!

Roger Davies

Have younger family members? Rather than putting their art on the refrigerator, what about framing and using it in place of more traditional art? Simple frames in black or white won't interfere with more colorful art and make switching art projects easy.For art that can change more often, paint a large piece of plywood (make sure it's been sanded) or even the wall with chalkboard paint. Frame it and keep a basket of colorful chalk nearby and the "art" may change daily!

BHG

Need lots of seating? Use poufs as side tables, store small ottomans under console tables for extra seating, use a bench as a coffee table, decorate
with large pillows that transition easily from the furniture to the floor.

Place less emphasis on the television by having lots of games handy. Store them in an armoire or in baskets or bins, but make sure they are easily accessible - and there is room to play them.

Family rooms should have family memories. Keep a basket on the coffee table of photos from family vacations through the years. Or cover the coffee or side table with photos, then cover with a glass top to preserve them. Or decorate with treasures picked up during these trips. Fill a glass jar with seashells collected while at the beach, make a collage of leaves found during a fall foliage tour, or hang a map of the state, the country, or the world and put a decorative pin in all of the places the family has traveled.

Whatever you do, make it yours. Family rooms are all about families, so make sure yours reflects the love of the people who live there........and inviting to all those who visit. And if you would like more family room ideas, check out my board on Pinterest!