Hello I am new to the HGTV boards and I am really hoping that I can get some help with our family room. We are not able to purchase a lot at the moment but I would still like to get this room to feel like home. We have lived here for nearly 7 months and I feel like we have just lived here and have yet to make it home.
So the family room has a fireplace in it... the mantel is very narrow and I am not sure I can find anything that will fit. It is 3 1/2 inches wide.
Also my husband would really like to put our TV into this room as it is the warmest room in the winter. I just don't know how it fit it in.
This room acts as a playroom for my little ones who are 18 months, 3 years and 5 years old.
So here is what I am wondering... how would you decorate the mantle... arrange the furniture... make the TV fit and keep area for the kids to play but for it to still be a room to relax with friends and a good cup of tea while looking at the fire or that amazing window.
Here are links to more pictures of the family room.
We have a white living room set that I just don't see working in this room, and my MIL is bring up a couch and wing chair this coming week. While the fabric doesn't work the best I have a neighbor who might reupholster it. Also she is bringing a TV stand that is glass or we have one that mounts to the wall. Maybe I can find pictures of each of those items if it would help out.
Thanks so much for any ideas you can give.This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bonanza Living,
Welcome, Bonanza! I'm sure you'll receive many helpful suggestions.
Loads of potential in that room, IMHO. Looks like you need to reclaim it from the kids as soon as possible, however. Can you relocate at least some of their toys to their bedrooms or another playroom? At least the larger, bulky items (e.g. the table)? Or possibly rotate just some portion of the toys in/out of this space?
Given the adjacent kitchen, was this room intended as a dining room? Doesn't matter - you can certainly use the space however you prefer. Don't know your area of the country or other location but it feels a little cold, in general, between the flooring, light color and lack of window treatments. For relatively little expense, I'd try to warm it up with paint and fabrics, e.g. window treatments.
You could select either a pattern or solid panels for the windows and then use those to coordinate your paint and other colors. Again, depending on your area, you could also go with light, breezy or beachy panels. It'd be beautiful to emphasize your ceiling height by going floor to ceiling. OTOH, if you don't need privacy, you can leave the windows open and introduce colors in other ways.
Can the gate around the f/p come off or is it needed b/c of the children? Don't know your budget but have you thought about adding built-ins on both sides of the f/p? You could incorporate both the mounted TV and closed storage for a limited amount of toys in those. Alternatively, some IKEA or big-box store built-ins might work for those spaces, depending on the dimensions. Again, I'd aim for floor to ceiling.
Sometimes tough to work with furniture from others b/c of the size and scale. You didn't provide any dimensions. You'd probably save **$ if a standard slip cover fits the couch unless the neighbor's willing to work extremely inexpensively. If the couch's dimensions don't work, I'd pass on it, however.
Another option for color or a jumping-off point for the room (instead of the window treatments) would be a large, colorful print above the f/p. The clock appears out-of-scale and cold, to me. Not sure a mantel is your best option b/c of the height of the fire box/stove area. WRT selecting room colors, a rug's another possibility -
When the furniture arrives, you can place things in the room and then move them around to see what makes sense, if any of those items. For now, I'd start with working on the kids' items, selecting color or a general style for the room, selecting fabrics/window treatments/a rug/print and then painting.
Have you checked out your local Craigslist for other, inexpensive furniture options? Just a thought -
Best of luck with your beautiful room!
P.S. WRT colors and style, you'll also want to consider the adjacent rooms and flow. BTW, in the future, any plans to open this room up to the kitchen?This message has been edited. Last edited by: BearCat49,
Nov 13, 2012, 06:32 PM
Bonanza Living
Thanks for the feedback. The room does open to the kitchen and main entry. Where it opens to the kitchen inside the kitchen there is a desk area that we do our homeschooling at.
One of our rules is that no toys are allowed upstairs or in bedrooms, except nighttime books and stuffed animals. Currently the stuffed animals are downstairs only because we have not found something to have them displayed in their bedrooms... I don't really want to go with a net. Did find one neat idea but have not been able to find the things needed to make it work. They are in a cloth toy box for the time being. We bought the storage bin shelves to store the toys away when not in use. I need to be better at keeping items off the top. I do have a big tall black Vase that I thought might look good. We have storage that is under the stairs and the table and bigger items are stored away when not in play, except the play kitchen.
The gate is a must for safety as my 18month old and 3 year old will spend most of their time while we do schooling in this room. I sit in the opening of the two rooms.
There is a separate room for a dinning room and a large living room (another much needed help room.) Being that we are getting into winter and it does get cold and rainy here I would like to have the family room a place we can enjoy... My husband calls the family room our winter parlor and the living room our summer parlor.
Maybe some photos of the living room will help.
I kinda envisioned the family room to be the play area but with a area for sitting by the fire. A place my husband and I can cuddle on the couch with a hot coffee (or chocolate in my case) and watch the kids playing and enjoy looking into the garden or at the deer or owls we have seen. Or a place we can all snuggle and read a book in front of the warm fire. The silly part of that idea is I kinda envisioned the book shelf in the living room lol.
I feel like I just don't know how to best use the large amount of space we have. We have always lived in smaller spaces 1,000 - 1,600.
The family room is 13.5' x 18'
Here are some more pictures... and also the furniture we have to work with. I know that right now we can't make it what we really want with color. I would just like to make what we have work into a comfortable home feeling. I think that we will start painting some next year. I have thought about doing roman shades for the windows.
This is the furniture we have now that is in our living room with the TV... mind you the living room has yet to have any arrangements done it is just kinda there.
It's hard when only viewing a few pictures, but even only given that, I immediately envisioned floating a sofa and that wing chair facing the fireplace with a cocktail table between the two. The wall to the left of the fireplace could be for your TV. The opposite side of the room could be the kid's area rather than intruding in the "adult" area. I wish I could see more but these are my immediate ideas. Your room offers many opportunities. I am sure others will come up with some creative ideas. Mine was simply to make an area for the kids and one for the adults -- and that area should surround the fireplace. Have fun deciding. (The kids and pup are adorable)
Nov 15, 2012, 09:17 AM
Love, Lu
I really don't have any advice for you except the first thing I thought was you have got to get that floor covered with a rug before it is scratched beyond repair.
Maybe a frieze in a neutral color so that the edges won't have to be bound and the color will go with anything. If you have a living room in addition to this family room, I think this family room won't have to be perfectly decorated as it will also be functioning as a play room for the children. You can save the living room for your "good" stuff.
Your new home is beautiful. I wish you many years of happiness there.This message has been edited. Last edited by: Love, Lu,
Nov 15, 2012, 02:12 PM
BearCat49
Beautiful home and family, Bonanza. Congratulations on everything!
Definitely agree with your decision to leave the white furniture in the l/r. It feels comfortable and cozy so that gives you one finished space. And, it feels more formal for adult gatherings.
Glad to hear that's storage under the stairs - was hoping so. B/c you do your schooling in that part of the room and have the adjacent storage, that s/b your kids' zone, IMHO.
Understand the need for safety WRT that stove. Did the grill come with the home? It feels very imposing within the space. (BTW, is it attached to the floor?) Anything available commercially that's smaller - perhaps something that would fit on the hearth instead of intruding on your wall space on either side of the stove? (Covers are available for regular stoves so wondering if the manufacturer might have a smaller option.)
As another alternative, have you considered making something that would fit around the stove on the hearth? If you had something smaller, around the hearth, that item could possibly be removed for adult, couple or evening get-togethers. Or, if that grill must remain, have you ever considered painting it? White could provide a contrast with a darker wall color or even a flatter silver-tone could be interesting. Just trying to brainstorm a few options for you -
WRT your windows, I personally wouldn't go with roman shades. The shades treat the windows separately instead of enhancing the space by making that essentially one large window. In addition, WRT childrens' safety, I'm always concerned about any cords that may be hanging down.
If you place 1 large, decorative curtain rod just shy of each corner of the room, you can treat the windows as 1. You'll give the room instant drama and presence. If you don't need privacy, you could select colored panels on either end with light, breezy, open sheers in the center to view your yard. And, no cords are required for the panels. Alternatively, you could also use a double rod system with the sheers underneath. Cost-wise, panels and sheers are available at lower price points and often on sale.
WRT color, you'll want to first (before doing anything, really) select inspirational or jumping-off points before paint. You can easily zone off the adult space with a patterned rug, incorporating your color selections for the room. BTW, IMHO it's best to stay neutral on the sofa color b/c it's a more expensive item to change out. Or, if you prefer to use neutral rugs, the color inspiration item could be a print or wall-hanging over the f/p or some other item, e.g. your drapery panels, a pottery collection or piece of artwork - anything. It's very easy to match paint to fabrics or other items but not vice versa.
WRT paint, you'll also want to consider painting out the woodwork (white). (If it were my room, I would only consider painting the trim but leave the ceiling b/c of its height.) Some prefer to retain the traditional darker woodwork but many believe it's an instant update for the home. White trim may provide a nice contrast to your chosen paint color.
You didn't mention how you feel about doing built-ins, eventually. You could easily incorporate both a flat screen TV and the kids' (existing) storage bins into them, if you wanted or needed to. You can certainly store some reading material in the l/r, too.
BTW, your mil's TV unit looks like a viable, short-term option to me. Unfortunately, it doesn't include closed storage or a larger console to hide the components and cords.
The built-ins' design could also function for home-schooling, especially as your kids get older. For example, in the larger space to the f/p's right, you could incorporate two desks/work stations with kids' storage underneath on the lower level with shelving for books, accessories and TV above. Or, a perpendicular work table could be placed in the center of the built-in. A drop-leaf table might also work well in either the built-in or the rear kids' zone.
You didn't include the sofa's dimensions or I missed it. (Sorry.) Going back to the TV placement, b/c the right side is larger and many people prefer to view to the right, I'd place the TV on that side and create two adult focal points within the room. Depending on its size, you can probably use the sofa for either relaxing in front of the stove/fire or viewing the TV. That way, the adults aren't limited to the corner and it's adults front or stove/fp area and kids to the rear, by the storage.
To finish off the built-in(s), you might consider either wall-papering or painting the back of them for a finished, polished look. Obviously, you'll want to select your color-scheme first.
So, I'd recommend that you start by selecting a color inspiration for your main color plus accents and then go from there. Congratulations again on your new home!
Hope something's helpful. Best of luck to you. As you know, everything's JMHO.This message has been edited. Last edited by: BearCat49,