Cozy Chic Family Room

When you get to start with a blank canvas like THIS 

you know it's going to be a great room!

My client's are a young couple with two dogs who want a casual but sophisticated space

to entertain and hang out with friends.  This family room spans the back half of the house with the kitchen being adjacent.  

We want to keep the space light and airy but also cozy.  

The inspiration photos (client provided) below demonstrate the feeling they were going for.

Transitional, elegant, calming, comfortable.

I started with this floor plan to allow maximum seating and a very big screen TV 

as my client is a huge cinema buff.

The room is a great size for entertaining and TV watching.

I gave them lots of seating with a large sofa, 2 swivel chairs, 1 chaise in front of the fireplace

to curl up with a book or a bevy.

TV is on the right side and two consoles flank the sides of the fireplace wall.  

They didn't want large built-in cabinetry and don't have lots of storage needs (yet).

Round end tables keep the space from feeling too boxy.

Here's some of the pieces that will go in the space.

Deep sofa with feather-filled back and seat cushions for maximum chillaxin'.

The low, square arms have just enough room to rest your head and take a nap.

This chair will have a swivel base that rotates 360 degrees

which is great to keep an eye on the happenings in the adjacent kitchen.

   

A chaise like this one is being made to fit perfectly in front of the fireplace. 

It's a great lounger for one person, or a place to perch for two when extra space is needed.

This coffee table ottoman will be custom made to fit the large space - 

a whopping 48"x 54"  allows for table top access from all seats in the room.

It will be covered in a fabulous cobalt blue weave fabric to add a punch of colour 

(and hide the dirt, really).

I love doing a soft top coffee table because it encourages people to put their feet up and relax when watching TV.  A large tray on top will enable a glass to put down with ease. 

The lower shelf is a great place to store books, games or just display some pretty storage boxes.

For the console tables, I wanted something sculptural with a light wood 

that would complement the dark floors but also work well with the stone.

I found this marble topped beauty and it fits perfectly.

All the upholstered pieces will be done in various coordinating, neutral fabrics 

with the exception of the blue ottoman.

so we're bringing in some colour and pattern on the window coverings, accessories and area rug.

Drapery panels and roman blinds will be made from this lovely printed linen.

Joanne Fabrics

For the rug, I want to introduce a muted blue tone 

that will also be picked up in the pillows and artwork & accessories.

Some of the options being considered:

 

  

The design concept overview

A light wood media cabinet (lower right), painted wood accent tables (round table shown above),

artwork and other little goodies to make the space come to life will be added in the 

finishing round.

Looking forward to getting this one all pulled together.

Family Room Makeover

I recently completed a project for a client who had been renovating her main floor for some time.  After months of major renovations, this couple had run out of steam and didn't know how to pull together a cohesive decorating scheme that would make the most of their new open floor plan kitchen, dining room and living room. 

We had a long, narrow space with limited furniture, insufficient lighting and new light hardwood throughout, but it was run over by two young children's toys leaving little room for entertaining, which was long overdue now that the house was no longer under construction.



The inspiration for the room was a piece of art that the client loved.  The soft tones of this painting were the starting point for the colour scheme for the whole space. 

I worked on a floor plan that would allow for maximum seating when entertaining, additional needed storage and kid-friendly design and fabrics.  The initial presentation to the client looked like this:

We wanted to stay with a casual and earthy colour palette, but the client said "let's bring in some funky fabric somehow".  I love it when a client will take some chances!  We left the fabric showroom with the client shedding happy tears over the coordinated fabric scheme that was coming together.

For lighting, I wanted to bring in a light fixture for the dining room that would fit in with the casual mood of the home but still had some "bling" since it would be visible from the front door and throughout the space.  We brought in a modern 21 inch wide crystal and satin nickle chandelier that was hung over the dining table, centered on the main floor.  It's now the "star of the show" with matching pendants over the adjacent kitchen island.

We chose a custom, modern sofa in a tone-on-tone herringbone striped fabric and had an additional set of seat cushion covers made that can easily be replaced when one set needs cleaning (a great idea when you have small children and light fabric).

The slipper chairs are great in a small space.  We chose them in a neutral, linen fabric and made them child friendly for everyday use with slipcovers in a fun pattern that hides little messy fingerprints.  They sit on the edge of the family room rug and help delineate the two spaces without the bulk of a loveseat, and they can be easily moved into the dining room for larger dinner parties, as needed.

The window bench was constructed by the talented homeowner and I added another coordinating fabric for the custom made seat cushion. We then brought in some rectangular pillows with more pattern to make the seating extra comfy.  Large baskets under the bench and an oversized ottoman/coffee table add much needed storage.  A new larger rug pulls the scheme together while making the whole space feel bigger yet still cozy.

Here's the AFTER:

We are still looking for a dark framed picture to hang on the left of the sofa to balance off the tall shelf on the right and sconces for task lighting when reading will be added on either end of the sofa wall later on.

The room was completed just before the holidays and the clients have had four parties since then, stating "the room works just the way we envisioned it and easily accommodates 10-12 people which it didn't before". 

I love a happy client!