Want to create a Great Family Room that the whole family enjoys? Here are some easy and fun ways to add inspiration in creating a space where the whole family will love to hang out!!
What do you call the room where you spend the majority of your FAMILY time?
Well, the kitchen – right? I get that, beacause as Moms we spend plenty of time in the kitchen and alot of times we have little helpers hanging out with us (right up until it is time to do the dishes – then they disappear!) But, most generally there is another room, where all of the FUN takes place, and at our house we call it the “Family Room”!
Even though…. it wasn’t always called that…..
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“Once Upon a time”,
before we lived in this old house, there was another family that lived here. And in this house there was a “Formal Living Room” which was used in an entirely different way than how we use what we now call the “Family Room.”
The house – yes – it was very nice – all hardwood floors and a long hallway leading to three bedrooms. It had a great kitchen and a large dining area . And then, as I mentioned earlier, there was “The Formal Living Room”, which was just that – FORMAL – only to be used when the parents were entertaining guests. Children were not allowed in this room unless accompanied by an adult and if and when they were allowed to enter they were to sit quietly, without incident!
This room was gorgeous! Imagine a beautiful blue velvet couch and matching chairs. A soft cushy area rug centered between the furniture. And the drapes, ohhh, the silky floor length drapes with a tapestry design that matched the blue velvet furniture – they framed tall windows that took up the majority of the east wall. It was extravagant and truly fit for a page in a Better Homes & Gardens magazine. Most of the time the sliding doors to the room were kept closed.
My sister-in-law was a friend of the young girl who lived here and she was occasionally invited over to play. The girls were left inside and since no one was watching, they would try a little slip and slide on the wooden hallway floor. It started out innocent enough, running and sliding in their stocking feet from one end of the hallway to the other! But then they thought “what if we sprinkled a little bit of baby powder up and down the hallway and then tried it!!” Holy smokes – now the real fun started! They ran and slid down the hallway, giggling and squealing and laughing, trying to stay on their feet! They were having a blast!!
At what point do you call it “Too Much Fun”??
Now, at some point, in this powder filled hallway – they decided if they opened the door into the Formal Living Room (yikes)…… they could slide even further on the super-slick hard wood floor… and faster! They continued with more baby powder, more sliding, more laughter! They picked up speed and then, more baby powder, more speed, more fun! More baby powder….. more laughter!! And then all of a sudden SHE appeared – through the cloud of baby powder in the Formal Living Room – Mamma was home……
And I can’t even begin to imagine how long it took for “the dust” to really settle!!
In our house there was no practical use for a Formal Living Room – instead we turned it into a Great Family Room!!
Does your existing family room need a face-lift or some exciting new sense of inspirarion? Or maybe you don’t have a Family Room yet, but you want to CREATE one!!
Creating a Great FAMILY Room is simple!
F = FUN FACTOR
Having fun things to do together in this room is what it is all about! We love to play games, have tea parties, build legos, color pictures, dance, eat popcorn and watch Disney!
A = AWESOMELY COMFORTABLE & APPEALING DECOR
- Make it comfortable and organized. This makes clean up a breeze- and we will have one goal accomplished almost before we start!
- Add in a comfy couch or two (probably not a Blue-Velvet one) and a favorite chair. Then throw in a few big cushy bean bags! My kids love laying on bean bags and watching TV or sleeping on them when we have a “Kids Camp Out” in the Family Room!!
- Have extra blankets on hand to cuddle up with! This keeps things cozy!
- Add a large area rug, even if you already have carpet. This can add a little more “comfort zone” personality to the overall feel of the room.
- Large baskets, wooden boxes or an old antique trunk work great for storing blankets and toys.
- Use a large Repurposed Armoire or an Vintage China Cabinet to store all of your movies, games and toys. They also work perfect for storing extra blankets and pillows.
- Put an Antique Sideboard or Buffet to work as an Entertainment Center.
You can check out a few repurposed furniture pieces that I love right here! They make decorating the Family Room simple and stylish!!
M = MUSIC
This is where all of our kids learned how to dance! Roll up the carpet – or not – then turn up the music and have a blast! Nothing inspires fun more than loud music, a little kareoke and trying out a few new moves!! It’s good exercise too!
I = INSPIRATIONAL COMPANY
Invite your friends!! They will love this room and really truly it’s not just for “Family”! We enjoy inviting friends over to visit, have a meal and enjoy a few cocktails!! And everyone just naturally tends to motivate to this room! It’s kind of like a magnet, like it’s just pulling you in. The atmosphere is created by the choices you make to decorate this room.
AND it’s an atmosphere YOU get to create! It can be inspired by the repurposed pieces that you have created and how you put them to work for you in this room! The simple style that YOU love is what makes it feel comfortable and welcoming, where people feel relaxed and at home!
L = LOVE
This is the main ingredient! There is not much more that I can say about that one! The one thing I know is that “Family is Forever”. They may grow up and venture out on their own, try out their wings, but they always come back……usually with a couple extras tagging along behind!
Y = YES YOU CAN
Yes, yes, yes……YOU can create a beautiful, fun, organized Family Room! All you have to do is follow this simple “Create the Perfect FAMILY ROOM Guide” and you will be dancing your socks off before you know it!! It is full of great tips for designing a perfect space for your family to enjoy!!
It doesn’t take too much to create a space you and your family will really love. These are the places where “Memories are Made”, so go ahead and take your creativity to the next level!! Try it out and if you have any questions – just send me an email and we can walk through your ideas together!!
Still need one more thing to top it off? Check out this great “FAMILY ROOM” sign that YOU can create to add the finishing touch!
I would love to see some of your Family Room creations! I hope you will share them with me below! Let me know what makes your Family Room special!
I can’t wait to hear from you!!
Be creative and live happy! Blessings~