Not everyone can afford a home with a separate Family Room.  If you’re like many modern homeowners who are raising a family, it’s essential that your main living space is kid-friendly — and this sometimes means that style and polish need to be sacrificed in favor of functionality. Fortunately, those who find themselves longing for a bit more of a “pulled-together” look have design options available! The following are just three of the many ways that you can retain the kid-friendly aspects of your living room while cultivating an ambiance pleasing to adults.

Use Hidden Storage

The presence of toys, puzzles, games and books make any living room look messy. Hidden storage provides a place for these items to be quickly put away when the time comes for the adults to use the room. Chairs, couches, end tables and coffee tables with drawers under them are doing double duty. Baskets hung on the wall or a nice chest contribute to an attractive aesthetic while providing a place to stash toys and other items. All of these make it super easy to transform the play area into an adult living room in just a few minutes.

Create an Open Floor Plan

An open floor plan provides ample room for kids to play and is easy to clean up once the fun is over for the day. It also allows everyone to be in the room at the same time without feeling overly crowded. Pull it together with an overstuffed sectional sofa, which serves as a focal point and is easily rearranged when the occasion calls for a different seating style.

Include a Gallery Wall

Kids love to see their artwork hanging in family living spaces, but just slapping it up haphazardly creates a sloppy look. A gallery wall where artwork is organized provides polish to your living room and allows budding artists an area to show off their work! You are not limited to the front of the refrigerator, by any means!

Our Vail Valley and Western North Carolina architectural firm helps homeowners create balanced living environments on a regular basis! Please contact our office for more information.