Kid-Friendly Living Room Design Plan

A client recently contacted me asking for design help with her empty living room. 

 Her and her husband had started decorating the room by adding in gorgeous Brazilian walnut flooring and painting the walls Benjamin Moore's Gray Wisp.

But then they got stuck and the room sat empty.

 The young family wanted the space to serve as a causal living room + play space for the kids + computer area for both mom and the kids.

The following plan is what I designed to help them complete their space.

 

1. Wall color: Gray Wisp (Benjamin Moore)

2. Art work:  Blooming Allium in Old Metal Coffee Pot (Art.com), 

Dahlia with Clouds Behind (Art.com)

Passion Flower Against the Sky (Art.com) 

in dark wood Ribba frames (Ikea)

3. Sofa: Ektorp Sofa in Vellinge beige (Ikea)

4. Throw Pillows: Coral Embroidered Pillow Cover (Pottery Barn), 

Vanessa Floral Pillow Cover (Pottery Barn - no longer available), 

Jute Braid Pillow Cover in Ivory (Pottery Barn), 

blue and white pillow cover is from (Etsy),

Burlap Accent Lumbar Pillows with Greek Key Pattern (Ballard Designs)

Grand Chenille Throw in Blue Smoke (Pottery Barn)

5. Coffee Table: Morgan Large Cocktail Table with Baskets in Aged White (Ballard Designs)

6. Area Rug: Poolside Brown/Bone Indoor/Outdoor Rug (Overstock)

7. Side Tables: Hamilton X Slat End tables (Target)

8. Lamps: Triple Gourd Clear Glass Table Lamps (Lamps Plus) embellished with coral colored trim ribbon

9. Chairs: Ektorp Jennylund chairs (Ikea)

10. Storage Shelves: Expedit shelf & Branas baskets (Ikea)

11. Desk: DIY Modular Office Desk (knock-off version of the Pottery Barn Bedford desk) - (plans from Ana White)

12. Drapes: DIY Burlap Panels (Tutorial)

The overall design plan for this space was to create a comfy, casual living room that had lots of storage for toys & books without looking too much like a ‘playroom.’ For the most part, I chose pieces that were kid-friendly and fairly easy on the budget.

In addition to purchasing/making the above pieces, I also suggested the client add white board and batten to the lower half of the walls to give the space some architectural interest.

I created two different, yet similar, floor plans to illustrate how the furnishings could be placed.

OPTION 1:

OPTION 2:

The left side of the room features a wall-to-wall desk with space for two chairs in both plans, while the couch & occasional chairs are in different locations.

I created a mock-up illustration to show the client what the desk could look like.

I included two open shelf base units on either end that hold baskets (Pottery Barn) for more toy storage. The center base unit could have drawers to hide important papers and/or kids’ artwork/schoolwork or doors could be placed in the center unit to hide printers, modems, etc. 

Above the desk, 3 large bulletin boards are hung for displaying the kids’ artwork.

The lamps placed on the desk are the Barometer Work Lamps (Ikea).

For desk chairs, I suggested finding two inexpensive (used) matching dining chairs and painting them white and reupholstering the cushions with a patterned fabric. 

The following was an inspiration picture for the desk area.

 (Source)

Now that the client has a plan to guide her, she's looking forward to finishing her space and turning it into a comfy, casual living room where she can read with her kids, watch them play, and spend some time on the computer.

Budget-Friendly Playroom Redesign

I recently finished a Playroom Redesign for a client with 4 children, ranging in age from 4 months to 10 years old. She wanted to create a playroom that was fun & functional for all 4 of her children while also flowing with the decor in the rest of her charming home and staying super budget-friendly.

The client's space is long and narrow, which can often be tricky to decorate. The best way to tackle long rooms like this one is to decide how the room will be used and divide it into 'areas.' For this playroom, I divided it into 3 zones: a reading area, a play area, and a homework/art area.

Then I created the following inspiration board to make the 'zones' come to life.

The first zone was the Reading Area, which is located at one end of the room under a large window. The client expressed that she wanted the look of a built-in window bench without 'building it in,' so I suggested that she do a knock-off version of Pottery Barn's Stratton Daybed (by following plans from Ana White) because its dimensions would fit perfectly under her window.

For the narrow bookcases to flank the window and daybed, I chose Ikea's narrow Hemnes bookcases in white.

To bring some color and pattern into the space and to provide comfort for reading, I chose a variety of throw pillows to sit atop the daybed.

 Premier Prints Village Blue Pillow Cover from Modernality2 on Etsy.com

 Textured Linen Pillow Cover in Flan and Chunky Stripe Pillow Cover in Gold from Pottery Barn.

 Designer Green Trellis Link Lumbar Pillow Cover from KloeStudio on Etsy.com

 Duck Egg Blue Pillow Cover from Chezlele on Etsy.com

Textured Yellow Floral Pillow from Target

 Home Textured Throw in Gold from Target

For the walls, I suggested she go with a light, yet playful, blue (Benjamin Moore's Spring Sky).

To meet the needs of kids with varying ages, I suggested she place two small desks at the opposite end of the room in the Homework/Art Area. Both desks are the Micke Desks from Ikea, but one is a little larger so that it can hold the older kids' computer. 

To give the desks a little more personality, I suggested adding some decorative knobs, like these Glass Daisy Knobs from Hobby Lobby.

Here is a virtual rendering of what the Homework/Art Area could look like.

To help with storage and to keep the desk organized, I hung Ikea's Lack Shelves above both desks and used various bins and baskets to store papers and other supplies. Above the desk on the left side, I hung Ikea's Fintorp Cutlery Caddies to hold the kiddos' art supplies. 

Above the right-hand desk, I hung a display rail (tack strip) to hold important papers or artwork.

In lieu of traditional rolling desk chairs, I opted for stools because they take up less space and can be pushed all the way under the desk when not in use. These stools are the Ingolf Stools from Ikea.

For those of you who have experience with kids, you know they create a lot of art. To display some of her kids' art, I suggested she create a rotating art gallery on a wall in the Homework/Art Area. This can be done by purchasing some frames at a thrift store, spray painting the frames, removing the glass and replacing it with corkboard. 

Source

I also thought it would be fun for the little ones if a chalkboard was added to the wall under the art gallery. 

Source

The inspiration behind my design for this space was this Handmade Avant-Garde Serenity Ivory Rug from Overstock.com.

Not only do the colors flow great with the colors in the rest of the client's home, but it also has a touch of whimsy and creates a great anchor for the 'Play Area'.

The best way to keep a playroom organized is to provide enough storage for toys. To help with this, I suggested the client go with the Expedit bookcases from Ikea for housing baskets to fill with toys and hold the TV.

The map art above the entertainment unit was found on Etsy.com, 

Source

Source

while the 'Fun is Good' print is a free printable from Paper Coterie.

And last, to provide a little comfort in the 'Play Area', I selected a blue & white chevron striped pouf from Etsy.

Source

So, there you have it. 

A multi-age, budget-friendly playroom, whimsical playroom.

For more playroom inspiration, feel free visit my Kid's Spaces Pinboard.

Virtual Redesign: Carrie Jo's Family Room

When Carrie Jo sent me an email and some pictures of her family room, I was super excited to tackle her project because her family room is almost the exact same layout as mine!

I've been s-l-o-w-l-y working on our family room, so this was a great way to get my creative juices flowing and pump me up to get moving on our family room too.

Carrie Jo and her husband just purchased their very first home and all of their furniture is leftover from apartment living during their college years. They have two small children and are ready to start upgrading their furnishings and decorating their "blank canvas." 

Carrie Jo was a dream to work with. She put together some great collages to give me an idea of her style, which was so helpful!

From the images above, I gathered that Carrie Jo likes soothing neutral colors with greens and blues mixed in. She likes small pops of bold color and pattern, but is worried about the room looking too busy. She needs comfy, family friendly furniture and places to store kids' stuff. She's a fan of groupings of photographs and art. Creating a space for her family to enjoy quality time together is top on her priority list.

So, here is what I came up with...

Hopefully it meets all of her needs and desires...

(move your mouse on and off the image below to see the before & after transformation)

 

Here is a still image if the above transformation doesn't work for you...

I started off by painting the walls Tobacco Leaf by Martha Stewart (from Home Depot).

I'm actually in the process of re-painting my Family Room/Kitchen this color too :)

It's a warm grayish-greenish-beigish color that looks good with almost any decor.

Then I added in comfy family-friendly furniture that will be easy to keep clean and won't break the bank. 

Here is a furniture floor plan since it's hard to see the entire layout in the above rendering.

The slipcovered sofa, loveseat and chair are the Linden Street Friday Collection in Khaki color from JCPenney. The beauty of slipcovers is that they can be taken off and thrown in the washer when they get spilled on (an unfortunate side effect of having little ones in the house!)

The leather upholstered ottoman is from Home Decorators (Wall Street Upholstered Coffee Table) and is great when you have toddlers in the house - the soft edges protect their little noggins from injuries. Another option is one like this...

from Overstock (Mission Brown Tufted Bonded Leather Storage Bench).

It opens and has lots of room for storing blankets, toys, remote controls, etc.

We have one similar to this in our Family Room and it is one of the BEST pieces of furniture we've ever purchased!

The Entertainment Center that stands against the back wall is a 4-piece Hemnes set from Ikea. The crisp white paint will make the room feel a touch brighter and the multitude drawers, shelves and cabinets offer tons of storage.

To add in some pizazz and give Carrie Jo that color and pattern she craves, I added in a bold, geometric rug.

Large area rugs can tend to get expensive, but this one (Hand-tufted World Classic Bluish-gray Wool Rug) is priced great at Overstock.com!

For additional color and pattern, I flanked the window with the Firenze Embroidered Panels in Gray from Ballard Designs and put some green and blue pillows from Pottery Barn and Home Decorators on the couch, loveseat, and chair.

Since Carrie Jo digs photo groupings, a gallery wall or picture ledges holding frames would fit in perfectly on the wall next to the chair. Ikea and Target are great places to purchase inexpensive frames for a gallery wall like this! To give the room some more lighting and highlight the photos, I thought some spot lights hung above the frames would do the trick.

The spot lights pictured above are from Pottery Barn.

Here's another look at all of the materials used in the redesign...

The round side table is the Keely Side Table from Home Decorators and the lamp is the Cindy Crawford Glass Column Table Lamp from JCPenney.

Since there's already a lot of wood finishes (trim molding, doors, cabinets) in Carrie Jo's house, I wanted to incorporate some painted pieces (entertainment center, side table) to break up all of the wood tones.

(image of Carrie Jo's kitchen and breakfast area that adjoin her family room)

Carrie Jo mentioned to me that she was having a difficult time coming up with a design that looked good with all of the wood finishes in her home, especially since trends in home decor are leaning towards all white finishes. Her house was remodeled right before they purchased it, so all of the wood details are pretty new. 

Here is what she had to say about the wood finishes, "While I love the look of white trims, right now it just seems too big of a project to change all the trimming, doors, cabinets, railings, and everything to white, especially since everything is in good condition because it was just remodeled (and especially for one who has never decorated before).  It is our first house and not our forever house but I would still like the house to look nice."

I think the design I came up with will look just fine with all of the existing wood trim....

but...

I highly recommend changing out the wood baseboards with more substantial, chunkier white ones. I really think white baseboards make a home look a lot more clean and crisp and can really transform a space, giving it a more current feel. 

That does not, however, mean that she has to paint her cabinets, doors, railings all white too. I'm just recommending that they change out the baseboards and door trims. Although this would be a time-consuming project, it is not a hard one. You simply need a miter saw and a nail gun and you're good to go.

I found some pictures online to show how you can incorporate both wood finishes and white trim in a home.

 (Source: The Inspired Room - this picture also shows Martha Stewart's Tobacco Leaf paint on the walls)

(Source: Imparting Grace)

Also, if changing out the wood baseboards is something Carrie Jo is open to tackling, she doesn't have to change ALL of them throughout the entire house. There are ways to have both wood and white trim in your home. For example, the majority of my house has white trim, but the kitchen, breakfast nook and family room have wood trim. Here is how the two were fused together in our home...

Thanks, Carrie Jo, for letting me tackle your design dilemma and inspiring me to get moving on completing my own family room! Now I'm off to spread some Tobacco Leaf on my walls :)

{All of the ideas shown here are for inspiration purposes only. The renderings are not necessarily drawn to scale and therefore, I do not guarantee that the furniture will fit as pictured in the room. Be sure to measure before making any major purchases!}

Linking up to:

Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Night Special

Bookcases: Not Just for Books

One of my current projects is giving this bookcase a much-needed makeover.

{I can't believe I just showed you that mess!}

And my last post talked a little bit about adding color to the backs of bookcases...

So I guess I've kinda got bookcases on the brain lately.

One aspect of home decorating that can be a little tricky is accessorizing your bookcases,

so I thought I'd write a post offering some helpful tips
on how to make your bookcases more visually appealing.

First of all, bookcases are not just for books.

Unless, of course, you want your room to look like a library...

{Source: Apartment Therapy via Pinterest}

or you can pull off a cool look like this...

 {Source: Elle Decor}

 I know, it's tempting to shove every book you own in your bookcase.
After all, they are meant to store books, right?


Most often, however, a bookcase stuffed full of books makes the shelves look cluttered 

and throws off the balance of a room.

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to decorating...

But, a good rule of thumb is to shoot for filling only 1/3 or less of your bookcase with books.

So how do you know which books to display???

Hardbound books look classier for displaying, so store the paperbacks elsewhere.

Consider the color palette of the room.
Which books will add to the overall aesthetic appeal of your space?

{Source: Real Simple}

{Source: Real Simple}

Don't be afraid to remove dust jackets.

Often times, books are hiding pretty colors under their jackets.

Consider what you love...
your book choices should be a reflection of you, your hobbies, your interests. 

{Source: HGTV}

{Source: Real Simple}

Once you've chosen which books to display, now how do you organize them?

Try to arrange books not only standing vertically, but stacked horizontally as well.

{Source: Room Remix Blog via Pinterest}

For an unexpected look, you can also turn the books around so that they pages are facing you.

{Source: Loft and  Cottage Blog} 

Try placing the books in groups of five or ten.
It adds visual interest and keeps the bookcase from becoming repetitive.

Make sure the books don’t line up shelf after shelf. Place some to the right of the shelf, and on the next shelf try splitting two or three books on the left and the right. 

Placing some books in baskets or bins also breaks up repetitiveness.

{Source: The Lettered Cottage}

If you're going for a cottage-y look, you can cover your books in white or tan paper.

{Source: Southern Living}

I've filled up 1/3 of my bookcase with books. What about the other two-thirds??

To keep your bookcase from looking cluttered,
it's a good idea to leave another 1/3 as empty space.

The final third should be filled with carefully chosen accessories.
Accessories that reflect you and the style of your room.

 {Source: HGTV}

As Nate Berkus says, the best decorated rooms are rooms that have been
"collected over time."
What that means is, don't rush out and buy a bunch of accessories all at once to fill your shelves.
Instead, display objects that you have collected on various travels,
things that are meaningful to you and your family,
family heirlooms,
things you love.

{Source: The Lettered Cottage}

{Source: Phoebe Howard}

When placing your accessories in the bookshelves,
consider height and depth as well as placement.

Vary the height of objects by placing them on top of stacked books or decorative boxes.

{Source: HGTV}

To add some depth, tall objects,
such as plates, framed pictures, trays, and pieces of art
should be placed at the back of the shelves to serve as a backdrop for your display.

 {Source: Real Simple}

{Source: Design Sponge}

Be careful of of tiny tchotchkes as they tend to create a cluttered look too.

Instead, choose bigger bolder accessories that can be seen from across the room.

You can give smaller items more presence by collecting them in a pretty container,
such as a glass jar filled with old photos or a pretty bowl filled with stones.

{Source: Pottery Barn}

And don't be afraid to add some color or texture to spice up your bookcase...

 {Source: Ideal Home Magazine}

Wallpaper and paint are cheap ways to dress up a plain bookcase.

 {Source: Real Simple}

As Elizabeth Mayhew from House Beautiful stated,

"Don't just fill your shelves. Color them, arrange them, decorate them, dress them, personalize them. The books you store on your shelves are just the beginning."