Family room reno tips from Debbie Travis

Practical ideas to turn a busy room into a family favourite

By Heather Camlot

The family room: the place where your teenager does her homework on the computer, your son builds cities out of LEGO on the floor, your husband watches television and you settle down with a book.

With so many people doing a variety of activities in the same room, whether together or throughout the day, keeping this multipurpose space organized can be challenging. But it’s not impossible, says Debbie Travis, designer and author of several decorating books. She offers some easy fixes for turning a multifunctional mess into a family room favourite.

Storage

“Families bring clutter: the kids bring toys, women bring magazines, men bring slippers,” says Travis. “Instead of dividing it up for the family visually, you divide it up storage-wise.” She points to stores such as IKEA and Pottery Barn, which are geared for storage solutions, and suggests shelves with boxes and baskets, each one designated for books and magazines, videos, CDs or toys.

Budget

“Your budget is going to go on your electronics and your main furnishings,” says Travis. If you have $10,000 to spend, you may want to put $8,000 toward your television and computer and the other $2,000 toward your sofa. These items are also the first things you should decide upon when decorating the family room — the size of your television will be connected to the size and location of your sofa. You don’t want to be sitting five inches away from the screen.

Multipurpose furniture

“A coffee table is at the top of the list. You want something where you’re putting your magazines, your books, your feet. And if you’re all having a meal in front of the television, you want something to put it on.” Travis recommends a big, square table that can be wound to different heights. That way it can double as a card table, a laptop stand or a dining table. “Multipurpose furniture is really the growing thing, especially with condos.”

A comfortable sofa is also crucial. “Choose one that fits in with each job you’re going to be doing in there,” explains Travis. Sectionals are back in style and suit a family room quite well, she says. If you have small children, look for durable, washable fabrics.

Dividers

While you may be hoping to bond with your family, the reality is one child will be playing on the computer and another will be watching television. Three-panelled screens with wheels can keep distractions to a minimum. “They can be rolled around, so at least you can put that around a kid who’s typing away and wants a bit of privacy and can put headphones on,” says Travis.

Lighting

Lighting is another way to divide the space. “If you’re going to have a multifunctional room, you should have multifunctional lighting.” Create a cosy area with ambient lighting, place task lighting near the computer, and hook your main lighting to a dimmer.

Colour

A family room should be warm and cheerful. Choose your colour according to the amount of natural light the space receives. A north-facing room, explains Travis, will need a splash of rich colour, such as one wall of orange, to warm it up. Whatever you do, skip the boring beige.

Flooring

The family room means high traffic, which can do a number on your floor. A great new solution is actually an old one — cork flooring, which Travis has in her basement. Unlike the version sold 20 years ago, today’s cork flooring is of much better quality, and no glue is needed to keep the pieces together. They simply click into place.

Not only is cork flooring soft, durable and warm on the feet, but it’s also environmentally friendly. Toss a shag rug on top and you have a very modern, cool look.