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A family room is an integral part of any home. It is a special room where family members can relax and enjoy each other’s company while catching up on their daily news.

Since the room is meant for both kids and adults, it has to appeal to the different generations. The secret of creating a stylish multi-generational room lies in selecting a theme that appeals to everyone, artfully combining adult designs with child-friendly accessories.

Family rooms come in different designs depending on their function and the homeowner’s tastes. For instance, a family room that is meant to double up as a kid’s playroom will differ in design from one that is only meant to accommodate adults.

Creating a delightful and practical family room can be as simple as focusing on the following:

  • A suitable color palette
  • Bright colors are sure to appeal to kids and adults alike. They are also guaranteed to make the family room appear vibrant, airy and welcoming. Individuals should go with a warm palette of yellow, burnt orange, brick red, gold or any other warm color. Additionally, they can settle for a mix of bright patterns to give the room a designer vibe and make it pop.

  • Appropriate furniture
  • It is important that children have enough space to play in the family room. With this in mind, parents should pay attention to traffic flow and walking areas in the room when placing furniture. Strategic furniture placement can also be used to divide different activity zones in the room and separate the kids play area from the conversation zone.

    The furniture chosen to grace the family room should have comfortable seating to entice people to lounge, relax and chat. Ideal pieces include a sofa bed, plush backed armchairs or deep couches.

  • Clever storage ideas
  • Any adult who has ever unwittingly stepped on a Lego piece or tripped over a toy knows the value of putting away kids’ toys, books and other clutter. Homeowners can choose from a selection of storage ideas to match their personal style and meld with the room’s design.

    They can go for in-built shelves and armoires or they can opt for creative storage baskets and boxes. Alternatively, they can decide to save space by settling for multipurpose furniture pieces. Examples include ottomans, window seats or benches with built in storage space beneath their seating.

  • Proper lighting
  • The right kind of lighting is necessary to create a warm and cozy ambiance in the family room. During the day, homeowners should take advantage of natural lighting by opening shutters or pulling back draperies to let the sun shine in. At night, accent or task lighting would be adequate to ward off any shadows lurking in corners.

  • Personalized accessories
  • If there are small kids around, delicate and breakable accessories should be placed far from their reach or left out of the room altogether. In order to add a personalized feel to the room, the walls can be adorned with the children’s artwork. Framed family pictures can also be hanged up.