Cleaning out the junk, reorganizing the closets and getting lost in a decorating project with your family is good for the soul. If you have a room in your home that is being used for storage or merely gathering dust, consider cleaning it out and getting it ready for family use.
1. Get a Killer New Couch
Nothing ties a room together like a great couch. Pick out your favorite color and use it as the base for your decorating theme. You may want to pick a kid friendly dark color or fabric, but get something that you can design the room around. The couch or sectional will be the primary place for family movies, sleepovers, and even quick meals. Whatever trendy new piece, whether a Broyhill Veronica sectional or Ikea modern lowback, it will be easy to match the elements of the surrounding room to its color.
2. Make Lighting Fun
A room can feel like a completely different place depending on the lighting concept you use. To brighten the room, consider track lighting, new ceiling fans, or even a new window. Since the room will be for family work and play, brighter lights and as much natural lighting as possible should do just fine. To change the lighting for evening adult activities and even a place where someone can sleep, read or meditate, use soft lamps and lower lighting to create a cozy, relaxing feel.
3. Rearrange Artwork and Get Input From the Kids
Kids love seeing things that remind them of themselves and images they can relate to. Add new pictures of your growing family often. Take pictures during family gatherings, birthdays, and holidays. If you live out of town from in-laws or parents, make sure they are well represented. Perhaps take a picture with each child and their grandparents to remind them of how much fun they have together. Let the kids pick funky artwork and matte and frame their favorite cartoon and kids characters if appropriate. Your kids are sure to feel a sense of pride and ownership in the space as they help design its look and feel.
4. Purchase a Fun Centerpiece Rug
Another item that can really tie the room together is a nice rug. Look for bright colors that will really pop or keep it neutral with a rug that will hide spills and lots of foot traffic. Either way, it will make the room seem new and stylish.
5. Fresh Layer of Paint
It isn’t as simple or easy as rearranging artwork or adding new furniture, but one guaranteed way to freshen up the energy of a room is to add a new coat of paint. Light colors will make the room feel bright and airy, and dark colors will create a cozy and introspective feel. For the best of both worlds, try doing three of the walls a light color and then including an accent wall of a darker or brighter shade, such as maroon, red, orange or yellow. Get the kids involved in picking a color too.
A few simple changes can go a long way in helping you utilize a family room that was previously going to waste. Not only are they easy, but many of them are quite fun. Why not make a day out of it with the kids? Gather your family and work on the room together. You will be sure to have an enjoyable time, make plenty of memories and at the end of it all, you will have a beautiful new space that you can all share.
Author Lisa Coleman periodically enjoys de-cluttering her house and bringing in some new life and furniture. She invites you to take it on seasonally instead of trying to tackle it all at once to prevent getting overwhelmed. SofasandSections(dot)com offers a large variety of fabrics for its Broyhill Veronica sectionals, and provides its customers with a large selection of sofas, sections, and related accessories.
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/reiner/331728294/
