My clients Wendy and Michael are a fun-loving family of four that had a family room overrun by the kids! This room was stuffed with toys and trinkets.

My mission was to create an all-ages playroom that would be stylish enough for adult entertaining but still funky and fun enough for the kids.

This 70s-style family room was had outdated wood paneling, a functioning but unattractive fireplace, and a bright orange wet bar.

My first priority was to address all the kids’ toys. Secondly, I wanted to create a mature environment for the adults to lounge and relax in. To accomplish both of these tasks, I visually split the room into two separate areas. The solution was to use an existing support column in the middle of the room and anchor two plexi-panels to it. The panels had a fun polka-dot pattern that was translucent enough to let light through, but opaque enough to provide a sense of privacy. This visual divider set the stage for the kid’s play zone on one side and the adult lounge on the other.

In the lounge area, the first things I changed was the bright orange wet bar that was never used. I replaced it with a custom built banquette with drawer units underneath, which and was my first step toward solving the storage dilemma.

To time-warp this family room into the present, a lot of work had to be done to the shell of this space. The paneling and ceiling tiles were replaced with drywall,irecessed halogen pot-lights and beautiful hardwood flooring. .

The main piece of furniture in the room was the sectional sofa upholstered with kid-friendly, glazed leather. The piece faced the fireplace and provided ample seating for entertaining. A custom console shelving unit placed along the back of the sofa provided additional storage.

The fireplace desperately needed an update and was given a modern treatment with horizontal bands of gray-blue slate clad across the entire surface. In the kid’s play zone I anchored below the play table, a bright bean-bag chair, and artworks made from magnified copies of the family’s fingerprints.

By visually dividing the space, one wreck of a room was transformed into the ultimate kid’s zone and a contemporary adult lounge area. It was a solution that worked for everyone, and was truly family friendly!

Interior decorator Candice Olson is host of HGTV’s “Divine Design.”

source : detnews.com