Family room has 'devolved' over the years
Our family moved here in 1993. With more square footage than our previous house, we knew the room with the fireplace would be our living room … it was a no-brainer. However, building cozy fires on chilly evenings only lasted a few years before we outgrew the space and transferred the furniture to another room. Our three children were still young and toys were taking over our lives, so we located the toys here, and labeled it "The Toy Room."
The first, and only, makeover this room ever had was when my friends and I painted the walls and troweled drywall compound over the red brick fireplace. Certainly made a huge difference - but that was 20 years ago in 1996!
Over the years, we've repainted and replaced the carpeting (three dogs!!!), but the trim has yet to be replaced (yea right, like I even know where it is!). These days we've renamed the space "The Computer Room," even though we mostly use our Wi-Fi tablets, not the desktop computer that's in there. It's actually more like an extra bedroom where one stashes the "stuff" that families tend to accumulate over the years.
The door to our backyard is in this room and, truthfully, if it weren't for letting our dogs in and out, the floors wouldn't ever see foot traffic. I would LOVE to have the chance to return some life and happiness to this space … a reading nook, a comfy space to knit, space for the family to gather and watch movies, or even just sit in front of a roaring fire in the fireplace that hasn't been used in almost 15 years.
Design by Steinhafels furniture
Budget: $6,000
The "before" look of the room is just how the contestant says it. It's a catch-all of the furniture pieces they no longer use and it looks like they have a comfy chair with a blanket for the dogs to enjoy the view out the window! It could be an amazing room.
It needs a seating space for a nice reading chair and sofa for some conversation and enjoying the fireplace. I would clean out the furniture and pieces that are not used and add in functional pieces to use while enjoying a movie, using their tablets or just to put your feet up and relax.
Suggestions
• An area rug will add some style and anchor the furniture.
• Use a cocktail ottoman to make it the ultimate relaxation space.
• Add a comfortable sofa to have the family pile in and watch that movie.
• Mount the TV above the fireplace to open up space for additional seating.