Family Room Design

Along with Elliott's room and bath on the lower level, we will also have a family room space.  We've been doing a lot of thinking about who will be using this space, and how.

   We don't really watch TV in our house - with the exception of hockey games (I'm so excited that hockey is back!).  

   We do watch movies occasionally, and Elliott plays video games with his friends. Jay and I will mainly use the living room on the main floor for relaxing and we have a smaller TV in our bedroom for Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday nights if the kids have friends over.

I think it's really important in a small space to determine the real use for each room.  If you don't have a lot of square footage, some rooms have to serve a dual purpose. You don't want to waste square footage on a room that gets little use.  We've put a great deal of thought into how this space will really be used.  The design plan follows that thought.

For example, the lower level will mainly be used by the kids and their friends for:

• Watching TV and Movies
• Playing, Singing Concerts and Dance Recitals
• Playing loud and obnoxious video games
• Family Games Night
• Harry Potter Movie Night with the whole family
• Occasional parties for sporting events (like the Stanley Cup)

Basically, nothing down there can be too precious and it all has to be stain resistant.  But I don't want it to look like a kids rec room.  Tricky, right?

There are also some things we already have for the space.  These things will need to fit into the new design and decorating scheme.  For instance, although I would now choose a different colour for the sectional, we have this one:

It's very beige.  But it's also very comfortable, well made, and it creates a ton of seating.  If you remember, we had to use it in our living room at our last house because it was too big to go down the stairs to the family room.  It's really perfect for our basement family room.  Except that it's very beige.  

I've been looking at some pinspiration (shocking, I know).  Here are some spaces that have a 'feel' I love for this area:

I am noticing a few themes:  rustic wood, white walls, a hit of jewel tone, etc.  I'm also noticing that black & white is added in all of the rooms I like.  For me, this modernizes the space a bit more.  After all, we're dealing with a completely different architecture with this home.  It's a 60's rancher so I'm needing to re-think my vintage design aesthetic.  

I would also be surprised if a wood stove like this didn't make an appearance too!

  The budget for this project will be mostly swallowed up by the actual construction of the rooms.  That means reusing and repurposing lots of items we already own.  I might splurge on a couple of cool framed posters I recently saw - not that they're much of a splurge.  There's also a vintage wooden Coca-Cola crate that's collecting dust in my parent's basement that I'm thinking of sneaking into my trunk while no one's looking.  

   I'm excited to get our things out of storage so I can actually see what we have.  It's been stored for so long that I hardly remember!  

xo Meg

Farmhouse Fantastic Home Tour

I have a special treat for you this morning.  This is the home of April Foster, from the blog Goodbye City Life.  April isn't a designer or design blogger.  But she has managed to create a beautiful, relaxed, interesting home for her family.  This is one of my favourite living room spaces.

I love the barn board ceilings and the fresh green colour scheme April has chosen.  I love how the space is so open in this area.  It looks like it has great flow.  Stylish and comfortable. Here's what's on the other side of that fireplace:

And you know how I love a banquette?  Check this out:

(love)

This is the last one, and only because I'm more than a little obsessed with this sink. 

Photos and Design by April Foster here.

xo Meg

Cheery Family Room

We've been thinking hard about what we want our new nest to look like and I've been working on some inspiration boards for different rooms.  I'm looking for a slightly beachy, casual feel that we can really relax into.  Somewhere to put our feet up!

  I am pulling this room together with mainly things we already have but a few things we will need to purchase.  These items include art, fabrics and a carpet.  Take a look at my inspiration board:

The elements we already own include:
the couch
the cow hide rug
the striped pillows (2)
the orange pillows(2)

We will need:
The Soho Dhurri from Shades of Light (love, love, love this pattern)
Zigzag fabric from Premier Prints
Creamy drapery panels, most likely these from Ikea
Woven Blinds
New Lamps - I like these from PB but I am looking for a budget version
Artwork - you can see these choices and their sources on my art i love pinboard
Two Chairs will also be added down the road (hopefully a white slipped version to lighten things up)
Wall Colour:  BM Cloud White

Ikea Ektorp Jennylund Chair: $229.  You can't really beat that price point and I like the scale .
I would add a chevron pillow to each chair.

One more inspiration room:

via

What do you think?


xo Meg

Home Tour

Showhouse created by Stanton Home Furnishings via Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine.  Photography by Erica George Dines.

I spy the amazing chevron fabric I went insane over on that settee yesterday.

Lots of neutral texture with a bold, graphic fabric for punch.

Killer kitchen with chunky open shelving and zinc accents.  Those light fixtures are to die for.  And the bar stools.  Notice the little collection of turquoise Ball Mason jars on the top shelf?  My fave!

This home reminds me a lot of my inspiration home.  I love the neutral textures each room has and the restrained use of colour and pattern.  You know how everyone is in love with that Resortation Hardware look?  Well, to me this is similar but more liveable and interesting. A little more colour and pattern, a little more personality.   

Hope you are all having a fantastic weekend.  I'm heading out to Halloween in the Village.  Our little community is having a Fair and Parade to celebrate Halloween and I'm so looking forward to hanging with friends in our village.  

xo Meg

Wednesday Pick-Me-Up

house & home

So many things to love about this casual, comfortable space.  It's simple, understated and, well, real. The graphic black rocker, big fat lantern and leggy side table to name a few.  I would love to flop onto that slipcovered couch with my coffee and a good book.  

xo Meg

Winner!

I'm so excited! I've won a giveaway over at A Life's Design!!!  I won these amazing typography prints from Coulsen Macleod:

     I love them - I am planning to use them in the family room at our new house.  If you don't know about Coulsen Macleod, you should have a look here.  They also have a Facebook page.

   So, now I'm really giving some thought to the family room at the new house.  It's a longish narrow room on the lower level.  The space will mainly be used by our kids for playing Wii and Playstation, and hanging out with friends.  I do have some pieces that will be re-used in that room.

   We have the Rowe Martin Sofa.  It pretty much looks exactly like the one below, minus the pillows. (I know, it's really beige...) It's actually a queen size pull-out which is good because this room will also occasionally function as a guest room.  There is also a leather storage ottoman, a set of nesting parson's tables (which I am thinking of painting) and two dark denim beanbag chairs.

Here are some inspiration rooms:

I love the beachy feel of this room - the casual stripes and check fabric, and the star light fixture.

I love, love, love the look of a long lumbar pillow on a tailored sofa.  

The above room has so many comfortable, casual elements.  I love the graphic drapes and the mix of fabrics.  I also like the gallery wall display.  Even the colour scheme is similar to the one I plan to use.  I love the mix of royal blue with orange.  

I'm still on the hunt for the perfect fabrics to use in the family room.  Hopefully I can recreate the relaxed feel of these rooms.  I'll keep you posted when I have an inspiration board to show you.

xo Meg

***Please note:  the above images are from my files.  Before I started this blog, I didn't save the source information for my inspirational images.  If they belong to you, or you know the source, please email me and I will update the page.  I certainly want to give proper credit for these beautiful photos.