Family Rooms
     The family room is really the TV room and the busiest room in the house. To make this an ideal space for movie watching, select window covering that open and close easily and block sunlight well. Three feet between the TV screen and seating is a good rule of thumb for easily seeing the screen.

     Keep in mind that the busiest room in the house gets a lot of wear and tear. Select colors and patterns that are going to last over time; durability is the key here! This is a great room to show off collections, family photos etc…. Make this casual, comfortable space for your family.

     Commonly this room adjoins the kitchen. When this is the case, if possible, arrange the furniture to face away from the kitchen; use different flooring to differentiate the spaces. If the same floor is throughout, scatter area rugs to warm up the family room space. The colors in these two rooms should be similar and built-in cabinetry should be the same.

     This space could have a variety of focal points; a fireplace, a view or an entertainment center, which is more than common. A focal point will anchor the room. The family room can typically accommodate a large amount of furniture to include, sofas, love seats, chairs, ottomans, game tables, writing desk or computer desks and entertainment centers or these days, with large screen TV’s, plasma console and hutches. Entertainment centers have so many wonderful features. Look for units that offer things like touch lighting, video and game connector drawers, pull-out components for DVD’s, VCR’s and stereo equipment, iPod docking stations and cord management. This is where quality furniture is highly recommended. Try to select the best quality entertainment furniture you can afford for this room.

     Staying away from solid and light colored furniture is also recommended for this space. Light furniture will show all the dirt that the dog and kids drag in. Your family room may also be your home office. Choose quality office furniture that is functional and beautiful; select office furniture that will make the best use of the space you have available for it. There are modular desks, executive desks, L-shaped desks and writing desks to choose from. If the wall is the only place for a workspace in your family room, choose a credenza with a hutch to maximize that area. A good quality credenza will have CPU storage, keyboard trays, file drawers, etc...

     Lighting your family room is easy. A work or reading space may require task lighting; ceiling fixtures or canister lights with dimmers are good for this space. The dimmers are great for creating ambiance or mood lighting. Floor lamps should be between 40 and 50 inches from floor to provide good light dispersion. The bottom of a table lamp shade should be just below eye level.