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Rooms built for comfort - and for style

The right fabrics and storage spaces score big in a family room.

By ELIZABETH BETTENDORF Times Correspondent
Published October 5, 2007

This room exemplifies multitasking spaces. The client ordered a custom-built pool table, but the room also has a small sitting room, behind, which contains a large storage cocktail table.
	[Special to the Times]

ADVERTISEMENT [Special to the Times] The sofa in this room is covered in a soft, easily cleaned microfiber with a suede-like feel. The chairs are swivel gliders.

When it comes to creating the ideal family-friendly living area, most people know what they want: a room that's comfortable enough to watch back-to-back Food Channel shows while the kids roughhouse and the dog lounges on the sofa.

Even better?

If you can put your feet up and calmly eat salsa-drenched nachos while observing all of the above.

For Diana Taylor, a design consultant and co-owner of Taylor Haskins Design studio in the Victorian Village in Temple Terrace, the goal in designing a family-friendly living space is simple:

"I pay attention to creating a beautiful room while keeping in mind dirty hands, chocolate milk mouths and dirty paws," she says. "Probably one of the best things we do is work with families."

She advises clients choosing a fabric for a family sofa or ottoman to select one "that has some nap to it because that hides a multitude of sins."

That doesn't mean you need to run out and buy furniture with dark upholstery. On the contrary.

"Color and patterns hide a lot," explains Taylor, who is a big fan of using Sunbrella fabrics indoors. "Many fabrics out there are machine washable - all you have to do is use a washcloth and a dab of soap and clean up a spill. You don't have to wait for a cleaning company to come into a home."

Nikki Couture, a South Tampa designer, believes it's possible to cover family-room furniture in a color most people never think of: white.

"The trick is to do a slipcover in white denim," she says. "White denim can be washed a zillion times. You can use Oxyclean and bleach. And it's great for kids and pets."

Couture, who likes the look of hip vintage and antique furnishings, says a family room need not be a showroom for "pristine" furniture. "You want stuff that already looks worn and has a ding here or there, so that banging it up doesn't make a difference," she says.

Matt Long, head of model-home merchandising for All Interior Furnishings and Builder Resource Center in Old Carrollwood, says that it's important to check out the amount of "double rub" a furniture fabric will take. If you're looking through upholstery fabric books, the information will be on the back.

"I'm looking at a linen right now that will take 15,000 double rubs - not so good," he says. "But I'm looking at another one, a micro suede that will take 24,000 double rubs. That's really good."

In addition to durable fabrics, storage is a key ingredient in creating a family-friendly living space. In fact, most designers think it's essential.

"I'm a huge advocate for storage as well as a room that's truly utilitarian," Taylor says. "I just finished doing a family room in New Tampa. It has a huge built-in that's not just for storage, but also includes areas for scrapbooking, a computer and an entertainment center."

Additionally, Taylor outfitted the room with a sleeper sofa, as well as low bookcases that serve as table tops.

They have counter high stools next to them so the family can set soda and pizza on them while playing pool. She also found four small ottomans on casters that feature tops that flip off and become drink holders.

The ottomans also provide storage for blankets and linens.

Couture, who is a "big fan of trunks" for family-room storage, especially likes antique and vintage varieties, including a foot-locker style trunk salvaged from a Model T car. It serves as a catch-all for her 6-year-old son's toys.

"Trunks are excellent for storage, especially for toys," Couture says. "You can also use them as coffee tables."

In a family room, she says, think out of the box when it comes to a cocktail table. You can use a trunk or anything that you feel comfortable putting your feet on.

In Couture's case, she used an old butcher block table and cut the legs down to size.

Another option is a large, custom ottoman with a top that lifts off and provides tons of storage inside.

"You can keep throws in it, toys, even magazines," Long says. "That way you can do that five-minute fluff before people come over. Plus, an ottoman is so much more comfortable than a cocktail table to put your feet on. You can also pull it to the side for extra seating."

As for rugs, think realistically about actual wear and tear. If you have small children or pets, invest in an attractive area rug that doesn't cost more than a few hundred dollars, Couture advises.

"I wouldn't buy anything too fine, especially if you have little ones," she says. "They can make a big mess with juice and markers so you want a rug you can throw away and feel okay about."

Taylor tries to create a traffic pattern around the family-room seating area. She also encourages clients to invest in a good quality area rug, "unless of course they have a new puppy, and in that case, I'm not going to recommend a $3,000 rug."

Window treatments are also a challenge when designing a family living area.

Couture says to choose ones "that roll up high like Roman shades" to keep them safe from kids and pets.

Long thinks it's important to factor in whether the room will be used for a lot of TV watching.

"You need to think about light control. A light sheer window treatment, for example may not work for TV viewing," he says.

As for the type of seating you choose, think about comfort and what your family's likely to really use. Taylor says that she tends to avoid sectionals "because no one wants to get stuck sitting in that corner."

Recently, she chose rolling, swivel upholstered chairs for a family room that had multiple focal points including a fireplace and entertainment center on different sides of the room.

Long says that when he's designing a family room in a model home, he'll often use two sofas, a love seat and one comfy accessory chair that he calls "the throne."

"It really completes the look," he explains.

Ultimately, Long notes, the main things to consider in a family-friendly space are durability and comfort.

"I really like to use leather upholstery for the main seating area," he says.

"You can spill Kool-Aid and the dog can lay on it. I also like lots of accessory pillows - even big pillows on the floor where the kids can watch TV. That way, when you feel like a change you can pull out those pillows and arrange some fresh new ones. It's that easy."

Elizabeth Bettendorf can be reached at ebettendorf@hotmail.com.

[Last modified October 4, 2007, 07:53:41]