Question: We have a narrow family room with a television in a large entertainment cabinet. We like to watch TV while cooking, but we would also consider putting the TV in the front living room and making this room a reading room. We often have five to eight people over at a time to watch movies, and the room is too small for conversation when we aren't watching TV. Our friends congregate in the nook, kitchen and family room. We don't use the wood stove in the corner and might want to replace the tile to match the tile in the nook.

Linda Winters
Danville

Answer: Your interest in making this family room a gathering space for guests means making some structural changes. Eliminating the stove in the corner opens up space for more seating.

Let's start by removing the stove, the hearth and the tile surrounding it. Add flooring to match the existing floor. Repair the drywall, paint where the tile is removed, and fill the hole in the ceiling and roof where the chimney flue went out. The space and traffic flow you would gain from doing this would be well worth the expense and effort. Hire only a licensed, recommended contractor for the job to ensure that the work is well done and to code.

Now for the fun part -- selecting and arranging furniture and accessories.

Family room makeover Removing the unused stove and adding flexible seating components are the keys to transforming this family room.

Against the long wall place a sectional shelving and storage system. Select three pieces of the same style. Furniture companies are now designing ready-made pieces that give the illusion of a custom system without the expense. In this unit place your flat-screen TV so it can be seen from the kitchen. Put books and personal objects on the shelves for an intimate appearance. Tucked in the corner of the half wall is the sofa. I've selected a sectional style with a matching, movable ottoman to give you room to stretch out for family TV watching. In front of the sofa is a coffee table. Keep the table somewhat small -- a large piece will interfere with traffic flow and restrict space for additional seating. At the side of the sofa is a thin, narrow end table with a lamp placed on it. On the other end of the room are a pair of club chairs that can swivel for more intimate conversation between two people. Between the chairs is an oval end table where guests can set beverages. A console table on the hallway wall faces into the family room. It's open underneath, where a pair of portable sit-upons are stored. They can easily be moved into the family room and placed opposite the sofa when you have guests. Add a mirror over the console table to reflect the room and make this space appear larger, then add a pair of tall table lamps to illuminate the entire area.

A plant that's low to the floor next to the bookcase will soften the feeling of entering this room. Balance it with a taller, large plant at the opposite end. Uplighting below the tall plant will create a dramatic effect at night.

Now for the colors and textures. Start with the 10-by-13-foot area rug. I would select either a Tibetan rug for color and texture or a solid color rug with texture woven into it for interest.

The sofa could be a chenille fabric that picks up the dominant color of the patterned rug. If the rug is a solid color, then choose a different tone of the same color for the sofa. The two club chairs could be made of a slightly textured, patterned fabric. Choose a color that complements the sofa, and if the rug is multicolored, then select the secondary color in it.

The three-unit bookcase should be a warm-toned wood, and the coffee table can be a similar wood color. For interest and contrast, the small end table between the club chairs could be metal, perhaps dark iron or steel.

The two sit-upons that will come into the room on occasion should be a fabric that complements what's already going on in the room, and perhaps be the same fabric as the throw pillow that will go on the sofa.

This arrangement gives you the flexibility you need for socializing and the functionality you need to live comfortably in the room when you don't have guests.

 

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