Before & After: Form and Function in The Family Room
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In the past, the family room has been accurately described as the hub of the home and now, it’s become an even more integral part of our day-to-day life. Our family rooms have always been the place where we spend lazy Sundays lounging in silk pyjamas, while sipping our café au lait. Other times, they have served as the ‘venue’ for a chic après soirée, complete with late-night cocktails and barefoot dancing, our Jimmy Choos strewn about. Now however, they also serve as our conference room, our childrens’ class room and in some cases, our personal gym. For that reason, it’s all the more important and worthwhile to renovate and redecorate so that your family room can cater to our new way of life… but in style. It’s all about achieving that careful balance of form and function so that your family room shows off your personal aesthetic, while still being practical.
With an influx of family-room renos in the past year, we have come to a few conclusions. First, it isn’t always necessary to buy everything new. You can reupholster pieces or repurpose them. Second, if you are buying new pieces, more often than not, less is more if you find the right items with both form and function in mind. With that said, we wanted to share the before and after photos of three recent projects. Each example is a beautiful reflection of our clients’ personal tastes and their lifestyles.
Part of a larger main floor renovation, in which the floors were replaced with a stunning engineered hardwood, this client wanted to redecorate their family room. The mission was to give the space a chic update, while maintaining a comfortable and relaxed vibe. We started with the two deco-inspired swivel chairs in an eye-catching rust velvet to give the space a current look, while still offering a comfortable place to lounge. Then, we simplified things by going from two medium sized sofas down to one larger sofa. Upholstered in an oatmeal-coloured linen, the sofa is simultaneously luxe and relaxed, accessorized with rust pillows to pull it all together. Meanwhile, the distressed-leather tufted ottoman serves as both a coffee table and a comfortable place to prop up one’s feet. The end result was a space that could comfortably accommodate the entire family during down time, while still looking put-together enough to be the backdrop for a zoom call.
This stylish young couple had inherited some furniture from family members for their Leaside home. The pieces were not entirely in keeping with their style but they were of excellent quality so we decided to up-cycle them by reupholstering them with a combination of gorgeous new textiles. The result was a stunning combination of textures, patterns and colours; a clear reflection of the young mother’s personal style. Though sophisticated in its finishes, the room is still comfortable enough for the day-to-day of a growing family.
This clients’ family room reinvention was ‘Hollywood Glam’ inspired with its bold prints and colours. Through discussions with our client, we discovered that she absolutely loves the colour teal so when we found this fabulous sectional at Elte, we knew it would be the perfect statement piece to make the room. Instead of an ottoman, we selected a gold-toned marble coffee table. Alongside it, we placed an elegant side table and mustard ottoman of different heights for visual interest, contrast and added glamour. A graphic area rug from Stark was used to define the space and to include some unexpected pattern. Last, the stunning artwork above the sectional was repurposed from another room to tie it all together.
