Take inspiration from these living areas, which are set up
to accommodate families while providing a relaxed, comfortable spot for
everyone to spend time in.
Relax
and entertain in comfort.
With a place for everything, this family’s gathering space is orderly,
enjoyable and equally suited for play and relaxation. Functional
furniture does double duty in the seating area, creating a comfy space to relax
while also stashing throws and pillows.
Install
some built-in beauties.
Create a one-stop activity center that everyone in the
family can enjoy. Built-in cabinets are filled with toys, crafts and family games. Labels
clearly announce what is located where, making the storage compartment super
kid-friendly.
Think
about kid-oriented storage.
A lidless canvas tote with rope handles makes it easy for
kids to spot exactly what they’re looking for—and put it away at the end of playtime.
Invest
in functional furniture.
Bring storage to your living room with furniture that pulls double duty. A sofa-hugging console table provides a landing zone for
work-related items and open space beneath to stow baskets.
Create
a clever catchall.
A serving tray is repurposed as a catchall for daily mail and pocket
contents, such as keys and reading glasses. Stocked with a crock of pencils and
a notepad, the area also functions as a communication center.
Be
strategic about storage.
Custom millwork with column details lends the look of
furniture to the media center. Doors and drawers conceal gaming equipment when
not in use, while baskets above fill space and store infrequently used items.
Create
a media station.
The media center can quietly blend in or function with ease
when it’s
time for a movie night or gaming competition. Small bins and boxes categorize
DVDs, video games and CDs. Adhesive labels on each drawer make searching a
snap.
Blend your living and dining rooms.
Smart space-planning and efficient storage turn a cluttered
living and dining room into a stylish family hangout. This L-shape multiuse room
boasts well-defined zones to help it live large and span the space between the
two rooms.
Make
it a seamless transition.
A transition space between the dining room and family room is the
ideal spot for a compact home office. A long table with a rolling cart provides an
attractive work surface, and wall-mount shelves organize the clutter of papers
and supplies.
Organize
your home office.
Go vertical when floor space is at a premium. Hang
wall-mount shelves above tables and seating to create a home-office bookcase.
Here, decorative boxes and magazine holders offer stylish storage.
Open
up your kitchen design.
This eating area links the living room and kitchen. Stacked stock cabinets create custom-look
built-ins for corralling extra place settings, dishes and barware.
Use
a stylish sideboard to divide areas.
A storage-packed sideboard behind the sofa divides the
entry area and living room. The piece mixes drawers and a large cubby to
offer stowaway space for games, toys and crafts supplies that is easy for small children to
access.
Stash
games in a drawer.
Games and puzzles can quickly be stashed out of sight in a
family room. A media-cabinet drawer discreetly corrals tiny, easy-to-lose game
pieces. Score cards and notepads are organized in a small box.
Create
a stylish drop zone.
Stash on-the-go gear in one efficient, easy-access spot.
Beyond the living area, a modular bench-cubby combination streamlines storage.
Coordinating rattan bins—labeled with hanging tags and filled with outdoor
accessories—boost
the bench’s
function.
Create
a charging station.
Fashion a charging station in your home’s entry area to keep accessories
charged and easy to find. These personalized docking stations—labeled to prevent mix-ups—ensure organization for each
family member’s
devices.
Think
about who needs access to storage.
Smart, integrated storage is essential to organizing the
center of family togetherness. Because living rooms are prone to clutter, floor-to-ceiling cabinets satisfy
both parents and kids by combining decorative display and practical storage
along one wall. Shelves at kid height are scaled to hold baskets where toys can
be stowed.
Show
off with a personalized art gallery.
Custom built-ins featuring open, adjustable shelving offer
ample possibilities for showing off treasured photos, collections and mementos. Bright,
prominent artwork elevates bare shelves to inviting displays.
Make
a secret stowaway for pillows and throws.
By planning living room storage with family needs and growing kids in mind, you can
achieve function without sacrificing good looks. Every inch of wall space is
used, including the three drawers under the window seat, where blankets, throws and pillows are kept at the
ready for family movie nights.
Baskets
hide clutter with style.
Tall baskets with handles are perfect for a quick toy
cleanup, and they’re a good-looking solution for containing the clutter that
comes with family life. As children grow, the baskets can be used for whisking
away magazines and other reading materials.
Establish
zones with furniture.
In a large, open living room, it’s important to define each zone. Strategic furniture
placement creates conversation areas that draw the room together. An oversize
antique cabinet serves as a partial divider between the sitting and dining
areas.
Create
a home office or school desk.
A built-in home office just beyond the sitting area faces away from distractions,
making it perfect for doing homework. The dining table can easily transform into extended work space
for group projects.
Eliminate
clutter with office organization.
Plentiful storage space frees the office area
from paper pileups. A drawer equipped with hanging folders keeps school
documents, medical records and other pertinent
family information on hand.