Family room guide

Fun, relaxing, stress relieving and enjoyable: these attitudes guide creation of beloved family room memories. In the past 50 years the family room has grown in size compared to the living room. Often located on the basement level or at the back of the house, the family room has become second only to the kitchen as the hub of household activity. It may utilize components of earlier cousins, such as rumpus and rec rooms, to provide areas to play games, assemble puzzles, exercise, dance, or socialize.

Multi-purpose functions and flexibility are key guides to creating the space that suits your family's needs. Making time to plan family room use will reward everyone with more fulfilling family time.

Careful selection of seating, storage and task components allows you to control the family room to serve your activities. Look for dual function pieces to pack more into your family room space. Choosing materials that are easily cleaned and providing enough storage for your regular activities to keep clean up time manageable will maintain the family room as a relaxing area for everyone. Selecting sound absorbing materials will reduce noise interference in other areas of the house.

The family room capitalizes on electronic technology and media to give family members a gathering place to enjoy watching television or favorite videos or DVDs, listening to music, and playing video games. A basement family room with minimal windows can become a media center unhindered by changing sunlight patterns.

Mirrors or murals along one wall can extend the spacious feel of even small family rooms. Old rundown furniture can be revived and tied to new additions by selecting a distinctive color to repaint or recover individual pieces.