A Fresh, Fun Family Room With a Special Space for the Kids
Bunny-ear chairs, kid-height shelves and soft corners make this space inviting for the whole family
Before. The room had ceramic wood-look tile that the homeowners didn’t care for. “They found it so cold that they didn’t enjoy being in the space,” Martin says. The husband stashed his collection of bicycles here, which created clutter that interfered with the room’s main purposes: relaxing, reading, watching TV and playing.
After. Previously, the mudroom opened straight into the family room with no separation. To visually divide the spaces, the designers added a cased opening and a new wall to the right of it.
“They really wanted a space targeted toward their children,” says designer Kathryn Henry of Croma Design. To that end, the team found a kid-size table and chairs with backs that look like they have bunny ears. The chair maker also sells stickers that make the chair backs look like faces.
The designers installed low shelves to store toys and books at a height that children could reach. The black piece of furniture on the left side of this photo is a credenza that holds the TV. The family uses its many drawers to store CDs and books.
Picture ledges: Ikea; credenza: Lap Long and Low, Blu Dot
“They really wanted a space targeted toward their children,” says designer Kathryn Henry of Croma Design. To that end, the team found a kid-size table and chairs with backs that look like they have bunny ears. The chair maker also sells stickers that make the chair backs look like faces.
The designers installed low shelves to store toys and books at a height that children could reach. The black piece of furniture on the left side of this photo is a credenza that holds the TV. The family uses its many drawers to store CDs and books.
Picture ledges: Ikea; credenza: Lap Long and Low, Blu Dot
The back wall in the children’s zone has punchy black plus-sign decals and more shelving. Baskets beneath the shelves are used to hide toys.
Table and chairs: Ouef Play 2 chairs and Play table from ella+elliot; wall decals: WallsNeedLove; shelving on decal wall: RH
Table and chairs: Ouef Play 2 chairs and Play table from ella+elliot; wall decals: WallsNeedLove; shelving on decal wall: RH
Across the room the plus signs repeat, creating a backdrop for furniture with curved edges selected to work with little ones. Even the lamp is rather sturdy. “That’s the sort of lamp you can bang around and move around and not really worry about it,” Martin says.
To give the design staying power, the designers kept the sofa and TV stand neutral and introduced color via the two pink ottomans that function as a coffee table. If the homeowners wish to change their accent color in the future, they can re-cover or replace the ottomans and toss pillows.
The art to the right of the sofa is a cycling poster that the homeowners already had. Before the renovation, the wall it hangs on was a door that opened into the furnace room. Croma built a wall there and relocated the door around the corner to make way for the sectional, which otherwise couldn’t have been tucked into that corner, because it would have blocked the door.
Lamp: Ikea; throw pillows and blanket: CB2; find pillows and throws
To give the design staying power, the designers kept the sofa and TV stand neutral and introduced color via the two pink ottomans that function as a coffee table. If the homeowners wish to change their accent color in the future, they can re-cover or replace the ottomans and toss pillows.
The art to the right of the sofa is a cycling poster that the homeowners already had. Before the renovation, the wall it hangs on was a door that opened into the furnace room. Croma built a wall there and relocated the door around the corner to make way for the sectional, which otherwise couldn’t have been tucked into that corner, because it would have blocked the door.
Lamp: Ikea; throw pillows and blanket: CB2; find pillows and throws
The basement leads to a mudroom, as mentioned, and an entry beyond, where the family typically enters the house. The designers improved the room by adding the bench seat, which flips up for storage. They also added beadboard to the wall. “We put that in to give it a little more of a heritage feel,” Martin says. The flooring is unchanged.
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Family Room at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with a child and another on the way
Location: Rosedale neighborhood of Toronto
Size: 175 square feet (16 square meters)
Designer: Croma Design
The owners of this home wanted their finished basement to be a space where the whole family could relax, and they wanted it to have furniture that was both adult size and kid size. “The main idea was to keep it fresh and light and fun,” says Ryan Martin, principal designer at Croma Design, “and to inject the fun in such a way that it wouldn’t date quickly.”
Sofa: Petrie two-piece sectional, Crate & Barrel; poufs: Bumper small ottoman and Bumper large ottoman, Blu Dot; find round ottomans