The family house is a concept near and dear to my heart. A place where families can live their lives in comfort and style and where a little chaotic mess just adds to the…ahem…layers. Seriously though, there’s no point in decorating a space with such a strict colour scheme or look that no ‘real life’ stuff looks good in the room. For me, a good family house is one with spaces for entertaining, nooks to read bedtime stories together, a yard to garden and play ball in and a kitchen with enough counter space to crowd together and fight over cookie-batter-beaters.
This kind of house appears too seldom in magazines (although I think H&H shows lots!), so when I come across one I take note. Here’s one I loved from a staffer over at Martha Stewart Living. It’s a perfect mix of chic loft and real life. It’s loose and fun, don’t you think?
If you’re as inspired as me by this family home, why not add some of its signature style to your own place from some of our favourite affordable sources?
Doesn’t this child-friendly slip-covered sofa from Ikea fit the bill? $600! Love it!!
Pair the sofa with some caramel-coloured leather chairs from West Elm to shake up the look. The Martha Stewart home marries pretty blue and white patterns with natural elements and you can too! Chair, $700 USD.
If you don’t want to do a patterned sofa, you could always go for this reasonably priced blue and white wallpaper from Thibaut Wallpaper & Fabrics instead. Or try it in your bathroom and get the look of our inspiration room’s punchy shower curtain.
This storage cube from West Elm is adorable and can hide all those toys and craft supplies while acting as a coffee table (in a pair) or extra seating. Cube, $99 USD.
Crate & Barrel is my new best friend for bringing back the bentwood café chair in black at an affordable price. No, these weren’t in the inspiration home, but they could easily live there. Plus I just love them! And if you checked out the price tag on the bentwood chairs in our Trends issue, you’d love these cheapies too! Chair, $119 USD.
Okay I know it’s terribly out of style to like white stoves, but I do! Hate me if you want to, but stainless steel is not the only way to go. Look how cute the inspiration kitchen is with all that white. And the retro gas cooker is the star! Why not reconsider white like this guy from Sears? Maybe you’ll be the one laughing when people get tired of stainless…Gas Range, $700.
Finally, brighten things up with this cheerful red casserole. When we're shooting, we always use this type of thing to prop with when shooting a kitchen, and trust me, this one is waaaaaay cheaper than most! Casserole, $83, Sears.
For more family-friendly design, see our Kids Rooms gallery.
Photo credits:
1-5. Marthastewart.com
6. Ektorp sofa, Ikea
7. Tulip leather chair, West Elm
8. Julian wallpaper, Thibaut Wallpaper & Fabrics
9. Storage Cube, West Elm
10. Vienna Side Chair, Crate & Barrel
11. Frigidaire Gas Range, Sears
12. Oval Casserole, Sears
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