Living Rooms
March 17, 2016
10 Family-Friendly Living Rooms You’ll Want To Hang Out In
Living rooms are undeniably a hub of the home but often present a conundrum: How do you make them comfy enough for family movie nights but also suitable for entertaining guests? There is a way! The trick to letting living rooms do double duty is striking a balance between playful and serious, while toning down more formal pieces with color and laid-back styling. Culled from our archives, here is some inspiration for striking that balance between cozy and comfortable, without sacrificing style.
Hardworking floors, big comfy sofas and movable coffee tables are all key components to a family-friendly living room. The punches of bold color scattered throughout brighten up the dark furniture and windows, too.
While the shape of the couch is fairly mod, its color is fresh and funky. The pops of pink are not only youthful and vivid but the bold rug layered on top of herringbone flooring takes the formality down.
Floor pillows bring approachable and flexible seating to an otherwise formal mid-century inspired place. The baby blue sheepskin rug helps tone down any lingering formal atmosphere, too!
H&H editor in chief Suzanne Dimma’s living room is youthful thanks to low-hanging art and the omission of floor-to-ceiling drapes.
Durable concrete floors mean kids (and parents!) can create a mess without worrying about damaging precious flooring. The sliding glass wall with its dark frames allows for a graphic punch.
This extra-deep wrap-around sofa makes movie nights all the more comfortable. The playful mix of patterns and abundance of cushions means it can be mussed up or moved around without looking undone.
This Muskoka cottage living room is all about easy breezy waterfront living. The muted color palette and weathered surfaces combine to create an inviting and relaxing space — perfect for crashing after a day at the beach.
Proving white doesn’t mean stark, the living room of artist Bobbie Burgers draws on artistic accents to liven up the room. The patterned rug clearly lends itself well to playtime, yet if you replace the toys with a coffee table it’s ready for cocktail hour.
The chaise and chair in this kid-friendly space are playful and also good camouflage for rogue markers or paintbrushes. Instead of hiding toys away, the wall of bookshelves lets them take center stage and adds some visual interest to the white walls.
See inside the rest of this home here.
Inspired by eclectic British decor, this living room keeps things light with an array of bohemian textiles and patterns and an artfully cluttered mantel featuring art and knickknacks in unexpected places.