5 clever ways to get creative with family living

The living room is often the hub of the modern home - the space where everyone gravitates towards to relax, watch TV or play. If it’s an open-plan room, it might also be where you cook and eat, too. So how can you make this multi-functional space look stylish and chic while being practical at the same time?

Curate a mix of furniture, from cupboards to conceal, drawers to contain smaller items and open shelving to display what’s important to you. Make games and toys accessible on lower shelves, while storage boxes, baskets and tubs can turn a chaotic shelving unit into a well-organised one. Large toy baskets are ideal for quick tidy-up sessions once the kids go to bed. 

Look at how your family uses the space and consider how you can make it work harder. If there are bags and coats thrown on chairs, consider fitting handy hooks at reachable heights and it's a good idea to give everyone their own cupboard or drawer. 

Soften up wooden floors with bright rugs to create areas for play and add throws to protect your sofa from spilled drinks while adding colour and pattern. If your dining table always seems to be buried under homework or colouring books, keep smaller bits such as pen pots on trays which can be easily moved out of the way come dinnertime. 

Open-plan family spaces need careful planning as they combine four or five rooms in one – TV room, home office, dining room, playroom and kitchen. Start with the things you can’t change, such as where your kitchen is, or bifold doors that lead onto the garden, then see if you can rework your existing space by thinking differently.

If your L-shaped sofa is pushed into a corner, would it work better brought into the middle of the room, giving you more wall area for storage while helping to ‘zone’ the space? Consider if your space works in a practical way – is the dining table next to the kitchen area, or do you have to walk past the sofa to eat? Are there corners or nooks for reading, with good lighting and a comfy chair or bean bag paired with a side table? Adding flexible storage, such as a nest of tables will also help to create mini breakout zones.

A family living room should be fun with a sense of energy and reflect the personalities of all who use it. A gallery wall is a great way to capture memories – a mixture of black and white framed pictures helps keep the look cohesive. 

While this is a busy room, don’t be tempted to hide everything away – this is your family's space too and if Monday to Friday it's an office and playroom, then accept there are some things that will annoy you, but they won't be cluttering up your dream room forever.

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