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June-08-2011

With Fathers' Day approaching, please allow me to extend greetings to all of the fathers out there. Happily, I can also pay tribute to my own wonderful father. My husband describes him as "the single nicest man on the planet". He is kind and loving, was a wonderful husband and is a treasured father, grandfather and great grandfather. I still have the best discussions with him. We can talk about almost anything. Hopefully, you too can extend warm greetings to the fathers and grandfathers in your lives when June 19th arrives.

Outside of the kitchen, the family room may be the most important room in the house. Not only does this space provide a cozy retreat for the family who lives there, it is also the place where many entertain friends and relatives. This was certainly the case for Abby and Neil and, of course, their wonderful son Henry. Since Henry's job is to be very inquisitive, we needed to create a soft safe environment that would work for adults and children alike.

This room was loaded with windows and had a soaring two story ceiling. Our goal was to warm up the walls, provide interest and privacy to the windows and create a better seating arrangement. Neil and Abby had a wonderful sectional and a lovely patterned chair which gave us our color palette.

The most dramatic change was created by the horizontal stripes on the window treatments. By placing the rod above the windows and constructing panels to the floor, the windows seemed even taller and were framed—not covered. Woven woods were added for privacy and sun screening when needed. The texture of these blinds gave the room even more warmth.

We also wanted this family to be able to enjoy the fireplace and the TV without the two competing. The cozy chair and ottoman immediately became a favorite spot to enjoy the warmth of the fireplace in the winter and a place to put their feet up and watch a movie all year long. The patterned chair became a place for extra seating for company.

To feature the high fireplace wall, we added a series of six prints and beautiful blue vases. The wall behind the sofa became a gallery for family photos. I believe that a family room should surround you with the memories that make you smile as well as be a room where new memories are created and shared. It is where a family feels right at home.

Design by: Skyavis Designs