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 For families, who have a small house, minimalism
may be key. One mom, Kaylyn Paduga, has worked to make her house
functional but also cute and homey. Paduga set up the living room to
meet the needs of the whole family.
A day bed in the living room functions as their primary couch. It is
easy for the children to climb on and adults to sit on to relax and
watch a movie. When guests are over, guests can sleep on the day
bed. Plus, it is more affordable than a full-sized couch.
For practicality, Paduga redid the legs on a coffee table, then
added twine on top for a unique design. Since the table sits low,
Paduga’s daughter can use it to do activities. When editing videos
and doing other work, Paduga can sit on a cushion and use the table
for a workspace. A side table adds more personality to the room.
To hold blankets, Paduga puts baskets in the corner. A basket near
the door holds the shoes the family wears most often. Storage
baskets on bookshelves hold the children’s toys including blocks and
games.
A rocker provides a comfortable spot for Paduga to care for the
newborn son she will be having soon. Paduga says by buying the
rocker second hand, she saved quite a bit of money. A rug thrown on
top of the rocker will protect it.
An ottoman provides somewhere for Paduga to rest her feet and can
serve as additional seating when guests are over.
Houseplants brighten up the space.
White curtains behind the blinds make a room cozier. These curtains
let light in while at the same time providing privacy.
To see a Minimalist living room that suits the needs of the whole
family go to:
Small
Minimalist Living Room Tour -Minimalism with Kids!
Families who run a business from their home will often need
multipurpose living spaces that suit the whole family.
For a family of four who run a day care in the home, the living room
serves as a living space, play space and home office without being
overwhelming or cluttered.
Besides serving as a day care, the living area provides a space for
the children to play with toys, watch movies and play games.
Serra of Work Life Glue shares tips for creating the various spaces.
As Serra set up the room, she kept both functionality and aesthetic
value in mind. She considered what would look nice for an adult and
function well for the whole family. The room has many whites and
neutral colors with touches of whimsy mixed in.
Serra’s first tip for setting up the room is to define each space.
She says you should not make each area feel like a different room,
but there are ways to maximize and define each one.
The living area contains the couch, coffee table, two chairs and a
TV. Here is where the family can play games or hang out on the couch
and watch TV. A big rug anchors the area and the couch sections it
off.
Behind the couch is a well disguised play space. Bins in the sofa
table filled with toys make it easy for the kids to play back there
and clean it up. A neutral white toy box holds bigger toys.
The office space is defined by the desk. Blue storage containers and
a white desk tie in with the rest of the room.
Computer space in one corner helps Serra with the daycare business,
YouTube business and basic paperwork besides holding office
supplies.
Serra’s second tip for maximizing living space but not making it
feel like it is used for various functions is to integrate
functional pieces that don’t necessarily look like functional
pieces.
For example, their white sofa table matches the rest of the room.
You don’t even notice the table, but it is really functional. There
are neutral wicker baskets, and you would never know they hold toys
unless you look inside.
In the office area, Serra took a lateral file cabinet from Goodwill
and painted it navy blue with coats of poly on top. She added L
brackets to the corners and worked to make the veneer look brassy.
The cabinet holds all their files and the kids do not go near it.
Serra has tried to make office items like a sorter next to the desk
neutral, so they blend in with everything. Using white file holder
and a brown cube sorter with blue bin helps this area be more
cohesive with the family living space.
Serra’s third tip for making a living room serve multiple purposes
is to be creative with storage. By putting kid’s toys and related
items in bins behind the sofa, they cannot be seen. A train board
slides under the sofa when not in use.
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 A closet holds office supplies and movies. If you
don’t have a closet, Serra says to think of ways to repurpose other
areas of the house. For example, an armoire can hide office
supplies.
Serra’s fourth tip is to keep a limited number of extra things in
the room, so it doesn’t feel cluttered and isn’t hard to reset. The
sofa tabletop is empty, so kids do not knock items over. That makes
the living space and picture gallery a focal point in the room.
Serra’s fifth tip is to make the room feel like
you. Her family loves pops of color and these can be found in prints
on the wall. Serra says to find things that make your heart happy
and incorporate them into the room.
See a multipurpose living room with living space, play space and
home office at
Tips for a
Functional Multipurpose Living Room | COLLAB
Even if you are not using your living area for office space and
daycare, for families who do not have a separate family room or rec
room, the living room still plays many roles.
For one family of seven, a sectional couch serves well. A lamp next
to it provides lighting.
A shelf on the right side of the fireplace provides a place for
their videos, books and toys. She changes out the toys each week and
keeps the top of the shelf as clear as possible.
An entertainment center over the fireplace holds the children’s
school computer, earphones and a DVD player.
The shelf on the left side of the fireplace holds a Ukelele,
yearbooks, albums and storage boxes with pictures and sheet music.
A piano and guitar are against another wall and recorders are in the
piano bench. Since the family home schools, she likes the kids to
have access to instruments.
This room provides a place for the whole family as they home school,
watch movies, play games and just spend time together.
By not having a lot of stuff in the living room, it is easy to clean
up.
Minimalism
With A Large Family: Living Room
In homes where the living room is where the kids spend the most
time, the room can get cluttered.
The Soong family had many books, toys and art supplies and it was
unorganized and messy.
Besides being a room where the kids play, it is also a room where
the Soongs spend time with their friends.
The Soongs worked to make the room a space where the kids could
play, learn and build.
Child-sized chairs and table provide space for the kids. Storage
bins and bookshelves they built help keep items off the floor.
Pam, the mother, said their experience is relatable as many families
come to a point where they feel their house is a little out of
control. Though clearing out the room seemed like a burden, Pam
found it important to get rid of stuff, she then realized it was
quite doable.
The kids know where everything goes. Alan, the father, said it is
not just about decorating, but how to solve a problem and every room
is a problem to solve.
Once the room had been overhauled, Pam says it is “fantastic” to be
in the room. For both the kids and the parents, it has become a
great living space.
See the Kid friendly living room at
Kid-Friendly
Living Room Ideas - IKEA Home Tour (Episode 307)
Many families like these have found ways to make living spaces that
work well at meeting the needs of both the kids and adults.
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