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“W hen designing a room that serves multiple
purposes, you need to dedicate space for each
function,” says Elaine, who shaped the living room
into three different “zones.”
The puffy sectional sofa once lining the walls
was banished in favor of a U-shape arrangement
centered on the fireplace. It's good for quiet time,
but it steps up w hen their four sons—Colin, Alex,
Ryan, and Charlie, ages
9
-
15
—play video games on
the flat-panel TV. “W e added a lot of furniture,”
says Elaine, “but its placement has the result of
actually making the room look bigger.”
A cozy chair anchors the reading zone when
Kathy wants to settle in w ith a page-turner.
The third zone is all about homework. A pair of
modern metal tables on the room’s short wall
provides a generous w ork surface. Each table has
a laptop, a handsome desk light, and a pair of
acrylic chairs. The see-through effect gives a
grown-up look to the space. “It works for the kids,
but at the end of the day, this is still a room where
you entertain company,” says Elaine.
COLOR Elaine believes walls
should contrast with flooring,
so she chose a vivid green
color to balance the pale
spotted rug.
SOFAS The two sofas look
identical, but one is actually
a 79-inch “apartment” size
(10 inches shorter than the
regular) for better traffic
flow. Manchester sofas,
ballarddesigns.com
5 8
FEBRUARY 2010
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
