My Room: We Created a Living Room that Works for Kids and Adults
Before and after photos show how interiors blogger Caroline Rowland created a relaxed space the whole family can enjoy
Amanda Pollard
2 June 2018
Senior Editor at Houzz UK and Ireland. Journalist and editor specialising in interiors and architecture.
Senior Editor at Houzz UK and Ireland. Journalist and editor specialising in interiors... More
In a family living room, it’s often tricky to get the balance right to please everyone. Children need a space to play freely, while adults want a stylish, uncluttered zone for relaxing and socialising.
Interiors blogger Caroline Rowland of Patchwork Harmony reveals how she’s managed to achieve this beautifully in the home she shares with her husband and young daughter.
Interiors blogger Caroline Rowland of Patchwork Harmony reveals how she’s managed to achieve this beautifully in the home she shares with her husband and young daughter.
Room at a Glance
Who lives here Interiors blogger and editor Caroline Rowland of Patchwork Harmony and 91 Magazine, with her husband, Simon, four-year-old daughter, Ruby, and cat, Claude
Location Banstead, Surrey
Property A Victorian semi-detached house with five bedrooms, two bathrooms and a cloakroom
Room dimensions 6.9 x 4m
Looking at the bright, airy living room in the home of interiors writer Caroline Rowland, it’s hard to imagine the dark space that was originally here.
“When we moved in, the living room had a maroon carpet and dark blue walls,” Caroline says. “The colours were sucking the light out of the north-facing room, so one of the first things we did was paint the walls bright white.”
Who lives here Interiors blogger and editor Caroline Rowland of Patchwork Harmony and 91 Magazine, with her husband, Simon, four-year-old daughter, Ruby, and cat, Claude
Location Banstead, Surrey
Property A Victorian semi-detached house with five bedrooms, two bathrooms and a cloakroom
Room dimensions 6.9 x 4m
Looking at the bright, airy living room in the home of interiors writer Caroline Rowland, it’s hard to imagine the dark space that was originally here.
“When we moved in, the living room had a maroon carpet and dark blue walls,” Caroline says. “The colours were sucking the light out of the north-facing room, so one of the first things we did was paint the walls bright white.”
Caroline and her husband, Simon, got to work on painting the walls just two nights after moving day. “It’s a room we spend a lot of time in, so we were keen to make it liveable as soon as possible,” Caroline recalls.
The next job after settling into the space was to replace the carpets. Caroline and Simon purchased this oak parquet and hired a professional to lay them in a beautiful herringbone pattern. “They were untreated and rough,” Caroline says, “so the floor fitter sanded and varnished them.”
Behind the room’s two fireplaces, the walls had been painted a metallic gold. The couple painted these white like the other walls in the space, and also changed the tiles on the hearth, which were maroon with a gold trim.
They replaced the maroon tiles with geometric ones. “They were quite expensive, but as it’s such a small area, we could splash out a little,” Caroline says.
Tiles, Bert & May.
Tiles, Bert & May.
Caroline sourced two new cast-iron radiators that were painted in Farrow & Ball’s Off-Black. “We then decided to paint the fireplace surround in the same shade to match,” she says.
She then hung two large, matching pendant lights, one at the front and one at the back of the space, and added ambient lighting in the form of a lamp in the corner.
Cast-iron radiators, Castrads. Pendant lights, Cox & Cox.
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She then hung two large, matching pendant lights, one at the front and one at the back of the space, and added ambient lighting in the form of a lamp in the corner.
Cast-iron radiators, Castrads. Pendant lights, Cox & Cox.
Find tile suppliers on Houzz
“The room is long and thin, so we didn’t want to clutter it up with two sofas,” says Caroline. “Instead, we went for a sofa and two armchairs.”
The couple also decided to do without a coffee table in favour of smaller pieces. “A coffee table can get in the way when you have a young child, so we opted for a side table and a pouffe, which we can move around,” Caroline explains.
Chair by window, Florrie + Bill. Green velvet chair, Atkin and Thyme.
Shop the look of this airy family room
The couple also decided to do without a coffee table in favour of smaller pieces. “A coffee table can get in the way when you have a young child, so we opted for a side table and a pouffe, which we can move around,” Caroline explains.
Chair by window, Florrie + Bill. Green velvet chair, Atkin and Thyme.
Shop the look of this airy family room
Storage in this area of the living room is provided by these plain pine shelves that Simon put up in the alcove and a couple of simple Ikea picture ledges above the sofa.
At the rear of the double living space, Caroline has created a play area for her daughter. “We didn’t need this area for the dining table, as that’s in the conservatory through the French windows,” she says. “So as Ruby’s bedroom is quite small, this seemed like the perfect place to put her toys.
“It’s nice to be able to have a cup of tea with friends in the living room while all the kids play over here,” she adds.
“It’s nice to be able to have a cup of tea with friends in the living room while all the kids play over here,” she adds.
To help the play area tie in with the rest of the room’s scheme, Caroline chose neutral colours, and the easy-access storage makes tidying up simple.
Play kitchen, John Lewis. Table and stool, Nubie.
Play kitchen, John Lewis. Table and stool, Nubie.
“The cupboard is a classic Ikea piece and fits loads of her bits and bobs, and the baskets are ideal for Lego and other toys,” Caroline says.
PS cabinet, Ikea.
PS cabinet, Ikea.
“This area was originally lacking in light, as the doors lead into a conservatory, rather than directly outside,” Caroline says. The couple put a large mirror on the back wall, which reflects light from the front bay window and really brightens the space.
How to make your rooms feel lighter and brighter
Tell us…
Have you created a play area in your living room? Share your ideas and tips in the Comments section.
How to make your rooms feel lighter and brighter
Tell us…
Have you created a play area in your living room? Share your ideas and tips in the Comments section.
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In the 90s we converted out integral garage into a kids playroom. When you get unexpected visitors, just pull the door closed and no-one can see the mayhem! We used a large sofabed in this room too so that sleepovers were less likely to keep the younger ones awake. The family are all grown up now but this was a great selling point when we sold the house.
Looks beautiful, especially the living room end. Not sure how workable it is on a daily basis. It's interesting how they have created a space for both adults and children. I would have thought most would want the opposite. I found it difficult to completely relax in the evening when the children's toys were so visible (plus they need to be tidied away all the time). I sacrificed my dining room into a playroom when they were young, but happy to have it back now!!