The birch plywood lined family room with secret sliding screen leading to the west facing guest bedrooms. The pop down writing shelf is visible to the left of the Rias stove. Ros Kavanagh, photographer

My clients are parents of 4 children under the age of 5 - they requested that their living room be functional, practical and of course look good! They wanted to maximize seating in the room but also did not want the room to feel cluttered. The main seating area includes a matching sofa and love seat along with a large comfortable chair. Both sofas are upholstered in a faux leather, which has proven to be very durable and cleanable. We agreed that two small ottomans were a good alternative to a large coffee table, so that they too could be used for extra seating and/or moved out of the way so her children could play games on the carpet. The ottomans are also upholstered in the faux leather to protect them from staining. A small shelf below the upholstered ottoman top is great for displaying books or other small decorative items. The large rug is a shag! I had this made by Barry Carpet on Pico Blvd. It is both stain resistant and adds to this warm and inviting living room. I suggested a storage bench on the far wall with a cushion atop of it to create an additional seating area. She knew she wanted blues, browns and tans for the color palette so we first selected the sofa fabric and I found this fabulous Clark & Clarke floral fabric at Durelee for the large chair. I always love a wow factor in each room and this chair is definitely just that! We pulled the colors together with the blue upholstered ottomans, bench cushion and coordinating, colorful stripe and floral pillows. The Ghost chairs on the sides of the fire place not only fill in the space around the fire place but also serve as additional seating. I tried to create a focal point on the fireplace with the round silver mirror, white coral, pair of floral vases and the plant of course. Another interesting feature in the room are the custom made two tone angled book cases. Not only do they look great, but they are both unique and functional as well. We chose shutters for the window treatments because we wanted the room to feel light and airy. The walls were painted blue to match the furniture. Art work, the small accessories all over the room, along with fresh flowers were the final touches. My client was thrilled with the results - it met her expectations that the room be a warm, cheery, inviting space for both her family to play and entertain. She once told me that she smiles every time she walks downstairs and sees the bench with the beautiful blue floral bench cushion. An expectation of mine that I have fulfilled as a designer.

Transitional living room with a bold blue sectional and a black and white bold rug. Modern swivel chairs give this otherwise traditional room a modern feel. Black wall was painted in Tricorn Black by Sherwin Williams to hide the TV from standing out. Library Lights give this room a traditional feel with cabinets with beautiful molding.

The large open room was divided into specific usage areas using furniture, a custom made floating media center and a custom carpet tile design. The basement remodel was designed and built by Meadowlark Design Build in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Photography by Sean Carter

Global style design with a French influence. The Furnishings are drawn from a wide range of cultural influences, from hand-loomed Tibetan silk rugs to English leather window banquette, and comfortable velvet sofas, to custom millwork. Modern technology complements the entire’s home charm. This room is an office/ guest bedroom/projection room. The projector screen recesses in the ceiling.- Drapes adds privacy when needed for overnight guests - The millwork hosts closet and other storage needs. The office millwork custom desk integrates a large printer. Photo credit: Francis Augustine

Photography by J.P. Chen, Phoenix Media

Gene Pollux | Pollux Photography

JG Development, Inc. Hal Kearney, Photographer

Chesterfield chairs by Century Furniture company are tufted in Scottish herringbone wool.

Denis Svartz

LB Interior Photography Architectural and Interior photographer based in London. Available throughout all the UK and abroad for special projects.

Eclectic family room in Brentwood Tennessee by Interior Designer Howard Wiggins of Howard Wiggins Interior Design in Nashville Tennessee.