You have such a great start, it should be easy to tweak the space and make it look more polished. Have you thought about painting it tan? (Just kidding!)

I like the idea of trying to re orient the room towards to brick wall. It will give the kids the illusion of more privacy and your brick wall is a nice focal point.

When I am looking for inspiration, I usually browse around to find one thing that I really love. A rug or a painting or decor item and then try to build from there.

I am not sure how they would flow with the adjoining room but signal flags hanging from your beams would look fun. It is easy to get kitschy with nautical but if you sparingly use authentic things I think it will work.

With the gray rug and walls I would suggest a beige couch and love seat with perhaps some sort of pattern so it won't show wear and dirt as easily. A chair could have navy and beige stripes, and you could have pillows on the couch and love seat in navy in solids and patterns for a nautical theme.

Thank you, Ingrid! Would you keep furniture placement the same?

And d, those flags are do fun! It's cool seeing the potential in a room so similar yet such a different look than what I currently have.

Here is an inspiration pic and coincidentally it corresponds nicely with Ingrid's suggestions:

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Since your walls are light gray and your carpet is a darker gray I would stay far away from any thing in the yellow family, including Browns and beiges. (Love the inspiration picture but the walls and flooring are both beige, not gray.) I like the idea of white slipcovered because they can be washed, but also dislike the idea because I would have been washing them all the time for my kids at that age!

How about slipcovers in a blue ticking stripe? That's a timeless fabric that's durable, washable, and would look good with your brick wall and existing fixed elements. I like the signal flag idea and would incorporate graphic or solid pillows in white, yellow and red (not more signal flags, that would be too much!). Repositioning the tv to your brick wall might work better for the flow of the room but would cover some of the room's best feature. I would probably try it to see how it looks, though, since you wouldn't actually be mounting the tv there permanently. I would make sure you have enough electrical access there for all the things that need it (tv, game console, cable box, etc), as nothing ruins a nice room as much as exposed wires.

While it looks a little crowded in there with respect to furniture, I understand your prime objective is to accommodate many kids and their friends, so probably the only thing I would change is to replace the chaise with a chair and ottoman. The ottoman can function as a separate seat or landing place/ table for a tray.

Finally, I would find some large great-looking vintage style sailing posters from a place like art.com and have them dry mounted on top of a wood box frame with black painted edges (no glass) and hang a couple----one on your brick wall, one between the two smaller windows. It ties into the signal flags, and you're done. Great room, btw, and I applaud you for having such a comfortable kid space! We had something similar, when our kids were younger, and they loved having their own living room. I loved being able to see them :-)

What a wonderful room for the kids! I love the ceiling and Windows with no coverings!

What does the small door by the double doors go? Could you incorporate it into the double doors- which I presume is a closet?

Love the idea of the ticking slip covers.

Could you move your furniture facing brick wall to get an idea of how it works in your room if you move the tv there?

You could even get an outdoor sisal like rug to anchor the seating area, that you wouldn't feel bad about trashing when the kid, if anything like mine......will eventually destroy!!

I like going with the nautical feel to the room but if it is a rec room why not add a game table to it as well? Especially if you have tweens.

Love the ticking stripe slip covers. Another option would be denim slip covers. Durable and they go with everything.

Yes! You are all awesome for such great ideas!

KSW - it's like you've stalked my Pinterest page and found all my favorite elements. LOVE the sail cloth pillows. Where did you find those!? Also, the ticking stripe sofa is fantastic.

I am taking a ride to Ikea tomorrow (it's about 45 minutes from my house) to try the Ertorp sofas. I know a site that makes custom slipcovers specifically for these sofas for under $150. I could easily have them made in the ticking stripe, then add the sailcloth pillows. Anyone have experience with the Ektorp that can speak to their durability? I've read mixed reviews.

I'm also thinking instead of re-arranging towards the brick wall (which I'll try arranging tomorrow to see how to looks feels) it might be nice to have a designated snack area to keep food off those pristine slipcovered sofas! What about taking a square or round pub table like this one (will try to source something cheaper at World Market or Pier 1) and pushing it up against the brick wall, with a nice sail print hung on the wall (like the one ksw found) then using sisal rug underneath (a smaller version of the one I could put under the sofa area) like peppapoodle suggested.

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OK - that was definitely the wrong photo attached :) here is what I intended to attach!

Will the kids actually sit at the table to eat or just revert to eating on the sofa/chairs? I like the idea of a games table - personally I find the bar/counter height setups uncomfortable.

To me, the room needs to be lightened up, so I love the ideas of ticking stripe, nautical prints, etc.

The natural jute or seagrass rugs will not look as good on carpet and may permanently discolor the carpet. Plus, it is just another edge for kids to trip on, so I personally would not layer flooring in that room just for looks. Reluctantly agree with above poster who speculated that bar table, while cute, would end up as a horizontal surface only (read: repository for anything you need to put down) and not as an eating area. I would maybe get a bigger ottoman than the chair (if you replace the chaise) would need, and get a nice big melamine tray with sides and a handle for the top for their food. (If you decide you want to try a table I wouldn't try a round one if it is going up against a wall for obvious space considerations, and I would get a regular height one, not the pub height...... think kids horsing around and falling off those high stools, their center of gravity is pretty high.)

I bought a bolt of green and white mattress ticking fabric online years ago and had slipcovers made for two sofas. The slips outlasted the sofas! The navy and white (more in real life like navy and off white) is very durable if the fabric is cotton twill and woven, not simply printed on the surface. If you google signal flag pillows (images) you'll see an embarrassment of riches. If you go the signal pillow route you can always just do solid color pennants on the rafters. There are etsy shops that will make them to order in the colors you desire or you might find them already made. I have to say though that I really like the flags on rafters picture posted above!

Rebecca, I've had the Ektorp sofas for years and love them, although mine don't get a lot of wear and tear due to their location. Do you mind sharing your slipcover source? I love all of the ideas presented above. You have a lovely home!

I'd move the LR sofas to thus room. They'll be indestructible and they aren't reall suited to your LR. With the young using it a lot, I'd make it a "no police" room that will be gutted when they leave home! Put some framed posters on the walls. A coffee table must be indistructable as feet will be in n it. Perhaps a big ottoman instead.

Thanks Anglophilia! So you mean relocate the leather sectional from my living room into that space? I'm not sure i'll love the chocolate leather with grey walls and grey rug. But you're right, leather is certainly indestructible!

Elizabeth, here are the two I've come across that offer custom made slipcovers for the Ektorp:

Comfort Works

Bemz

How often do you launder the covers - are the white? How much of a PITA is it to get them back on and looking nice after you wash them? I've heard it takes a fair amount of stretching and steaming. Someone said to dry them to 80% them put them back on slightly damp while the fabric still has some give to it.