Room of the Day: New Family Room Goes Big and Bold
This addition to a 1920s Connecticut home features beautiful built-ins, graphic color, layers of pattern and pleasing proportions
Becky Harris
January 11, 2016
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
“I didn’t have to talk these clients into anything. They were never afraid to do something different or wild,” says interior designer Kathy Hodge. Designing a new family room as an addition to the 1920s home, she prioritized the owners’ fearless attitude toward bright colors. At the same time, she created a cohesive flow between the adjacent kitchen by playing off the same tones, using the same flooring and matching the new windows and doors with the existing ones.
Photos by Willie Cole
Family Room of the Day
What happens here: A young family lounges, watches TV, keeps the nearby cook company, plays games, reads, naps, gathers
Location: Darien, Connecticut
Size: 360 square feet (33 square meters)
Adding the new family room with its high ceilings, windows, transoms and French doors made the existing kitchen feel more open and bright. Interior designer Kathy Hodge created both spaces together, and began with a deep navy blue island in the kitchen. Then she tied the rooms together by using the same paint color on the family room trim work. She also used wide-plank walnut floors, which are consistent throughout the home. These moves make the new family room fit right in with the rest of the house.
Island color: Hale Navy, Benjamin Moore; wall color: DKC 16, Donald Kaufman; pendant lights: Biddeford clear globe; stools: Onda, Stua
Family Room of the Day
What happens here: A young family lounges, watches TV, keeps the nearby cook company, plays games, reads, naps, gathers
Location: Darien, Connecticut
Size: 360 square feet (33 square meters)
Adding the new family room with its high ceilings, windows, transoms and French doors made the existing kitchen feel more open and bright. Interior designer Kathy Hodge created both spaces together, and began with a deep navy blue island in the kitchen. Then she tied the rooms together by using the same paint color on the family room trim work. She also used wide-plank walnut floors, which are consistent throughout the home. These moves make the new family room fit right in with the rest of the house.
Island color: Hale Navy, Benjamin Moore; wall color: DKC 16, Donald Kaufman; pendant lights: Biddeford clear globe; stools: Onda, Stua
Hodge also custom-designed sofas in navy with white piping to connect the family room and kitchen. And with three young children around, choosing a dark color for the sofas was key. All of the furniture and the rug are fiber-sealed for stain resistance.
Sofa: custom, Sage Design; pillow fabrics: Jim Thompson, Quadrille and Romo
Sofa: custom, Sage Design; pillow fabrics: Jim Thompson, Quadrille and Romo
A high cathedral ceiling set the scale for everything else in the room. Five-to-6-inch-wide whitewashed shiplap covers the ceiling. “Anything narrower would have been too busy,” Hodge explains. A large chandelier in black and brass, inspired by midcentury modern Italian design, stands up to the large ceiling and adds a dramatic sculptural accent. The bluestone fireplace surround is well-proportioned and flanked by a pair of large black exterior sconces.
Hodge plucked the painting from another spot in the house. “The colors and the size were so perfect that we all agreed this has to go in the family room!” she says.
Bacco chandelier: Julian Chichester; sconces: Urban Electric Co.
Hodge plucked the painting from another spot in the house. “The colors and the size were so perfect that we all agreed this has to go in the family room!” she says.
Bacco chandelier: Julian Chichester; sconces: Urban Electric Co.
The built-ins were a key component of the design, with enough room for the TV in the middle and media equipment on the bottom. Their height suits the proportions of the room, while the streamlined style adds a transitional touch. The coordinating Hale Navy paint on the back of the shelves helps the TV and other media equipment blend in. Roman shades with crisp navy trim add softness without distracting from the room’s clean lines.
Roman shades: Ulster Linen with Rogers & Goffigon trim
Roman shades: Ulster Linen with Rogers & Goffigon trim
The mirrored coffee table is églomisé, a silver leaf treatment that helps camouflage fingerprints and smudges. “This finish is slightly matte rather than super shiny,” Hodge says. “You can wipe it up about once a week, not like glass or shiny mirror that shows every little mark.”
Chair fabric: Quadrille
Chair fabric: Quadrille
Here you can get a close look at the rug, which was handmade in Nepal by a rug craftsman Hodge uses often. “It’s a nice textured finish that’s very flat, not too heavy and adds a subtle layer of pattern in taupe and orange,” she says. “We wanted layers of patterns and not a lot of solids.” She layered in pattern in the small-scale tribal pattern on the rug, the bigger, bolder scale of the armchair fabric and the ikat pattern on the window seat pillows.
The new room helped bring the home up to date without trying to overwhelm or erase its past. The result is a pleasing transitional space that’s comfortable and happy for the whole family.
Browse more Rooms of the Day
The new room helped bring the home up to date without trying to overwhelm or erase its past. The result is a pleasing transitional space that’s comfortable and happy for the whole family.
Browse more Rooms of the Day
Related Stories
Laundry Rooms
Loads of Function in a Classic Black-and-White Laundry Room
By Becky Harris
A designer incorporates expansive storage, a drying rod, a generous sink and a counter for folding
Full Story
Bedrooms
Soothing Whites and Grays Create a Refreshing Master Bedroom
Strategic changes help a California master bedroom go from dark and heavy to light and bright
Full Story
Basements
A Light, Bright Basement Inspired by Midcentury Design
By Becky Harris
Designers create an organic and airy feel in this underground space in Toronto
Full Story
Living Rooms
A Sliding Door Hides the TV in This Attractive Living Room
By Erin Carlyle
See how a designer transforms the barn door concept using walnut veneer and modern styling over a fireplace
Full Story
Before and Afters
100-Year-Old Craftsman Home’s Master Suite Lightens Up
A designer balances architectural preservation with contemporary living in this Northern California remodel
Full Story
Bedrooms
Warm, Minimalist Style for a Master Suite in Oregon
By Becky Harris
Garden views, built-in storage and nods to Japanese design contribute to a calm and beautiful retreat
Full Story
Landscape Design
Relaxed Courtyard Celebrates Indoor-Outdoor Living
Sliding glass walls open up to connect the living spaces in this Southern California retreat
Full Story
Laundry Rooms
A Warm and Bright Laundry Room to Welcome a Family Home
See the inviting vibe a designer created for this renovated Minneapolis room off the garage
Full Story
Kids’ Spaces
Nods to Nature and ‘Star Wars’ in 2 Boys’ Bedrooms and Bath
Bold color, graphic patterns and custom murals create a kids’ zone designed to grow up with brothers in Utah
Full Story
Living Rooms
Sand and Surf Inspire Look of New Great Room With Pacific Views
A designer renovates a coastal California living space to highlight its amazing views and create a chic beach vibe
Full Story
We like the open feel and the soothing colors.
I think the rug should have been orange and off white (rather than taupe). I also would have used a different piece of art over the fireplace; I'm thinking of an orange orange sunset over the ocean.