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All in the Family How to create a living space your family won't want to leave  Image courtesy Doug Wilson It's hard enough to find time to enjoy the company of your spouse and kids. The thought of having to cram everyone into an uninviting room can make it even more difficult. Wouldn't you just love to create a space that the whole family will love spending time in? Adjustments in three areas - paint color, wall fixtures and lighting - can get you closer to that goal. If it feels like the walls are closing in, the paint might be wrong. Light colors reflect light while dark colors absorb it, so light tones on walls will make a room look bright and spacious, says Angela Souder, an American Society of Interior Designers certified member who owns AMS Interiors in Huntingdon Valley, Pa. On an accent wall, however, a dark color can work. That's why ASID designer Carol Friedman says dark colors "punctuate and define a room." "Dark brown is fabulous if you put it with beiges and reds," says Friedman, who owns Design Resource in Concord, Mass. "It's cozy and inviting and doesn't shrink a room despite what people think." Plus, dark colors accentuate trim and molding. And mirrors are always great, Friedman adds. They give the illusion that a room continues beyond its walls. But it doesn't have to be a flashy, full-sized reflection; mirrors on the back part of a bookcase add a subtle touch. Part of the mystique of mirrors is their ability to reflect light. Souder says the lights in a room have to follow the room's function. "If you're reading or writing, you'll need more task lighting," she says. Artificial light falls under three categories: general, task and ambient. Task lighting is the extra lights you can turn on when you need them. Light that comes from lamps with incandescent bulbs is called "ambient" because it gives off a yellow, atmospheric glow, and general lighting is the light that turns on when you flip a switch. Souder says the brighter the better when trying to make a room look large, so combine different types according to how the room is used to create a bright space. When the light is right, and furniture fits, a small family room might end up filled with family. |
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