Fabulous Basement Family Room

By Candice Olson

Jeannine, Patrick and their two young sons have lived in the same big, beautiful home for more than five years. The house's many rooms were tastefully decorated in a traditional style, with one glaring exception: a dingy basement family room that was such an embarrassment they declared it "off limits" to guests.

The room's troubles included sadly outdated furniture, minimal storage space and a Liberace-inspired fireplace that was too flamboyant for its drab surroundings.

The couple wanted an elegant family room to match the rest of their house, but they also wanted a casual space where they could entertain, play, watch TV and move around without tripping over books and toys. So I made the forbidden trip down the basement steps and geared up to combine elegant and casual in one large, multifunctional space.