All-Season Cabana Room

Hoping to get a season pass to this wild, water kingdom (and an invite to the swank pool party Devra wants to throw once the room is done), I decided to dive in head first and turn the family's chaotic jungle gym into a relaxing poolside retreat they could all enjoy together.

But I had a two-part challenge ahead of me. While I wanted to create an easy, breezy space that would suit the warmer climates, I also needed to craft a warm, cozy room that would suit the family when Jack Frost came to call. One room and two looks? I needed my thinking cap (and maybe my bathing cap) for this one.

In my initial attempt to turn cram into glam I moved the toys into an adjoining space that would serve as the new playroom. I was then faced with a big, bland space with sparse furniture, outdated lighting and a television that was hiding in a fireplace.

After bathing the walls in a fresh sea of cream, and lining the wall nearest the pool with mirrored panels for a window-like effect, I got to work on the dual personality of the space. All colors and fabrics would have to do double duty for summer and winter. My inspiration for the summer shades came from sky, sand and sea, while my wintry tones would be rich, warm hues of teal, plum and olive.

I took Devra's couch and reupholstered it in the winter shades, and then designed summery cotton slipcovers that could be put on top during the warmer months. I did something similar with the pillows--cheap and cheerful cotton shams beneath, with lush and vibrantly colored removable pillow covers.

I designed light summery drapes with buttons along the top so that darker wintry weather window treatments could be easily added on top. I also created three large rectangular panels, which had various color schemes on each side, and leaned these against the wall.

Other design challenges included the room's fireplace area. I moved the "fireplace television" into a beautiful cabinet (firefighters around the world can breathe a sigh of relief). The mantel was taken apart, and a long birch shelf that extended from wall to wall took its place. Additional floating shelves lined the walls beside the fireplace, and the area surrounding the fireplace got a textured plaster makeover.

In order to keep lighting costs down, the existing recessed spotlights were saved, but the dingy, yellow incandescent bulbs were exchanged for some updated, halogen ones. Low-profile lights were installed in the ceiling and bulkhead area to wash down the drapes, and, to add a little more sparkle, I added a "climbing monkey lamp under the birch shelf. That was a touch no hip, cool cabana room should be without.

I added new furniture, including two peek-a-boo-backed chairs and a four-sectioned round seating arrangement that can be moved apart to double as end tables. Next came accents that included vases, artwork and baskets of pillows.

With that, the indoor oasis was complete. The old free-for-all playroom was transformed into a cabana-style family room with two distinct seasonal color schemes that will lend itself to blender drinks in the summer or marshmallow-laden mugs of hot chocolate in the winter. A divine design for all seasons.

(Interior decorator Candice Olson is host of Home & Garden Television's Divine Design.)