Room of the Day: A Design That Works for the Whole Family

After a basement remodel transferred most of their children’s toys to the lower level, the parents were eager to update their family room as well. Interior designer Dina Holland was brought in to create a multipurpose space that could just as easily host a cocktail party for adults as it could a family game night.

Room at a Glance: Family Room
Who lives here: A family of 4
Location: Needham, Massachusetts
Size: 360 square feet (33.4 square meters)
Designer: Dina Holland, Honey & Fitz

Though the bulk of the children’s toys had been transferred to the finished basement, it’s hard, as many parents know, to keep toys relegated completely to one area of a house. With this understanding, Holland bought jute storage bins to serve as a stylish way to conceal toys that make their way up from the basement.

“I often see these garish colored toy bins in people’s family rooms,” Holland says. “Toy storage doesn’t have to be an eyesore.”

Wood console table: homeowners’ own; jute storage bins: Pottery Barn Kids


Benjamin Moore’s Oyster Shell covers the family room walls and helps create a bright, cheerful space. The abstract painting over the sofa was purchased to tie in all the colors of the room. The two white table lamps add height and anchor the art.

The two stools were purchased from Target and then re-covered in a blue and white fabric. “The stools only cost $50 each after reupholstering them,” Holland says. “Refurbishing old stools would have cost more.”

Coffee table: Wisteria; sofa: Basset Furniture; pillows: HomeGoods; vase: vintage; area rug: West Elm; painting: One Kings Lane; stools: Target; stool fabric: Souk, DwellStudio


Holland says it was important to find a large, solid coffee table for the family room. The table she selected from Wisteria is 50 square inches. “I wanted a table big enough that every member of the family could have their own corner to do whatever they wanted and still not feel crowded,” she says.


Both of the parents grew up in beach towns, so Holland created a subtle nautical motif through colors and accessories. The glass spheres on top of the bookshelves are Japanese fishing floats, once used by fisherman in many parts of the world to keep their fishing nets afloat.

“I would have loved to have brought the bookshelves up all the way to the ceiling, but it would have broken the budget,” Holland says. “The fishing floats do a great job of completing the scene without feeling overpowering.”

Drapes: custom, Honey & Fitz; chair: Hickory Chair; white vase: DwellStudio; fishing floats: vintage

How to declutter your bookshelves


The gold whale bookend continues the light-handed nautical vibe. Holland painted the back of the bookshelves in Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy. “Painting the back of the bookshelves added additional drama,” Holland says. “It’s also a great way to allow the items on the shelves to stand out better against the dark backdrop.”

Whale bookends: vintage

More: Explore more Rooms of the Day

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