A family room is the area in the home where you can all get together and spend some real quality time. Whether you watch television together, play games, or simply sit around and talk, a family room can be a nice addition to anyone’s home. If your family room is looking a bit dated or you haven’t necessarily established one yet, creating a space is not as costly as you might think. Below are some suggestions on how you can create a room for your family without ruining your finances:
A Fresh Coat of Paint
One of the most affordable and simplistic ways to create a new space is to slap on a fresh coat of paint. Paint can be very affordable, especially since you’re only painting one room, and it can really make the space look brand new. Whether you decide to use the same color you already have or select another color you can find paint at a pretty reasonable price at just about any home improvement store in your area.
Transitional Family Room by Ft. Lauderdale Interior Designers & Decorators Tracy Dunn Design LLC – Associate, ASID
Refurbish
If you have furniture in your family room already, or have furniture around the house that can be added to your family room, it’s best to use it. Refurbishing furniture is not as complicated as it might sound. If you have old furniture that just needs a few touch ups, you can do this on your own and save money on purchasing products from the stores. For instance, a couch can easily be reupholstered to look brand new (or purchase a couch cover). Wooden tables can be stained, finished, and re-screwed to add style and durability.
Buy Used
If you do need to venture outside of your own home to purchase furniture or other pieces for your family room, you can buy used to save money. One of the best places to check would be your very own neighborhood. If you’re aware of anyone having a yard sale, you can easily bargain with them to get the furniture you need at a reasonable price. Remember to stay open minded when looking at used furniture as it can easily be refurbished to look as good as new.
Traditional Family Room by New York Photographers Rikki Snyder
Accessorize
Nothing brings a room to life like accessories and other home décor pieces. Once you’ve got a fresh coat of paint on the walls, you can easily begin to accessorize the room with a few nice touches. For instance, a nice painting on the wall can make dull walls look more attractive. A few throw pillows on a couch can add more style and comfort. A nice plant or two can add life to the room. It’s the small things that really add up to make the room look great.
Contemporary Family Room by New York Architects & Building Designers DeGraw & DeHaan Architects
Make What You Can
A lot of things can be handcrafted to cut down on the costs but still improve the look of the room. For instance, if your family room has bare walls and you want to add some pictures, you can easily grab the kids and turn it into an arts and crafts project. A nice painting on canvas can easily be framed and hung on the wall. Don’t have the money to buy new couch pillows? You can easily fix your old ones by adding some stuffing and sewing a pillow case together with affordable fabric.
Eclectic Family Room by Evanston Furniture & Accessories Urban Wood Goods
Save in Other Areas
Also on the list is cutting back on the spending in other areas of the home. For instance, if you currently subscribe to cable television, this could be costing you an arm and a leg. However, if you were to consider cutting cable and switching to satellite television services, you could use the extra savings towards upgrading your family room. Comparison shopping is your best bet as you can compare satellite TV companies to see which has the better deal. For instance, if you were trying to choose between DirecTV and Dish Network, you can see why DirecTV beats out Dish in Los Angeles at this site. Any savings around the house makes a difference, no matter how big or small. Before you know it all the small savings you make will lead to a great deal of money saved!
Modern Family Room by San Diego Home Media Design & Installation Aire Theater Designs
Take it One Step at a Time
If you’re working with a particularly small budget, don’t be discouraged as you can still create the ultimate family room without breaking the bank. The best idea would be to take it one step at a time. If you have a few hundred bucks one month, then add a new coat of paint and refurbish some furniture. The next time you get money, go home décor shopping. This way you’re not spending a boatload of cash at the same time, but are still working towards building a nice space for your family to enjoy their time together.
Transitional Family Room by Littleton Interior Designers & Decorators Hampton Redesign
These seven ideas are sure to help you save a lot of money while creating or making over your family room. This is a great family project that everyone can help out with. By getting everyone involved in the design process, the room will be that much more special to you all. Remember, it’s not the looks that matter, it’s the time you spend with those you love creating memories that matter the most.