35 Family Room Ideas That Are Perfect for Hanging Out (2024)

Room Design

Living Rooms

A family room is just that: a room you and your family or roommates can spend time together watching movies, playing games, snuggling up to a good book or just catching up with each other after a long day. It's a place you feel comfortable and is oftentimes the heart of the home. To make this room your own, you can implement decor that fits your personal aesthetic and lay it out to fit your family's needs. Below, we share 35 ideas, from simple decor tips to furniture layout, that will make the family room everyone's favorite place to hang out together.

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  Wallpaper Accent

  

  If your family room serves multiple purposes, a good way to differentiate the spaces is with an accent wall using paint or wallpaper. Here, Blakely Interior Design added a patterned wallpaper to separate the sitting area from the office nook.

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  Rolling Bar Cart

  

  One way to make your family room one of your favorite spots in your home is to add a place to sit back an enjoy a beverage after a long day. Designate a spot in your family room to keep your favorite libations on hand. This handwoven rattan bar cart adds a coastal vibe and adds to the family room's design style with pretty glassware and some greenery.

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  Black and White Design

  

  Black and white decor doesn't have to lead to a formal look. If you love this contrasting color combo, mix and match patterns through furnishings like sofa pillows, rugs and furniture, and add small touches of color through plants and artwork to create a more casual, welcoming space.

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  Colorful Built-In Shelving

  

  Adding color to your family room through furniture and artwork isn't the only way to brighten up the room. Here, Dazey Den painted built-in open shelving a bright green color that contrasts well with the bubblegum pink chair.

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  The Fifth Wall

  

  This dark and moody living space by Mary Patton Design has many points of interest that brighten up the room, including the white rug that highlights and bounces the natural light pouring in from the window. And if you thought big couches would overwhelm a room—this mix-and-match sectional set proves otherwise.

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  Small Living Room Layout

  

  Even if your family room space is limited or an odd shape that's difficult to decorate around, you can still make it a spot for the family to enjoy. It's all about the placement of the furniture. Here, KJ Design and Mortar Styling placed a sofa off the kitchen to separate the spaces and placed a chaise lounge perpendicular for extra seating and to take advantage of every square foot.

  18 Clever Ways to Design Around an Awkward Living Room Layout

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  Instrument Gallery Wall

  

  A gallery wall is a place you can curate your favorite artwork and other finds, including items that reflect your favorite hobbies like playing music. This ukelele fits perfectly with the rest of this gallery wall by Kate Lester Interiors.

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  See Also

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  Dramatic Book Shelves

  

  For a dramatic look, floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with books will really stand out no matter what size your family room is. And, it'll easily become your favorite room to hang out in, especially if you're a bookworm.

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  DIY Oversized Mirror

  

  To make a small family room feel larger and more open, display mirrors around the room. Here, Herzen Stimme made her own oversized mirror using mirror tiles and wood separators painted in black to create a one-of-a-kind look on a budget.

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  Layered Rugs

  

  You don't need a lot of decor or color to add visual appeal to a space. We love how COTTAGE + SEA brought texture to this family room with layered rugs, textured furnishings and pops of deep green through furniture and plants.

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  Making Use of Every Corner

  

  Even the smallest corners in a family room can have a purpose. Here, Allie Boesch Designs placed a comfortable armchair and large ottoman in a small corner and added texture through a variety of sofa pillows. Now, this previously empty corner is now the perfect nook to read or take a nap.

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  Stool End Tables

  

  End tables can take up a lot of room in a family room especially if the room is small. If you're limited on space, get creative by finding other items to act as tables. Here, Blue Copper Design placed small wooden stools as end tables that provide a spot to place your coffee mug without taking up too much floor space. A bonus of using wooden stools as end tables is that they can become extra seating.

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  Low-Hanging Chandelier

  

  If you've found that statement piece—that piece that has inspired your family room's design—make sure you put it on display. This chandelier is like an art piece, so this family hung it low-ish right above the coffee table to make it the focal point of the family room.

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  Taking Advantage of the View

  

  The layout of your family room can really influence how you'll use the space. If you have a great view or large windows that let in plenty of natural light, face your furniture toward the window so you can enjoy the view and natural lighting to its fullest.

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  Minimalist Decor

  

  A neutral, minimalist design style can be just as stylish and intriguing as a colorful space if you implement decor that has height and texture. We love how the brown faux-fur rug adds interest to a plain white couch, and these pampas grass plumes draw the eye up and add texture to this otherwise all-white family room.

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  Basket Gallery Wall

  

  An easy and fairly budget-friendly way to bring texture to your family room is by displaying a gallery wall of woven baskets. Shapeside created this gallery wall using a variety of baskets in different color tones and sizes to make a statement in this minimalist family room.

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  A Place to Enjoy Your Favorite Pastimes

  

  The family room may be the only space in your home that allows your whole family to spend time together. If you love playing music and enjoy sipping on beverages with your family, make sure your family room reflects that. Incorporate items you like to use frequently to this room, like a piano and bar cart, to enjoy many hours with your family in the space.

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  Bar Cart Shelving

  

  If libations aren't your favorite pastime, a rolling bar cart can also make a great storage option for your family room. Blakely Interior Design added this bright blue bar cart for a pop of color and a place to store artwork, coffee table books and storage bins—perfect for holding your favorite family games.

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  Plant Gallery Wall

  

  A gallery wall can be as minimalistic or eclectic as you want it to be. The key to the perfect gallery wall is one that reflects your personal aesthetic. If you're someone who can't have enough plants, a plant gallery wall is a must-have. It'll be the focal point of your living room and will lift your mood instantly.

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  A Place to Work Out

  

  If you do your workouts or get active in the comfort of your home, you don't need to designate a separate room for your workout equipment. If your family room has little corners or nooks that are empty, install workout equipment or wall storage to hold your equipment so you can do your workouts while watching TV or spending time with the family. Maybe you can even convince them to join you (push-up competition, anyone?).

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  Convenient Reading Light

  

  If your favorite spot to read is right in your family room, having the right lighting will ensure you'll never want to leave that sofa. Here, City Sage installed adjustable reading lights on the wall to save floor space and allow for a little flexibility to adjust your position when reading your favorite book.

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  Media Center Bookshelf

  

  This industrial-style entertainment center acts as a bookshelf in this minimalist living room by Casa Watkins Living. It's an unexpected decor idea and it keeps all your favorite reads and family games within easy reach.

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  A Cozy Reading Nook

  

  You can create a reading nook virtually anywhere including a windowsill. If you have a large windowsill, place pillows or cushions to create a cozy place for you and your family to curl up with a good book or it could even be a place to watch your favorite flicks on a tablet.

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  Sofa Nook

  

  Normally storage is built around an entertainment center and area for your TV, but here, the built-in shelving and cabinets flank a sofa to create a cozy sitting nook. The dark blue walls add extra drama to the room.

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  Coffee Table With Storage

  

  A family room can be an opportunity to incorporate storage solutions. Aside from shelving, cubbies and other typical storage options, find furniture that can also store your everyday items. Blakely Interior Design added a large, hollow wicker coffee table that enhances the room's design style while providing a place to store essential items.

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  Cozy Knits

  

  Even though it's more typical to display cozy knit throws during colder months, we say you can display it year-round. Knit throws and sofa pillows bring texture to a neutral room and allows your family to get comfy for a movie night or to just hang out and sip your morning coffee.

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  Thrift Store Chairs

  

  Seating is key in a family room, but you may be limited on space and budget. Here, Casa Watkins Living placed two chairs she found at the thrift store in front of the fireplace in her family room to provide extra seating. She reupholstered the chairs to match her design style; it's an easy and budget-friendly way to spruce up secondhand furniture.

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  A Marriage of Design Styles

  

  Combining design styles with a partner or roommate can be a challenge, but there are no rules when it comes to combining your favorite design styles. To make your family room more enjoyable for the whole household, each person should curate their favorite decor items and work together to decorate the room. Here, Ann Leferink at Interior Impressions combined traditional and contemporary styles to create a stylish living space.

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  Art to Conceal the TV

  

  No matter how much you decorate your family room, one thing may still stand out; the TV. To help the TV blend into the decor, display eye-catching pieces of art on the same wall as the TV, designing around the TV to make it a part of your family room's design.

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  Bringing the Outside In

  

  If you love the outdoors, you can bring the outdoors in with furniture you'd typically find on a patio or sunroom. Wicker furniture is a great way to implement an outdoor, coastal vibe and it's easy decorate around with colorful furnishings like sofa pillows and rugs. To balance the room, incorporate higher end furniture for a more classic look.

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  A Fireplace Statement Piece

  

  If you live in an older home, you may find that many of them have one feature in common—a large brick fireplace that can be an eyesore. It's not anything a little paint can't fix though. Hannah Tyler Designs painted her brick fireplace black to create a dramatic statement piece. The black color works in her living room because it has plenty of natural light coming in through the large windows. If your living room doesn't have a lot of natural light, we recommend painting the fireplace a light color to allow the light that does come in to bounce off the fireplace.

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  Firewood Storage

  

  Built-in shelving is typically used to house books, knickknacks and photos. We love Burchard Design Co's unconventional way of using built-in storage cubbies to store chopped firewood. It adds texture, interest and is convenient if you have a wood-burning fireplace that you use frequently.

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  A Little Plant Nook

  

  Turn that unused little corner into a plant sanctuary. If your family room has a sunny corner, it's the perfect place for your plants to thrive. Plus, we love the way this collection of plants look as its own design element.

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  Interesting Paint Accents

  

  Paint is one of the most budget-friendly ways to add color and interest to a room. If you want your family room to be a fun, eclectic space to get your creative juices flowing, or relax and bask in cheerful hues, painting the walls in contrasting colors will elevate the space. Here, Dazey Den painted one wall blue and the other wall with a round pink accent that emanates happiness.

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  Wood Wall Feature

  

  A small multi-purpose space can feel big as long as you combine two different areas of the room seamlessly. Even though this home office nook is only a few feet from the sofa in this family room, it feels like two completely different spaces because of the accent wall and wood wall feature. We love that the wood strips running vertically down the wall because it adds an interesting element and gives the home office nook its own creative look.