15 Playful Updates for Family Rooms

Putting a narrow shelf the length of chalkboard paint should serve the same purpose as it did in school - catch dust - hold the chalk and eraser. I have seen chalk in boxes with a bunch of colors - looked like an oversized crayon box.

It's easy to build them - you can use the metal elbow hangers or wood ones - and buy 1" x 4" by how much is needed to fit beneath the paint - in our case 1" by 10" by 12' doubled on each wall - but I was putting collectibles on mine. You can get it not as wide as mine - and if you don't have a truck - get 1" by 4" by 8' - which will fit in most crossovers or SUV's - for cars - I'd say by 6'. We have a shelf hanger under the two 12' boards -didn't even need to nail them.

Whoever said schools were moving away from chalk boards - it must be your state or school district - it's not being removed in Georgia.

I'd love the top one if I had a wall for it and had children (never could have them - medical problems) - so while it's cute to look at - I wouldn't like the daily reminder. I am considering one of several I've seen for the wall behind the master bedroom.

I painted our guest bath in an "under the sea" theme - aqua walls with handmade towels with lace and a appliqués of whales, dolphins, etc. about 3" wide lace and placed with the bottom being about 3"-4" from the end on one side on several towels - then put a longer towel rack - small for a full bath - but perfect for showing off the lace and appliqués three across - I used three colors for the towels. The rest of the bathroom has about a dozen cool under the sea paintings - including a limited edition Wyland - with the others being the same style - painting dolphins, whales, whatever - above and below the water. Then I got blue sequined tab style curtains - pulled back with metal dolphin hook style pull overs and a dark backed matching curtain - single pattern underneath - for privacy. I even bought an Under the Sea designed light switch plate.

My master bathroom is in the process of finishing a fantasy fairy theme - not the child like ones. All the pieces are there - just waiting to be put out - but I fractured three ribs so it's on hold for now. It will display the same type of towels as the half bath - plus all fairy themed and gold glitter bath accessories - the small waste basket - two gold glittered soap dishes, fairy tooth brush holder and lotion dispenser - also handmade.

Any one who doesn't have a sewing machine - if the towels are washed and dried on the delicate cycle - there is a iron on hem holders - that comes in rolls - perfect for the lace and appliqué.

For children - my niece is doing her two year old's bedroom in a camouflage theme - he's always posing with his dad's bucks - in a little camo jacket - so the little hunter theme works great. She painted the walls one of the colors of camouflage - then put 1' - 1-1/2' wide hunter safety orange - like vest used for safety. That has mounted stuffed animal heads - a bear, elk, deer, etc. - then his windows are done with camouflage valance and curtain and bedding - and he got a small camouflage tent for Christmas - so it's set up in one corner. His mother is in the process of collecting Birch Tree branches - 8' or less - and putting them haphazardly across the back side of the room -- and is going to try to use birch branches to make a canopy over the bed so they can put army style large netting on it and hang down things like a 5' stuffed snake. She's also trying to display his approximately 20 stuffed animals - all indigenous to their area - an Eagle - Snowy White Owl - Squirrel - Deer - Squirrel - etc. - while I keep sending new stuffed animals - his mom is trying to figure out how to display them. He's getting a badger - claws and all - for his birthday - and I'll buy more and more until he's overloaded with them. I'm betting - maybe minus the stuffed animals - he'll stay in that room with that design - maybe until he moves out. His mother learned to hunt at 8 - a

For these rooms that I designed, they revolve around the collections of art on each wall.

One of our sons lives in NYC, one in D.C., while we live in the midwest. We get together each summer for a family vacation. Our family room walls are decorated with large vintage travel posters from places where we have had our most memorable times together. This sparks lots of great "remember when" conversations when they are home to visit.