Everyone thinks the kitchen is the most important room in the house, and they’re not wrong. But I know 9 times out of 10 we’re taking snacks right out of the kitchen and curling up in the family room. It’s a tricky space to get just right – between wanting it to look like an adult space, live like a family space, and still allow for the kids to feel like it’s their space. Here are a few of our must-haves to finally get all of the above:

Toy Storage. We hear this struggle a lot – parents want a space that doesn’t scream, “we have kids!”, but we do indeed have kids. And it’s nice to spend time together in a room that’s not the playroom, and has games to keep them occupied when you’re trying to wrap up a work call, or get dinner on the table. We love a great console to house games, cards, and books. Here’s another beauty (the texture!); remember it doesn’t have to be a traditional media console. The unexpected lends to the personality of the room! And if you don’t have room for a piece like that; baskets are our saving grace. This set has been a longtime favorite of ours. We always talk about heading to Home Goods for baskets, but in the case of toy storage – quality is key. We also recommend a top so when they’re done playing, toys will be out of sight.

Cozy Chic. We’re still all in on the blanket ladder trend. It gives hygge vibes & invites people to curl up with a cozy blanket. We scooped up this one and display it with ombré blue throws (see all the colors you can get there?!). And it had us wanting another for the media room downstairs – how chic is this ladder in rose gold?

Not your Grandma’s tray table. Our last house had an eat-in kitchen and I didn’t realize how integral that was in helping us eat at the table as a family every night. We now have a dining room only, which is great to have that space, but makes eating there feel just a bit more daunting. We try for most nights at the table, but sometimes it’s a treat to eat on the couch while watching a family movie. These have been a game changer, and bonus, they do double duty for breakfast in bed!

Snug as a bug in a . Rug! You need one that’s durable. And affordable. Also one that will check that “pulling the room together” box. I cannot tell you all the ways I love this rug. So many, in fact, that we have re-purchased it several times for different spaces. A close second was this one, and if you’re going for more of a neutral look – we are head over heels for the texture in this fella.

Boundaries. For us, this one is the glue that holds the rest together. After I stepped on the 329th lego while I was recovering from knee surgery, we decided we needed some boundaries of which toys were welcome in this space. As we mentioned above, we keep a bunch of board games, card games (we are obsessed with Monster Match, and don’t mind playing it on repeat), and coloring books in the console. If Grey wants to choose something other than that, we ask that he grabs a bin from his playroom (we use this system), and when he’s done playing, we clean it up together to make sure there are no missing hazards pieces, and put it back in its place. When everything has a home, we all feel more at home. It helps the whole house run better, and stay tidy longer!

Happy Hump Day! We’re so thankful you stopped by to spend a few minutes with us today! Have a design dilemma we can help with? Share in the comments below!