skip to main content
Sign In
Join as a Pro
History of Houzz
  • PHOTOS
    KITCHEN & DINING
    • Kitchen
    • Modular Kitchen
    • Dining Room
    • Home Bar
    LIVING
    • Living Room
    • Home Theater
    • Home Office
    • Staircase
    BED & BATH
    • Bedroom
    • Nursery
    • Kid's Room
    • Bathroom
    OUTDOOR
    • Garden
    • Patio
    • Terrace & Balcony
    • Courtyard
    MORE ROOMS
    • Puja Room
    • Wardrobe
    • Exterior
    • Swimming Pool
    • View All
  • FIND PROFESSIONALS
    DESIGN & RENOVATION
    • Architects & Building Designers
    • Interior Designers & Decorators
    • Civil Engineers & Contractors
    • Design-Build Firms
    • Kitchen & Bath Designers
    • Landscape Architects & Contractors
    • Home Builders & Construction Companies
    • Photographers
    • Specialty Contractors
    HOME IMPROVEMENT
    • Furniture & Accessories
    • Flooring & Carpet
    • Tile, Stone & Countertop
    • Bedding & Bath
    View All Pros View All Services
  • STORIES
    LATEST FROM HOUZZ
    • Houzz Tours
    • Kitchen Guides
    • Bathroom Guides
    • Bedroom Guides
    • Decorating Guides
    • Outdoors
    • Architecture
    HOUZZ TV
    HOUZZ RESEARCH
  • ADVICE
    HOUZZ DISCUSSIONS
    • Design Dilemma
    • Before & After
    • Polls
    • Home Decorating
    • Kitchens
    • Living Rooms
    • Bedrooms
    • Dining Rooms
    • Exterior
    • Lighting
    • Paint
    • Building a Home
More Room Guides
More Room Guides
7 Super Clever & Gorgeous Custom-Made Storage Ideas
Top Ideabooks
7 Super Clever & Gorgeous Custom-Made Storage IdeasBalancing Modern & Traditional: 11 Gorgeous Indian SpacesInspiring Skylights, Glass Ceilings & Angled WindowsHow to Create Spaces That Encourage Family Time
Appears in
Recent Ideabooks
See also
Living RoomsKids SpacesHome OfficesDining Rooms
Decorating Ideas
Decorating Ideas
A Water Feature For Every Garden
Top Ideabooks
A Water Feature For Every Garden7 Super Clever & Gorgeous Custom-Made Storage IdeasHow to Accent Your Home With Live Edge WoodWhat to Know About Building a Pergola in Your Garden
Appears in
Decorating Guides

How to Create Spaces That Encourage Family Time

Design can bring about interaction, bonding and productivity for the entire family. Read on to know how

Shristi Nangalia
Shristi Nangalia26 January 2021
Houzz India Contributor, Architect, Architectural Writer and Content Writer. Painting, craft work, pets and good food are my getaways. Cultures and colours always inspire me. Email: shristi012@gmail.com, Business profile: @decoretteindia.
More
Print
Embed
Facebook
Twitter
Email
In this age of new media, everyone is getting more and more engrossed in their gadgets, and lives are becoming introverted. The notion of ‘family time’, where everyone can bond and do things together, is on the decline. Wondering how to encourage your family to spend some quality time together? Below are tricks and ideas on how clever designing can help you achieve that.
loc design house
1. Connect the living room and kitchen
An open or semi-open kitchen adjacent to a living room can foster constant physical and visual contact amongst the family during the day. To unify the two individual spaces and build a meaningful junction, place the dining space or breakfast bar in the intermediate space.
Gilberte Interiors, inc
Simply adding a couple of stools to the kitchen island can encourage various activities to be performed at this spot, without compromising the placement or function of the dining table.

Find a Houzz pro to help you design your spaces
Two Ellie
2. Make the dining table work extra shift
The dining table, too, is a great place to rub shoulders, thanks to its inward-facing layout. Adding comfortable upholstered seats, banquet seats, extra cushions and throws to the dining set can further prompt the family to use the dining table all through the day. It can double as a study table for the kids and a workstation for you when needed; and on Sundays, it could be the ideal place for spending time together over board games.

Get inspired by these eye-catching dining tables and chairs
Prashant Bhat Photography
This offbeat dining table is integrated with the kitchen island. It stands out, blurring boundaries and creating an interactive space.
Jannat Vasi Interior Design
I love how this dining table is part of a bookshelf unit that partially separates the kitchen and living space. Isn’t it a great play area for the kids and the perfect junction for tea and snacks?

Look up custom furniture services on Houzz
Studiovistara
3. Offer multiple seating options
Providing clusters of different types of seats can let each family member create a zone of their own where they can work at their tasks and still remain connected to others sharing the same space. If your living room flanks a balcony or garden deck, you can add extra seating for those who wish to withdraw from the close family group but still stay in the proximity.

Check out these space-saving seating layouts for compact balconies
Melton Design Build
4. Create a multifunctional room
A simple way to bring the whole family together (without making them take extra time out of their schedule) is to assign multiple functions to a single room. In this picture, all the work desks for the family are stationed right in the home office. The big table at right can double-hat as a work table for kids’ craft projects and hobbies, as well as a dining table at mealtimes. Ideal for working parents to keep an eye on the kids doing homework. Win-win.

Note: Mixing up contrasting activities together can cause more trouble than harmony. For instance, you can blend the library and lounge in one room but the game room does not go with the study.
Jannat Vasi Interior Design
Jannat Vasi Interior Design
This multifunctional garage not only comprises the yoga corner, the gym and the gaming section, but also acts as a common living room whenever required. It is interesting how the room serves different functions and still looks consistent.

What would you do if you had an extra room?
Studio Lagom
5. Take the fun outdoors
Have spare space in your backyard or front garden? Elevate it by introducing a gazebo or shaded outdoor seating. Spending time outdoors is good for the overall wellbeing of the body and mind; spending it with loved ones will only add to the benefits. Outdoor hangout spaces are great for unwinding with the family after a long day or to conduct a hobby session with kids on off days.

8 Fabulous Outdoor Seating Arrangements
Dipen Gada and Associates
If you do not have enough space in your garden, you can create a similar arrangement on the terrace. Set up comfy seating and a pantry on the terrace or balcony deck so you and your family can spend time together, snacking, chatting, and playing cards or games in the evening.

Read more:
Stretching Space: 9 Kicky Ways to Create a Room Within a Room
Expert Speak: How to Make Your Home Adapt to a New Normal

Tell us:
How and where do you spend family time at your home? Tell us about it in Comments below.
Print
Embed
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Be the first to write a comment
Explore Related Topics
More Room GuidesDecorating Ideas
Read Related Stories
7 Super Clever & Gorgeous Custom-Made Storage Ideas7 Super Clever & Gorgeous Custom-Made Storage Ideas
By Amanda Pollard·12
Decorating Guides
Balancing Modern & Traditional: 11 Gorgeous Indian SpacesBalancing Modern & Traditional: 11 Gorgeous Indian Spaces
By Aditi Sharma Maheshwari·5
Decorating Ideas
Inspiring Skylights, Glass Ceilings & Angled WindowsInspiring Skylights, Glass Ceilings & Angled Windows
By Kate Shaw·31
Architecture
14 Accessories That Will Never Go Out of Style14 Accessories That Will Never Go Out of Style
By Charmean Neithart·36
Decorating Ideas
7 Spiffy Built-In Storage Systems That Work Almost Anywhere7 Spiffy Built-In Storage Systems That Work Almost Anywhere
By Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar·1
Bedroom Guides
Do You Know About Flexible Floor Plans & Function-Fluid Spaces?Do You Know About Flexible Floor Plans & Function-Fluid Spaces?
By Rebecca Naughtin·6
Architecture
7 Natural Stones That Can Give Your Floor a Colourful Twist7 Natural Stones That Can Give Your Floor a Colourful Twist
By Shristi Nangalia·6
Decorating Guides
Custom Furniture: How to Manage Carpentry Work for Fitted WardrobesCustom Furniture: How to Manage Carpentry Work for Fitted Wardrobes
By Pooja Khanna Tyagi·2
Decorating Guides
5 Gorgeous Ways to Refresh Your Stairs With Paint5 Gorgeous Ways to Refresh Your Stairs With Paint
By Barbara Milner·29
More Room Guides
Hi-Tech Living: What Are Smart Homes?Hi-Tech Living: What Are Smart Homes?
By Pooja Khanna Tyagi·4
Life
Fighting Pollution: How to Keep Your Indoor Air CleanFighting Pollution: How to Keep Your Indoor Air Clean
By Aditi Sharma Maheshwari·0
Life
Stretching Space: 9 Kicky Ways to Create a Room Within a RoomStretching Space: 9 Kicky Ways to Create a Room Within a Room
By Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar·1
Decorating Ideas
10 Must-Have Furniture Pieces for Small Flats10 Must-Have Furniture Pieces for Small Flats
By Vinita Kunnath·0
Small Spaces
5 Spaces Where ‘Stolen Space’ is a Game Changer5 Spaces Where ‘Stolen Space’ is a Game Changer
By Kate Burt·9
More Room Guides
Standard Height for Counters, Tables, Shelves, Lights & MoreStandard Height for Counters, Tables, Shelves, Lights & More
By Charmean Neithart·86
Living Rooms
People who liked this story also liked
7 Super Clever & Gorgeous Custom-Made Storage Ideas
7 Super Clever & Gorgeous Custom-Made Storage IdeasFull Story
Balancing Modern & Traditional: 11 Gorgeous Indian Spaces
Balancing Modern & Traditional: 11 Gorgeous Indian SpacesFull Story
Inspiring Skylights, Glass Ceilings & Angled Windows
Inspiring Skylights, Glass Ceilings & Angled WindowsFull Story
14 Accessories That Will Never Go Out of Style
14 Accessories That Will Never Go Out of StyleFull Story
7 Spiffy Built-In Storage Systems That Work Almost Anywhere
7 Spiffy Built-In Storage Systems That Work Almost AnywhereFull Story
Do You Know About Flexible Floor Plans & Function-Fluid Spaces?
Do You Know About Flexible Floor Plans & Function-Fluid Spaces?Full Story
7 Natural Stones That Can Give Your Floor a Colourful Twist
7 Natural Stones That Can Give Your Floor a Colourful TwistFull Story
Custom Furniture: How to Manage Carpentry Work for Fitted Wardrobes
Custom Furniture: How to Manage Carpentry Work for Fitted WardrobesFull Story
5 Gorgeous Ways to Refresh Your Stairs With Paint
5 Gorgeous Ways to Refresh Your Stairs With PaintFull Story
Hi-Tech Living: What Are Smart Homes?
Hi-Tech Living: What Are Smart Homes?Full Story
  • India
  • ABOUT
  • MOBILE APPS
  • PROFESSIONALS
  • BUTTONS
  • FAQs
  • CAREERS
  • ADVERTISE
  • Terms & Privacy
  • © 2021 Houzz Inc.