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Norsu's living room proves style can be family friendly

Presented by Godfrey Hirst

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The team from Norsu had their work cut out for them when it came to the living area of their latest renovation, but as usual, the result speaks for itself.

In any family home the living room is often the most frequently used space, working hard as a multi-use area for dining and living – as well as entertaining and relaxing.

“We’re huge advocates of open-plan living and love the trend of moving away from formal lounge and dining rooms that get completely under utilised.

“Large multi-function living rooms bring the family together and create a sense of warmth and belonging,” explains expert renovator, Nat Wheeler from Melbourne homewares store Norsu.

living room loungs

Here’s proof that a stylish living area doesn’t mean it can’t be family friendly, too. Picture: Ross Campbell


But there are a few things to remember when it comes to nailing the design of a living room that ticks all these boxes.

How to create a family friendly living room space on a budget

Create different zones in the same space

Nat suggests creating zones that are separate, but still work to feel like a cohesive space. This means while the family will be together, it won’t feel as if you’re living on top of one another.

“We have an adults’ dining area with a 10-seater table dedicated to entertaining; a gorgeous children’s nook with bench seat doubling as storage; and a casual lounge area for relaxing at the end of a busy day”.

dining and living area

Subtly dividing the area into different zones will help it feel more spacious. Picture: Ross Campbell


Allow some areas to be closed off

It’s not all about being together as a family – all the time. There are times when it’s necessary to close off an area for privacy and noise control.

“For this busy family, it was integral to close off their main living room at the end of the day to keep the noise down so their little ladies can sleep,” says Nat.

“With such a large opening, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to create a Norsu hack. We’re obsessed with barn doors and constructing them ourselves allows us to be creative with our design and keeps cost to a minimum.

“A pre-made barn door 2m in width normally costs about $2,000 – and we whipped [this one] up using MDF for about $250.”

dining table barn door

This genius barn door helps close off the area to control noise. Picture: Ross Campbell


Opt for hard-wearing surfaces

By selecting your finishes and textiles with care you can create a stylish and chic space that the whole family can love for years to come.

“Being parents ourselves we always focus on practicality and not only design”, explains Nat.

“We designed a bespoke sofa crafted out of family friendly leather, we opted for Caesarstone hard-wearing surfaces that can be easily wiped down and the non-negotiable was an engineered timber floorboard from Godfrey Hirst.”

Nat says they chose ‘Coastal Oak’ from the ‘Oak Elegance’ range: “It literally hides every mark.”

kids dining area

Family friendly, hard-wearing surfaces such as these floorboards aren’t just great for kids – they can be stylish, too. Picture: Ross Campbell


This article was originally published on 1 Apr 2019 at 9:00am but has been regularly updated to keep the information current.

Godfrey Hirst

Godfrey Hirst has a long history of over 150 years’ experience in the flooring industry. A focus on research and development keeps Godfrey Hirst at the forefront of bringing the latest flooring trends and technology into your home, to help you create a beautiful, stylish and comfortable spaces that you can live in, worry free.

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