We hadn’t shared an update on this room since the post more than a year ago when we hung the giant chandelier. Time flies. From the start this room has served multiple purposes: a cozy movie area, a lounge for reading, a workspace for us, and an arts-and-crafts zone for the kids that also stores their creations. We also needed storage for board games and work paperwork. Thankfully the room is large and has a single ideal wall for the TV, while the rest of the space is filled with big windows that help define the layout.
One side of the room became the TV zone, a cozy spot for movie nights. The other half functions as an office and art area for the kids and for our work, and that division has worked really well.
Photos rarely capture the true scale of this room—people often say it looks twice as big in person. To give you a sense: the rug under the sofa is an 8 x 10, and the room measures roughly 25 feet by 16 feet. There’s abundant floor space—another 8 x 10 rug could fit without touching the TV area.
The office and art area sits opposite the TV zone, anchored by built-in-style desks and bookshelves that hold craft supplies, paper, and our paperwork. The setup offers practical storage while keeping the room airy and bright.
When we bought the house in early 2020 the room looked very different. The long wall had a wood treatment we liked, but there were mildew and moisture issues along the top edge. The house had been abandoned for years and needed extensive repairs before move-in, including fixing leaks and replacing soggy drywall. Thankfully the wood wall only required a thorough cleaning rather than replacement.
Now the wall is clean and dry, and the room feels refreshed. Beyond cosmetic improvements, we made three important updates recently that increased storage and improved comfort. Here are those changes and why they matter.
Update #1: Moving the Bookshelves Up from the Kitchen
We moved two large Fjalkinge bookcases upstairs from the kitchen. They originally served as a temporary pantry and were extremely useful there, but their larger scale works even better in this room. The bookshelves fit perfectly between the windows and provide excellent storage for office supplies, kids’ art materials, and our paperwork. The drawers are especially handy for organizing receipts, tax documents, and finished projects, while the kids use drawers at their desk for supplies and artwork.
Update #2: Bringing Central Air to the Whole House
One of the biggest quality-of-life changes was finally routing central HVAC ducting to this room and the bedroom, creating a single system that serves the entire house. We originally discovered the property had no functional HVAC at all, and early attempts to route ducts ran into a ceiling header that limited options. After consulting multiple HVAC pros we initially installed mini-splits for the bedroom and family room while keeping central air for the other rooms.
The mini-splits worked but were oversized for our space and caused cycling and humidity issues. Later, a structural re-evaluation revealed a viable ceiling channel for full-size ducts. We replaced the mini-splits with proper central-air ducting and repaired the kitchen ceiling below the family room to make room for ducts. The mini-splits were resold, and the entire conversion cost came in under $1,000 for the final work we hired out, including drywall repair.
Now the whole house is more balanced temperature-wise, towels dry normally in the bedroom, and maintenance is simpler with a single system. The lesson here is that renovations often involve detours—new information can change the best path forward, and that’s okay.
Update #3: Repositioning the Desk into the Window
We shifted the desk closer to the window and created faux back legs so it tucks neatly into the sill. Moving the desk back about seven inches aligns it better with the flanking bookcases and creates a much nicer workspace. The view out the window makes working more pleasant than staring at the narrow wall between two windows.
The desk we’ve used for 15 years is a classic parson’s desk—durable, versatile, and comfortable. Paired with our favorite desk chair, it remains a reliable piece that can be moved and reimagined as our needs evolve. The Fjalkinge bookcases continue to be a favorite for their flexibility; they store everything from kitchen items to craft supplies and books.
Plants thrive in this light-filled room—neon pothos hang beautifully from shelves—and small details like a woven basket for trash and an air purifier with a neutral cover help keep the space tidy and comfortable. The chandelier’s scale works in person even if photos sometimes misrepresent it.
We also made a short video walk-through to show the room and adjacent deck; it gives a better feel for the space than photos alone. The room’s layout has stayed fairly consistent since we moved in—one side as an office and art area, the other as a cozy family and movie zone—and that balance has proven to be a durable and functional approach.
It’s fun to imagine how this space might evolve over decades—will the kids’ art desk become a reading nook or a guest area? For now, it’s serving our family well: practical, comfortable, bright, and organized.
This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.