Cozy, stylish can combine

Kelly, Dave and their two young children moved from a small downtown condo to a large house in the suburbs so they could have more elbow room. But they found that as their space expanded so did all the kid clutter and, after four years, their living room had morphed into one big playroom. It wasn't until a neighbor came over and asked if they ran a daycare that the couple realized they were in serious need of a change.

They longed for a grown-up space that was cool and comfortable with plenty of room for entertaining guests. So, I relocated all of the kids' toys to the basement, called in my crew, and got ready to transform Kelly and Dave's "daycare" into a sophisticated, adult living room.

Since the house is fairly new, the guts of the space didn't need to be changed, so I focused instead on bringing the existing layout up to date. The living area is the first room you see when entering the house, so I wanted to make it stand out as a stylish showpiece but still have it be cozy enough for Kelly and Dave to enjoy with friends and family.

The first thing I did was paint the room in a fresh coat of cream. I then ripped up the old builder's carpet and installed a more tasteful Brazilian cherry plank floor in a rich, chocolate finish.

I turned one whole wall into a photo gallery that contains different sized family photos, arranged into one huge rectangle. But it was the opposite wall that really got the royal treatment. On this wall I installed mahogany cabinets with doors of triangular cut mirrors and an electric fireplace with a cast stone surround. Then, for the crowning glory, I put up a "disappearing television" to satisfy both Dave and Kelly's needs (he wanted one, she didn't). It consists of a flat-panel television concealed behind a framed picture that slides up or down via remote control.

For the furniture, I decided on a mixture of traditional and contemporary, including light colored channel-back, club chairs and a camel-back sofa in a stylized damask with a blue and metallic finish. I chose dark wood for the side tables and a beautiful area rug of blues and golds. I then put up a gorgeous window treatment, consisting of gold dummy panels and organza sheers embossed with a paisley pattern.

Now that the living room looked so chic I had to attend to the adjoining dining room. I painted the walls in the dining room ice blue and put in some beautiful furniture, including a dark wood dining-room table and accompanying button-tufted chairs.

For some extra sparkle, I put up a gorgeous crystal chandelier in the dining room, an elegant single-pendant light over the coffee table in the living room and a variety of lamps throughout the space.

After a few more accents and finishes, this space was complete. Using a calm and contemporary color palette and rich fabrics and finishes, this living room is now toy-free and ready for some adult entertaining.

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Interior decorator Candice Olson is host of HGTV's "Divine Design." For more ideas, information and show times visit www.HGTV.com or www.divinedesign.tv. Distributed by scrippsnews.com.