The Family Room

across America, children are trapped in beige prisons not of their making.

It’s never been more clear that while it’s called the “family room,” it’s really just another room designed for—and by—mom and dad. A boring room with no real thought given to the entire family. It’s time for a change. This is THE FAMILY ROOM.

THE FORMAT

In this original design format, every member of the family gets to weigh in on the design of the ultimate "family room."

  • Day 1: We start by getting to know the family. Then, the kids banish the parents and, working with adult designers, the kids get to pitch mom and dad on the vision of their dreams, beginning with the youngest children. Each child has 24 hours with a designer to get their work done.

  • Day 2: The older kids take their turn to put their stamp on the room.

The kids can go as wild as they want, but no matter how outlandish they get, on Day 3, the kids are sent away, and the parents come in to see what the room has become. The parents will work off-camera to decide what stays, what goes, and what they’ll add to the room before inviting the kids (and viewers) back for the final reveal.

Will the parents undo all the kids’ work and make the grown-up room of their dreams, or will they incorporate their children’s choices into a space that truly is THE FAMILY ROOM?

THE TONE

The format is designed to be aspirational and positive family programming, with only a touch of drama, balanced with emotion and understanding.

These are children with amazing ideas—if only their parents would listen…

What do the choices the children make say about them?

  • Is the cozy book nook under the stairs because the introverted daughter wants somewhere in the room where she fits in while the rest of her boisterous family watches the game on the big screen?

  • Is the mural on the far wall because the artistic brother just wants more color in a beige room?

  • Is the fold-down ping pong table there because, in the parents' over-designed vision, the youngest doesn’t feel like they can play without messing things up?

Will the parents incorporate either directly or just the essence of their children's creative visions to make sure the room is a place where the whole family feels at home?

This not just any room, this is The Family Room.