Families are spending more time at home, so today’s family room must be equipped for various activities. Family rooms can be aesthetically pleasing and function well with these tips:

Hardwood floors are one of the most important design elements in your home or business. Wood adds value and comfort to any decor — no matter what your style preference happens to be. According to WoodFloorDoctor.com, using wood for floors dates back as far as 1625. This means wood flooring is one of the oldest product categories in the home building industry. Nevertheless, the category is robust with new (and old) products.

Accessories are what I consider to be the final “layer” of a home. The best-designed home isn’t complete until you’ve added a few of your favorite things. It’s up to you to decide what and how much you want to bring into your home. Some of my clients want a clean, minimalist approach. In this case, a few well-placed items are all that is needed. Others love to surround themselves with cherished objects and collections. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

With children, pets, guests, errand running and a career, my rooms start to look a bit shabby by week’s end. But I have found ways to keep clutter at bay. Here are my top five tips to bust clutter and capture serenity and beauty in every room.