Episode 1
Rebecca and Sam have been married for seven years and have four children. Their son suffers from a rare hereditary immune deficiency, XLA, whereby he can't produce his own antibodies. He needs an area for peace and quiet when he has infusions away from the chaos of a household with his younger siblings.
Share your own ideas, chat to other IKEA members and get more details on the items featured in each episode, at the IKEA community.
Living room
Before
With the living room being the hub of the home and the whole family spending up to 3 hours a day here, there was limited seating, floor space and a need for more storage. The room was painted white and whilst the TV was the main focal point of the room, there was lots of clutter and toys.
After
The sofa selected is ideal for this big family as the deep seating means you don’t need foot stools. Mounting the TV on the wall was an easy way to free up floor space, and by adding shelving into the alcove the family gains more space to maximize storage and minimise clutter. Creating more floor space and adding a large soft low pile rug creates plenty of space for the children to play. The TV is hidden with a clever solution with acoustic panelling to create style and reduce the noise. The walls are painted dusty pink with a touch of yellow pigment to give it a soft inviting feel, with lots of art and picture frames to introduce the family's personality through decoration.
Bedroom
Before
The family of six were using just two out of the three bedrooms, with the smallest room used as a transitional space full of outgrown clothes and unused toys that all needed to find a new home.
After
The unused box room was turned into a first bedroom for one of the children. The space was decorated in a bright, creative and entertaining theme, to help enjoy her new-found independence. The room was given plenty of toy storage. The bed was changed for a more child friendly option, which helps to create more floor space for play, whilst the bed can also grow with her as she gets older.
Conservatory
Before
The conservatory had little use before and was full of clutter but had lots of potential for the family, who previously tried to use the living room at the same time. The old conservatory barely had any space to move around in and was only used for laundry and storage. The family were also in need of a calm spot for their son to use during his weekly medical treatments.
After
The conservatory come laundry room has become a multi-functional space with a home cinema solution for their sons weekly 3-hour medical treatment to help him to sit still in peace. A child's craft zone has been created with built in storage to avoid taking valuable floor space. The utilities and storage are neatly hidden away out of sight behind a curtain in a dedicated storage cupboard. Hanging plants are used to add life and colour, whilst helping to keep the floor space free.
Need help to plan your own transformation?
Wish you lived in a space designed by IKEA? With our interior design services, you can! We can help you solve a smaller problem (taming cables, arranging furniture, choosing colours/materials, tailoring lighting) or design a complete interior for any room in the house.