Farewell to faux past

Updated: August 17, 2012 - 3:20 PM

A family room goes from drab and dated to sleek and chic.

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AFTER: Perfect for entertaining, this room is guaranteed to lure city friends out to suburbia, where they'll be wined and dined in style.

Photo: Bbp, Star Tribune

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THE PROBLEM

The family room of this young couple's home was stuck in an '80s time warp, with faux finishes of every description, a stucco ceiling, worn carpet and dated fireplace insert.

THE SOLUTION

Designer Candice Olson and crew gutted the space and rebuilt the club-inspired party room from the ground up.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The rough walls with their various faux-finish treatments were smoothed out by "skimming," a tedious but necessary process that banished the ragging, sponging, stenciling and crackle finish for good.

• The family-room fireplace got a classy facelift with the installation of a new gas insert and a surround made from a cream-colored quartz stacked stone with a natural sparkle. A large glass-fronted display case and a media center flank the fireplace.

• Opposite the fireplace is a swanky lounge area, complete with a rich custom-made banquette and the couple's reupholstered tulip chairs, all positioned near a round, quartz-topped cocktail table with a pedestal base carved to resemble a tree.

• The club-style banquette camouflages an unsightly bulkhead. It's topped with plentiful throw cushions to give a feeling of cozy comfort so the space is not only glamorous, but livable.

• A wooden floor was installed to blend with the flooring in the rest of the house, and dated wainscoting was removed. Recessed lighting was installed in the freshly drywalled ceiling.

• To round out the furnishings, Olson placed two charcoal loveseats on a creamy, textured area rug and added an oval ottoman in the center. Creamy drapes that flank graphic printed roller blinds for the patio doors and a small work center tucked into the corner are finishing touches to a hip but functional gathering place.

BEST TRICK

A recessed light in the ceiling shines down on a group of crystal drop pendants over the table, making them sparkle and adding just the right touch of classy elegance to the space.

Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service. Interior decorator Candice Olson hosts "Candice Tells All," which appears on HGTV.