There's a bar in the armoire and a big flat TV on the wall.
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For David and Carol Bass, the decision to renovate the family room of their 1979 center-hall Colonial in Marlboro boiled down to wanting a place to wall-mount a big flat-screen TV.
So, they sacrificed a sliding glass door to their backyard deck, exchanging it for a narrower window to make room for a 65-inch television across from the sofa. They can still get out to their deck from French doors in their kitchen, remodeled eight years ago.
The renovation
Next, he couple decided the entire family room needed an update. It had not been changed in a major way since they bought their 4-bedroom, 2-1/2-bathroom house in 1983.
"The couch was 32 years old," Carol Bass said. "We had a full brick wall, and it made the room very dark. It just needed remodeling."
So they hired Sandy Levin, owner of Beautiful Interiors Design Group in Freehold. To help brighten things up, Levin brought in contractor Brian Massey. He installed drywall over the fireplace wall, removed the sliding glass door and installed two new windows.
The remodeled fireplace has a new face, created by a sheet of mosaic tiles and a new custom mantel. To further warm things up, Levin had the room painted in a warm neutral.
The room is outfitted with designer furnishings from Robert Allen and Kravet and covered in quiet, neutral upholstery from the respective brands.
"The overall goal was to update with a transitional look and to make the room a warm and inviting functional space for entertaining and relaxing," Levin said.
"They wanted a bar in the room, and that was the perfect location," Levin said. "Closed it's a beautiful armoire, open it's a full bar."
The room has become a repository for family heirlooms and art that recalls vacations. It's where Carol keeps her grandmother's vintage Singer sewing machine, its sleek black form elaborately detailed with the red "eye" decals that make such machines a collector's item.
Above the machine cabinet is a painting called "Every Happiness" by Doretta Groenendyk, a children's book illustrator. They bought it while vacationing in Canada. On the mantel over the fireplace, three framed Art Deco pieces were inherited from Carol's mother, including a signed Erte.
Carol Bass says they are pleased with the project. "My husband and I like to sit on the couch and watch TV some nights, and it's just a very warm, comfortable and cozy room."
What they renovated
The family room project included a fireplace update, structural changes, new hardwood floors, fresh paint, new furniture and decorative accessories
Who did the work
Beautiful Interiors Design Group and contractor Brian Massey
How long it took
The project began in January 2015 and took about 10 months. Work was delayed several weeks because Carol Bass needed medical attention.
How much it cost
About $50,000
Where they splurged
On a brown area rug with a raised, rust-colored pattern. "The rug has the strongest pattern in the room," Levin said. "We wanted something to really highlight the seating area and to make the room feel luxurious."
Where they saved
"We got a $4,000 chair for $800," Carol Bass said, of seating found at a Philadelphia design center.
Their occupations
He is a retired labor relations attorney now working as an arbitrator. She is a retired teacher. They have two married sons and two grandchildren.
What they'd have done differently
"I would put in larger windows," Carol Bass said. "I would have converted the wood-burning fireplace to gas."
Kimberly L. Jackson may be reached at kim_jackson@starledger.com