Philadelphia: Jeanes Street

When designer Gen Gorder first saw this room, it was as boring as could be, and the low ceiling made the space feel stuffy. The room had been used as a "male sanctuary," so Gen wanted to leave this basement "guy-friendly" while making it a welcoming place for friends and family to congregate. Gen was inspired by the game Scrabble and painted the floor to resemble the squares on a Scrabble board. She got rid of the sky-blue walls and painted them a warm cream color. To accent the room, Gen painted the coffee table black, covered the sofa with a slipcover and created throw pillows inspired by the Scrabble board. Amy Wynn Pastor completed the room's new look by building a wall-length bar.