Kelly, Dave and their two young children moved from a small downtown condo to a large house in the suburbs so they could have more elbow room.

But they found that as their space expanded, so did all the kid clutter - after four years, their living room had morphed into one big playroom. It wasn't until a neighbor came over and asked if they ran a day care that the couple realized they were in serious need of change.

They longed for a grown-up space that was cool and comfortable, with plenty of room for entertaining guests. So I relocated all the kids' toys to the basement, called in my crew and got ready to transform Kelly and Dave's "day care" into a sophisticated, adult living room.

The living area is the first room you see when you enter the house, so I wanted to make it stand out as a stylish showpiece but still cozy enough for Kelly and Dave to enjoy with friends and family.

The first thing I did was paint the room in a fresh coat of cream. I then ripped up the old builder's carpet and installed a more tasteful Brazilian cherry plank floor in a rich, chocolate finish.

I turned one whole wall into a photo gallery of different-size family photos arranged into a huge rectangle. But it was the opposite wall that really got the royal treatment. On this wall I installed mahogany cabinets with doors of triangular-cut mirrors and an electric fireplace with a cast stone surround.

Then, for the crowning glory, I put up a "disappearing television" to satisfy both Dave's and Kelly's needs (he wanted one, she didn't). It's a flat-panel television concealed behind a framed picture that slides up or down via remote control.

For the furniture, I decided on a mixture of traditional and contemporary, including light-colored channel-back club chairs and a camel-back sofa in a stylized damask with a blue and metallic finish. I chose dark wood for the side tables and a beautiful area rug of blues and golds. I then put up a gorgeous window treatment of gold dummy panels and organza sheers embossed with a paisley pattern.

Now that the living room looked so chic, I had to attend to the adjoining dining room. I painted the walls ice blue and put in some beautiful furniture, including a dark wood dining-room table and accompanying button-tufted chairs.

For some extra sparkle, I put up an elegant single-pendant light over the coffee table in the living room and a variety of lamps throughout the space. After a few more accents and finishes, this space was complete.

Interior decorator Candice Olson is host of HGTV's "Divine Design." For more ideas, information and show times, visit HGTV.com or www.divinedesign.tv.