I asked for you to submit design questions last week and well, one of them sparked an immediate list of ideas in my head, so I thought I would tackle it first. The question was “Tell us how to better arrange our spaces!” Exclamation point included. Great question, so let’s get inside my brain.
Every situation is unique of course, but I have some general thoughts on the topic.
1: THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
Most rooms I work with are not standard. I think that is why people reach out. They have tried the couch on every wall, moved the coffee table two feet in every direction, and don’t know what to do with that odd window. So when I approach a room like this I really pull back and think boldy. What if we float the couch? What if we have two coffee tables? What if we cover up that odd little window with a hutch.
This kind of thinking attracts some interesting responses, but given time those crazy ideas can start to become real options. Here is an example.
These doors opened to a wet bar that the family never used. It really chopped up the room and kept the space from accommodating their large family. My first choice would have been to remove them, but it was a rental so no bueno. Then the wheels started churning and I suggested we just ignore it and arrange the furniture as if it were just a wall. Here is what it looked like after the change.
I never got a great photo of this wall. Which is a bummer because they have since moved, but you get the point. Thinking outside the box can really open up some layout options. Here is the room from another angle.
Let’s look at another example.
This dining table led to the ultimate battle of the sexes. She liked it centered under the light and he liked a larger path to the kitchen. This poor table was constantly getting pushed and shoved. To appease the marriage (and help the table), I suggested turning things 90 degrees. Voila!
Problem solved and my clients mentioned it was their favorite part of the project!
2: STOP STARING AT YOUR FIREPLACE (OR OTHER FOCAL POINT)
This one is a game changer. As homeowners, we are programmed to love fireplaces. Cozy, inviting, the bonus feature when buying a home. And if you are lucky enough to have one, you are gosh darn going to focus on it, right?! Well, I’m here to say that you don’t have to stare at a fireplace to make it the best feature in your room. YES, if you have a grand room and can make multiple seating areas, then by all means slap two chairs and a sofa in front of that bad boy. BUT if putting a sofa opposite a fireplace is keeping you from maximizing your space (and actually enjoying your fireplace) then shake things up.
Case in point. A large room with an off-centered, ho-hum fireplace. The natural thought is to center the couch in front of the fireplace and call it a day, but this arrangement divided the room and kept it from living its best life.
SO…..we custom built a couch that primarily faces the view (and a great view it is) and opens up the flow of the room. Can the client still enjoy the fireplace? Yes! But now the rest of the room can enjoy being more open and functional!
Here is another example of turning the couch away from the fireplace.
Boom! Instant flow!
3: PULL YOUR FURNITURE AWAY FROM THE WALLS
It’s amazing what a few inches can do to a space. I can pull a couch/chair/table three inches from the wall and almost audibly hear the piece of furniture sigh. Light now filters down it’s glorious back. Chiropractic visits related to all that wall tension are canceled. A general sense of peace is had as it is welcomed back into the conversation pow wow.
Let’s see this magic at work.
This client had spent years hosting large groups, so the furniture was pushed to the edges of the space to accomodate all those people. But when we met she was ready for a change and just wasn’t hosting like she had been. So….I suggested pulling the furniture in to create a more intimate conversation area and the results….well.
Amazing, right? All the same furniture, just pulled away from the walls! And you can now see those stunning inlay floors. This one was fun and I can only imagine the conversations that ensued from this change.
Here is one more example.
This client didn’t know what to do with this room. It was couch heavy and apart from watching TV, the room didn’t function well, let alone allow for conversation. My first thought was to pull the couch away from the window and engage it more with the rest of the space. That little 12” change made a huge difference and the rest of the room started to come together.
We even had room for a console and some much needed light.
4: RETHINK SYMMETRY
Don’t get hung up on symmetry. This one is along the lines of rethinking your focal points, but can apply to small details too. Don’t get me wrong. Symmetry is a HUGE part of good design, but don’t let it keep you from finding the right furniture arrangement in your home. One mistake I see is always centering the sofa under a window or between two doors. It is a great rule to follow, but if things aren’t working because of it, try moving things left or right.
Here is a great example.
This client had centered the couch between the two windows. A natural decision. But when the new sofa arrived I pushed it off center so we could accommodate the gorgeous side table my client built and engage that far corner more effectively.
Also, in this next picture you will see the change in flooring. If we had kept the sofa centered the side table would have awkwardly straddled the two floors. So this subtle shift helped with that transition. Fun news! I am working with this client on their kitchen and dining space remodel which includes new hardwood floors in this area! Stay tuned!!
#5 CONSIDER THE FUNCTION OF THE ROOM
This isn’t applicable in every situation, but when it works it really works! Consider making your formal dining room an office, or a spare bedroom a den, or crazy talk here, flip flopping rooms. As in the case of a client I recently helped. We made the formal living room the den, the den a homeschool/music room, and the formal dining room a playroom. Whew! I don’t have pictures, but the husband said he feels WAY more relaxed in the space now. Rethinking spaces can be life-changing.
More examples of this here and here.
And funny. As I was looking at past work for this post, I noticed I already mentioned some tips here on arranging furniture. I guess it is a hot topic! I hope this helps…and happy arranging.