STYLING THE LIVING ROOM
SPACE PL ANNING T I PS
• Begin by sketching in large furnishings such as sofas, easy chairs, and armoires on the space plan. These key pieces will determine what other furnishings are needed and how you might use pieces they already have. • Seating configurations require logic to them, so look for a natural point of focus to provide it, such as a fireplace, a bank of windows with a great view or a media wall. • To encourage conversation, place chairs and sofas within 8' of each other. • Consider the balance of the furniture. Keep pieces of similar scale together. A large coffee table would look better in front of a sofa than a small love seat. • Balance large pieces such as a sofa with either another large feature or with several smaller items, such as two small armchairs. • To add visual interest, combine linear with round pieces and tall with short pieces. • The distance between a television and the seating should be three times the size of the screen. For example, to watch TV on a 27" (69 cm) screen comfortably, you should sit 71" (180 cm) away from it. • Once the large furniture is placed, plan for traffic patterns around them. Major pathways require 36–48" (90–120 cm) for comfortable passage. • Allow 14–18" (36–45 cm) between a coffee table and sofa, and 24" (61 cm) between other pieces of furniture. • Avoid forcing traffic through conversational spaces if possible. • Consider adding furnishings that increase the functionality of the space, such as wall shelving for storage or a table that doubles as a bar during parties. • If the room will be used for entertaining, plan for extra seating and place tables next to seating for food and drinks.
• When planning an open-plan living area or large room create separate activity zones that are subtly differentiated while leaving ample space for traffic flow, here are some tips: • A u-shaped seating group allows the greatest number of people to sit together. • A dividing line between zones such as a seating area and dining table can be delineated by the back of a sofa. • A conversation area can be defined by a large rug, while wood floors in an adjacent zone like a dining area can be left bare. • Open passages to other rooms and to an outdoor deck can be created by ‘floating’ furniture — positioning it away from the walls — in the center of both spaces. • A few large-scale pieces of furniture make a greater impact in an open space than a lineup of smaller pieces, which can create a disorderly look. • For large spaces you could have 2 sofas facing each other and then 4 chairs facing each other to fill the space nicely. • A small space may require furniture with storage and versatility, such as a media cabinet with shelves, cubes and trunks or baskets. • The Living Room is often rearranged at holidays to accommodate seasonal decorations or holiday entertaining. Discuss their holiday strategy when space planning. • Your client may want to position painter’s tape in the room itself, representing each furniture piece in actual size, to see how the layout will impact the traffic flow.
81
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator