Creative Space
Mission style furniture should be repeated throughout room
February 16, 2012
David Ferguson
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Q: I have just purchased a new home that has a large living room but the room is broken up by a number of windows (floor-to-ceiling) and openings that make a comfortable arrangement seemingly impossible.
I have a large, mission-style entertainment centre and I would like to be able to watch the television comfortably from any seating arrangement.
At present, it seems someone always has to turn their head to watch the set.
I have two loveseats and was planning to purchase more furniture, but don’t know where to put it or what would be appropriate.
A: At first glance, this room’s basic floor space certainly seems adequate enough to accommodate everything you would like, but a few architectural features command most of the floor space available.
One of the long walls is dominated by a huge opening to the dining room and another is overshadowed by three high, narrow windows.
After several attempts to incorporate you loveseat and a few occasional chairs, I finally decided on what I think is a good, cosy arrangement that accommodates all your design criteria, including your requirement to see the television without wrenching your neck.
In the plan I have drawn, I have tried to organize the room in a symmetrical arrangement to make up for the asymmetry of the large opening.
When creating any seating arrangement, it is always a good idea to place the largest pieces first.
That said, I have centered a large sofa on the long wall with a console table behind it, easily accommodating at least three adults comfortably.
Opposite it, on the window wall, one love seat is placed on a slight angle to give it a better view of the television and to bring it closer into the seating arrangement.
Next to it, a large cosy chair, possibly a swivel chair, completes a good seating arrangement for six.
As this will be more a family room than a formal living room, it will be well-used and the sofa’s fabric should be durable and resistant to stains and soiling.
If your budget will allow it, you might consider leather. If not, a tightly woven cotton-synthetic blend pre-treated against stains will provide you with years of wear.
Whenever a specific piece of period furniture is prominent in a room, it is often a good idea to repeat that style for a look that fashions one, harmonious interior.
Mission furniture, or Arts and Crafts style, embraces quality materials, craftsmanship and simple lines.
It is characterised by fabrics and wallpapers with Gothic, floral and Japanese designs that complement, rather than overwhelm rooms.
Furniture is often block-shaped and usually oak (like Gustav Stickley’s pieces) and lighting was beautiful as well as useful
Think of Tiffany’s stained-glass lamps, for example.
Fabrics were often in warm hues like deep red, mossy green, indigo and ochre, and contrasted with neutral tones of cream, ivory and stone.
Minimize the types and finishes of wood in the space and try to keep accessories simple and limited to as few as possible.
Typical accessories are of metalwork with a hand-beaten, medieval feel, or ceramic and stoneware pots.
To give the windows a more Arts and Crafts feel, use sheer and plain fabrics to let in light.
They can be unlined and hang window-length from wood or brass poles.
Write to David Ferguson at david.ferguson@hotmail.ca.