Creative Space
Large room is difficult to plan
May 12, 2010
David Ferguson
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Q: Our new home has a large, spacious family room that has proven to be a real challenge when it comes to its furniture arrangement.
The room seems to have something impeding furniture on every wall, including a corner stone fireplace, access to the garage, a frequently-used breakfast bar and access to our backyard.
We are a family with of three adults and three small children and, because it is located right off the kitchen, the family room is used all the time for entertaining, watching television, playing and just relaxing.
Our furniture includes a relatively new leather love seat, sofa and chair set, as well as a beautiful armoire that we use to house the television, other electronics and the children’s toys.
We have lugged furniture around the room endlessly in an attempt to have a practical and good looking arrangement, but inevitably we block the patio door or diminish the spacious feeling that we love about this room.
A: With a large family, you not only need enough seating to accommodate everyone, but you need space to move around and between spaces.
As well, you need a design that will be as low-maintenance as it can be.
In this family room, the armoire that houses the television must be considered as an integral part of the room’s decor and as such should be considered the focal point of the room.
While not a small room, your family room is not an easy one to plan.
At one end of the room, a major traffic flow area connects the kitchen and other areas of the house and restricts any furniture placement there.
Two other major focal features — the fireplace and view to the garden — are located next to each other, creating a natural draw to that area of the room. Because TV-viewing is a primary function of this space, it is logical that the television be placed here as well.
My plan calls for the longest sofa to be placed on the only wall with no impediments, the chair directly opposite that, and the love seat angled slightly into the room, all the pieces oriented towards the television, creating a good conversation area, and one that is ideal for TV viewing.
In my drawing, the transitional space between the seating area, the kitchen and the other areas of the house, leaves the heavy traffic zone completely clear of any obstacles.
Even with bar stools at the kitchen counter there is still plenty of space for the children to play.
In a room this large, with so much natural light, the wall colour could be more dramatic and the window and door mouldings given more prominence. You might choose a medium blue-grey tone for the walls and a light cream tone for the doors and mouldings.
For the upholstery, coordinate shades of blue tones and choose accessories of warm wood tones to offset some of the coolness.
This colour combination will complement your existing pieces and give the room a greater feeling of unity.
You can emphasize the view by creating a more dramatic window treatment that will draw attention to the large expanse of glass.
Striking, sculptured side drapes with a matching tailored valance will draw attention to the view, regardless of what’s sitting in front of it.
Use two panels to conceal the window frame and soft sheer curtains to help filter the strong sunlight during the daytime.
Write to David at ferguson@creativespaceonline.com and check out his website www.creativespaceonline.com.