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Where Do I Put This Stuff?

I've heard it more than a thousand times, "My room is too small, or too narrow" and even, "too big." "Nothing looks right; where do I put this stuff? Can you help?"

When deciding furniture placement in a living room or family room, you must incorporate several design elements: the focal point, access in and through the room, and the upholstery placement for comfortable conversation.

My advice would be to first determine what the main purpose of the room will be. This will help you determine the focal point. Will it be used for family gatherings, to watch TV, to entertain guests? A room can have several different options for a focal point, (i.e., a great view, a fireplace, an entertainment center, etc.) so deciding what you want to focus on will help you determine where the furniture should be placed.

It's all about how you use your space and what you see. If it is a multipurpose room, (for instance, there is a fireplace and you also need a place for the TV), try to position the TV either on the same wall as the fireplace or on an adjacent wall forming a right angle. Trying to orchestrate a room around two opposite and equal focal points can leave a room feeling disjointed and cold. A room without a focal point is uninteresting.

Visualize an imaginary square approximately 12 feet x 12 feet in front of your focal point. Arrange your furniture to fit within these dimensions. You can make it a smaller square but anything larger than this is uncomfortable to carry on a conversation without raising your voice.

If you're creating a space for entertaining guests, remember that people tend to separate into dyads (groups of two) so make this easy for them by providing comfortable seating for two or four, close to each other with chairs angled toward each other. Use all corners of the imaginary square.

Consider "floating" some or all of your furniture in the middle of the room. Lining up your furniture against the walls, particularly opposite walls, lacks imagination, hardens the look of the room and makes everyone feel isolated. This, of course, depends on the size and shape of your room, but most of the rooms I see could be much more interesting and intimate if the entire room is used, incorporating different geometric configurations.

By using some of these tips, you will be able to create an intimate, comfortable and interesting room that will also be functional. In subsequent articles we will discuss the importance of using multiple fabrics, patterns and textures to give your room a rich, graceful appearance.

Happy Decorating!

Nan Hall has been a design/sales consultant with Furnitureland South for more than 15 years with sales over $1 million each year. Nan is extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of furniture design. Her customers find her easy to work with, possessing a great eye when coordinating fabrics, rugs and accessories. If you would like Nan to create a room just for you, please call her 336.841.4328 ext. 2277 or e-mail her at (nanhall@furniturelandsouth.com).