Dear Marc:
I am currently working on my floor plan and am trying to figure out how to properly place my furniture in the living room. I have one sofa and two chairs. The room has one doorway coming into the room and a fireplace on the opposite wall. Where do I start? -- Annie
Dear Annie:
The key to achieving a successful floor plan is proper planning. The first step is to take inventory of all the furniture pieces that will be present in the final design.
Now take a look at the room to see if there are any architectural elements you need to take into account. Architectural elements can be found in the form of a fireplace, large windows, columns, doorways, etc. In this case, you'll want to sit facing the fireplace. Doorways also alter floor plans, since who wants to come into a room and have to squeeze past the sofa to get to the other chairs? The key is for everything to be functional. It may look pretty, but if you can't use it, then you don't have a successful designer space.
Now you need to locate the focal point of the room, which the seating will revolve around. Some architectural focal points are fixed, such as a fireplace or bay window. But there are instances where the focal point of the room is not apparent or is non-existent, forcing the homeowner to create one.
A focal point is essentially a point in the room where the eye will be drawn upon entering the space. This point will also be the focus of the seating arrangement. A focal point is traditionally used to accentuate a special feature found in the space. In this particular space, we have already determined that the focal point is the fireplace.
Now look for ways to place the furniture so every seat in the room has a clear view of the focal point. It does not have to be a direct view of the focal point, but should be within a 180-degree view. For instance, a chair doesn't have to be placed facing the fireplace, but rather, it can be placed facing the sofa, which is located on the wall perpendicular to the fireplace.
The other consideration when arranging your furniture is to create balance. You always want everything in design to balance, since even the most design-illiterate person's eye will automatically see if the space is balanced or not. She won't know what is wrong with the space, but she'll know it just doesn't look right.
To determine if you have properly placed your furniture in your space, simply test it out. Sit on every piece of furniture and see if you have a clear view of the focal point, if you are comfortable and if you have access to a hard surface to set your beverage on. If you have checked off a 'yes' to each, then you have yourself a designer space, so enjoy!
-- Postmedia News
Marc Atiyolil is the editor-in-chief of Canadian Home Trends: Canada's Home Decor & Lifestyle Magazine. To submit a question for Marc, visit CanadianHomeTrends.ca
