A reader asks for a space plan solution for this family room in their new house.
You can see why this narrow 13' by 22' is difficult. This is one of the reasons I suggest straight arms, depths of no more than 36", and tight backs (no loose box cushions) on sofas, if you aren't decorating your dream house. They give you flexibility in various spaces without giving up comfort. You can also see in the photo, they have a very large TV to accommodate. I think it would be impossible to use the current furniture in the space effectively. Hopefully, it can be re-purposed to other areas of the home. I suggest splitting up the group too. I know it is cost effective to buy multiple pieces in a group–the key is too separate them in your house. For example, you could use the loveseat in a sitting room of a master bedroom, the sofa in a family room and the chair and ottoman in a library for reading. This is what I would suggest for this room.
When you have long rooms you need to divide the space to accommodate several functions. In this case, I put the behemoth (not in a bad way, I like to see my HD as much as the next person) TV on the largest wall of the room. In this room I have designed a TV watching space and a library/game table space. I think a sectional or the existing sofa and a free standing chaise would be a better fit in this space due to the size and entrance placement. Adding bookcases at the end will diminish the narrowing effect a bit. When your ceilings are low, you can always hang the curtains just below the crown to visually expand the space. If your existing curtains are too short for a new space, just add a wide band of fabric to the top or to the bottom. Hope this helps.
3 Comments
Comments are closed.
I love it!
Thank you for this detailed post! It is a hard space to design but this gives us something to think about. I like the separate space for watching TV but since we already have a library nook in the basement, I think we’ll alter your design a bit to create a second cosy intimate seating area in place of the library/game table space. I’ll send you pictures once we’re done =) Thanks again!
Love it Kristin! Great idea to mix up the furniture “sets”. I had two chocolate brown love seats in my office that made it very crowded, but felt like I couldn’t break them up…I’ve now moved one into my family room, which was lacking in seating and love it! It’s one of the great things about having a designer or someone without a preconceived mindset come in and take a look at your space!