Disclaimer: There is no disclaimer for this post! I have nothing to rant about. I’m also very confident that nothing in this article will offend, irritate or madden anyone.
Oh magazines…how do your rooms look SO pulled together, yet perfectly cluttered, cozy & glamourous? Besides the designer’s creativity & skill in creating a room from scratch, there are some cardinal rules that are the basis of the rooms’ loveliness. Want in on some insider secrets? Here are my personal faves:
- Create a conversation area in the living room. This is achieved by grouping seating together in a way that it is comfortable to talk to a person sitting across from you. Talk is the key word, not YELL or play charades to communicate. Each seat should have a surface to place a drink within reach, without having to say ‘Go, Go Gadget ARM!’
Here are some specs:
- Conversational areas shouldn’t be larger than 10 feet in diameter; if the room is larger, create another conversation area.
- Coffee tables should be placed approximately 18 inches in front of a sofa
- When in doubt, test the space! Sit on the sofa and have someone else sit in the chair/sofa across the room. Can you converse with ease?
Living Room Before Staging - Sofa was on far right wall
Living Room After Staging - we created a cozy conversation area that highlighted the mantle
2. Consider traffic flow. High traffic areas should be easy to manoeuvre through. REALLY easy. If you have to turn sideways, take a deep breath and squeeze through any part of a room, there’s a problem. Over furnishing is often the root of the problem. Do you really need four mismatched armchairs crammed into your living room? I’m sure they ARE cozy & you’ve had them for years. Perhaps they can be used in other rooms? Rid your rooms of unnecessary items; believe me, the difference will astound you.
More specs:
- An idea passage way/space is 3 feet in width. Does your space pass that test?
- Dining rooms should have approximately 46 inches of space between the wall & dining table to allow for chairs to be pulled in and out.
Den Before Staging - The traffic flow was a bit awkward with this set up which made the room feel small
Den After Staging - We used chairs from other rooms of the home that resulted in a functional den with lots of room to walk through
3. Stay away from the walls. Allow me to dispel a myth: there is no law stating that sofas must be placed against a wall. There, it’s out in the open. Placing furniture, specifically seating, against walls is often why rooms don’t feel right. It’s usually difficult to communicate when rooms are arranged this way. Pull sofas away from the walls and see the difference for yourself!
Small condo living room. If the sofa had been placed against the wall, the room would have felt tiny & very restrictive.
4. Choose your focal point. In living rooms it’s often either the mantle or a great view. Build the room around it, meaning, arrange the furniture around the focal point so it’s always visible when people are seated.
The bed became the focal point in this room and we built the room around it
Bedroom Before Staging - the existing furniture arrangement didn't show the best use of space
