"You can transform your family room by rearranging the furniture you already have," says
Design Basics show host Sherry Ruggieri. Just follow these basic design principles:
- Define the functions of the room. Clearly understand how you use the space.
- Establish a focal point or two. You might include the television, fireplace, a window or an aquarium just to name a few. You must decide where you want to focus attention so you can arrange the furniture accordingly.
- Don't block traffic flow with furniture. Some good rules to follow:
- Allow three feet for pathways in and out of a room.
- Chairs and sofas should be no more than eight feet apart (too much distance makes conversation difficult).
- Keep about 18 inches between the sofa and coffee table.
Practice Arranging on Paper
Plan your room by arranging furniture on paper. Here's how:
Materials:
measuring tape
note pad
graph paper
straightedge
triangles
pens and pencils
architect's scale - a three-sided ruler available at craft or art stores
Steps:
- Before measuring, do a rough sketch of the room.
- Measure the room, including overall dimensions, doors and which direction they open. If the family room area essentially ends where the carpet stops, complete your measurements there, too.
- With graph paper, a straightedge and architect's scale, draw the room on a "half scale." That means that each 1/2 inch on your drawing represents one foot of the room.
- Measure all the furniture that will go in the room. Draw the measurements on half scale, and cut out the shapes in different colors of construction paper.
- "Arrange" the furniture on the scale drawing of the room, as shown. If you've violated any of the basic principles (above) for arranging a room, simply rearrange your furniture on the paper.
Dos and Dont's: Arranging the Family Room
- Don't arrange furniture too far away from a focal point, particularly a video screen or fireplace. Nor should you put all the furniture against a wall or on one side of a room.
- Do cluster furniture around a focal point. For a good conversation area, make sure the furniture is arranged so people won't be more than 10 feet apart. At the same time, don't put furniture pieces so close together that traffic is blocked in the room or at entrances and exits.
- Place furniture so people can see the television easily, but avoid putting furniture directly in front of the television; instead consider using an ottoman, which kids can move close to the television for great viewing.
Tips From an Interior Design Workshop
Design Basics' Tracey Matisak attended an interior design workshop hosted by Denny Daikler. Here are some of the tips Daikler shares:
- Before you begin rearranging furniture, spend some time "focusing on what you love."
- Put together a workbook. All you need is magazines, scissors, tape and an inexpensive sketchbook. Quickly browse through the magazines and clip photographs that appeal to you. Tape them into your sketchbook. You may want to divide them into categories .
- After collecting photographs of your favorite rooms, look through your sketchbook for clues to your personal style. If sheer fabrics, casual furniture and bright upholstery appear repeatedly, think about how you can incorporate these items into your home .
- Before committing to fabrics, paint colors or accessories, arrange the furniture .
- In arranging the furniture, avoid the mistake of placing everything against the wall. Be bold. Set sofas or area rugs on angles--it's more visually interesting. "Setting furniture on angles or bringing things closer to the center of the room can really make it warm," says Daikler.
Guests Denny Daikler
Interior Designer / Facilitator, Interior Design Workshops
1233 Stump Rd.
North Wales, PA 19454
Phone: 215-822-9720
Fax: Same as phone
Email:
Ddaikeler@tradenet.net
Lars Spicer
Interior Designer
101 Carter's Grove Lane
Malvern, PA 19355
Toll Free Phone: 800-731-9736
Fax: 610-296-7284
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