HOME DESIGN- SPACE PLANNING 101

Do you find yourself tugging and pulling on your furniture to create a cozy space…just to find out once you get it in the new place, it looks off? Space planning can be frustrating if you don’t know what you are doing, but done properly, it can save you lots of time. I have come…

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Do you find yourself tugging and pulling on your furniture to create a cozy space…just to find out once you get it in the new place, it looks off?

Space planning can be frustrating if you don’t know what you are doing, but done properly, it can save you lots of time. I have come across rooms where all the furniture is shoved against a wall with a chair placed too far from the sofa which can make it really difficult to have a quiet conversation. The bigger the space, the harder it is to make it feel cozy. So I have put together some examples and tidbits to get your mind and furniture in the right zone.

I really like the look of the pink room located below.  Very cozy 🙂 It makes use of a lovely color, shelving and storage space, and has plenty of seating.  What’s your favorite color to decorate with?

Enjoy!

USE:

The first thing you should think about is how are you going to use your room?  Is it a kitchen where you want to create a cozy breakfast nook with storage, or a family room where the children will be playing games and watching TV?  Perhaps you are simply looking for a quite space to curl up and read a book.   Or what if you only have a very tiny area and you need to break it up into all the categories that I just mentioned.  (This is the most difficult space to plan)

Other factors that come into play are:

  • Where will you place electronic systems
  • Storage solutions
  • Sleeping spaces for guests
  • Does the furniture you have work, or will you have to buy new
  • Style and color scheme
  • What will you use to create the focal point
The pink sofa with the colorful art work above gives a nice focal point to this room. Notice the play of color peeking out on the shelving. Crisp, Clean, and Cozy!

via~ vi.sualize

SCALE:

Keeping your furniture to “Scale” is one of the most important tips in keeping a room balanced. Work with a grid or graph paper and always measure your room twice paying special attention to the height of your wall, width of the doors, and which way they swing…in or out.  Make sure to write down all measurements on your grid and keep track of items like window sizes, outlets, and corner measurements.

One easy way to play around with your space is to take blue tape and size out your existing pieces of furniture on the floor. Or tape newspaper together to create a full-size image print of the piece and then position it in the room on your floor. You will have to shove your items to the side to do this, but you can get a realistic view of how the space is going to look before you start placing your furniture in the spots. You can also make use of the Ikea planner or Copenhagen room planner.

Keep in mind, to measure all doorways height and width as well as the entry clearance.  Nothing is worse than buying a beautiful sofa and then not being able to get it through the doorway. Don’t forget about tight turns, ceiling fans, and any stairway banisters that you might have to maneuver through.

Notice the placement of the lamps in this room…placed behind the sofa instead of on an end table by one side of the sofa. Nice color blocking with the blue and white adds a uniform consistency to the space.

via~ vi.sualize

LAST BUT LEAST-BUYING FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES

Ok, this is the fun part.  Pay attention to the size of the items you will be purchasing.  Bring your measuring tape with you along with the sizes/dimensions of the space you are looking to fill. Keep in mind colors, textures, and patterns.  Look for handy “duplication” items like ottomans that also have storage…they also do double duty as you can move them easily around a room when you have guests.  Think about what kind of lamps to fit in your space that offer sufficient lighting.

Consider the size of your coffee table and how it will ground your space.

Placing a chaise lounge by a window is great for creating a focal point in the room. You have a nice view and cozy place to read a book, and when placed diagonally across from a sofa, it can help pull the rest of the room together so conversation flows.

Allow ample space for moving around your furniture.  Eighteen inches is the standard distance that you should allow from a chair to a table or sofa.  If you have a tiny room, you can go down to fifteen inches, but anything less will give you a cramped space.

This design makes great use of an entire wall with a built in header with storage and a place to display art work.

via ~ vi.sualize

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