Design Time on WMEN TV5
February 2020
Today we talked on TV5 about....
Decorating different room shapes and layouts can be trying, especially today when we have HUGE TV's, a fireplace, doors and windows of course! Where do we put the furniture?
It can seem almost impossible to layout the room in these small spaces.
One of the harder layouts is a narrow room.
If your room is narrow, what is important to look at in putting the room together?
First, access your space. Where are your focal points in the room?
When setting up a narrow room, it is normally best to put the main furniture (such as the sofa) and the main focal point (such as the TV across from each other making the space between the two areas smaller.
You may first think that having the TV at the end of the room looks laid out best, because there seems to be more walking space in the room. And walking space is very important, but first we are looking at focal-point placement.
In the first room plan, the loveseat is 12 feet away from the 50" TV. You may wish that you had an 80" TV at that distance, and only 2 people really, have a direct line of site to the TV.
The next room plan has the TV across from the sofa. You and your 4 friends can all watch the 50" screen at 8 feet which will be better on your eyes, if you are watching a foreign film. Being closer takes away that tunnel vision that comes with the focal point being all the way at the end of the room.
Do you think a sofa or a love seat is a better fit in a narrow room?
Can a sectional work?
Well, I would first want to talk to you and see ...
Who is using the room?
How is the room being used?
How many people will use it at one time?
Asking the right question, gets you to the right pieces of furniture and the right layout. A sofa and a loveseat is a good start if they are the correct scale for your room. I would show you two room layouts....one with a smaller scale set with a 35" depth and the other one with a wider set with a 42" depth. The walkway on the narrowest part of the room is almost gone with the wider set. The room is no good if you cannot get into it to enjoy it! And again, you are being pushed away from the fireplace wall as the furniture scale gets larger and wider. Smaller scaled items are better in a narrow room.
Other layouts will also work and may even work better within your narrow room. Often a sofa and a chair works well within a narrow room, because it allows for clear walkways into the sitting area. Having the right layout and the scaled furniture is really important.
A small scale sectional has no problem fitting into a narrow room. There is plenty of seating, the walkways are clear, the TV is at a proper distance and the fireplace and the piano are still inviting as a focal points. Now, you may need something different in your room and that is why we ask questions and/ or come out to your home and measure. We want it to fit your needs, your style, your comfort and be correct for the space. Please come in and talk to us if you want to set up a house call.
Last tip on Narrow Rooms...
Often when we go to House Calls, we notice that rooms do not have proper lighting. Narrow rooms will feel even smaller and darker if they do not have enough light. You should have a pair of lamps balanced on each side of your largest piece of furniture. It may be good to have a floor or up-light also in your narrow space.
