Adjusting Furniture Layout for the Optimal Seat
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You all know I have an interesting history with my den. I didn't fall in love with it immediately like other rooms in my house. Slowly, over the three years we've lived here, I've been making strides towards loving it. You can see my progress here and here.
Despite all of my efforts, I still didn't love sitting in the den when I wasn't watching TV. I had suspicions it was because all of the furniture was positioned facing a TV wall instead of the beautiful views out the windows. I do know that I choose where I sit in my house based on view (anyone else?!), so to remedy this, I put a chair in the office/play area facing out the window, thinking I'd sit there, but I still never did.
A few weeks later, on a whim, I moved that chair into the TV area but facing the windows and lo and behold, I began to sit there all the damn time. I think this was because 1) I liked being able to see the entire room PLUS the windows and 2) I could still talk to other people in the den. Finally, I had found the perfect chair position for me!
These doodles show where I first positioned my chair. It was just a few feet from the large window with the main TV area behind it.
Then I realized my ideal chair position was against the paneled wall next to the TV.
However, the result left the den feeling lop-sided and weird layout wise. I didn't care though. I was content to leave my chair awkwardly in its position until one day while nursing in my new location, it dawned on me that I should push all of the furniture out! Duh! Not only would this make my perfect chair location make sense, but it would give us more floor space for playing and would make the entire room look bigger!
It took a bit of adjusting and some advice from my favorite home stylist (Ashley Daly), but I'm really really enjoying the new den layout. I think we're another step closer to true love. Now I just need a bigger rug...
I tried to cluster the chairs in the middle of the room to keep the walk-way behind the couch. Yuck!
I pushed the sofa all the way against the windows and pulled the chairs up to the rug. Close, but not ideal.
Here is where I landed for now. The sofa is slightly floated out from the window wall and both chairs are positioned for conversation, not TV watching.
Here. This is my optimal seat position. It only took me 3 years to figure that out.
The view from my chair. I can see out the windows PLUS the entire room. Apparently two things very important to me.
The teeter totter is both a toy and a table!
Having the two chairs positioned away from this TV wall is so nice. Who wants to stare at a TV that's not on?
Now I just need to reposition the hanging lights to line up with the sofa again.
My yucca is so happy in this south window.
We do collaborative interior design.
Our sessions are fun, productive and end in a beautiful space!
