If you've read parts 1 and/or 2 of the Layman's Guide, I'm going to assume (probably a stupid thing to do) that you've managed to purge the room you're concentrating on, getting down to just the things you love/absolutely need, you've accepted your flooring, be it tile, or wood, or laminate, or carpet, and you've chosen a paint colour that plays to both the room's strengths as well as to your comfort zone. Annnnnd time for more assumptions! Let's assume that you now fall into one of three camps:
- I LOVE my furniture and I want more just like it.
- I can deal with my furniture, but it's not my favorite. How can I make it more "me"?
- I have no furniture! Where do I even begin to fill up a WHOLE ROOM without going broke?
Should you find yourself thinking "I HATE my furniture. How in the heck do I work with this?" I STRONGLY suggest going back and re-reading part 1. I KNOW it seems daunting to get rid of so much stuff, but living with crap you hate isn't doing you any favors. All you REALLY need in a livingroom (which has been our basis for this plan) is a couch, and probably something to set your tv on. That's it. Yeah it can feel like you're a college student again, but so what? It's temporary, I promise.
I know this will go against what you often see on tv, but let's face it, for most folks nowadays, watching tv is the main use for the livingroom. Number #2 would be entertaining. So any furniture layout/plan should take those two things into account. Ideally you want an appropriate amount of seating for the company you entertain and "landing zones" to accompany that seating (more on that in a bit).
Regardless of which scenario you found yourself agreeing with above, I would suggest the following pieces:
- Seating for at least three adults. Even in the tiniest of apartments, you can make this happen. At a minimum this will imply either one larger sofa/sectional (3 people), a loveseat and chair (2 + 1), or three chairs ( 1 + 1 + 1)
- SOMEWHERE to set down a drink. You might surprised to learn that I don't think a coffee table is always a necessity. The fact is, most of them take up valuable floor and visual space. As long as you've got a shelf or side table within reach where you or your company can set down the remote, a coffee cup, or a wine glass, you're good. Even in a larger space, sometimes the open floor space can be more valuable than the IDEA that everyone "needs" a coffee table. When we lived in smaller homes, I found the open space invaluable as a play space for the kids, not to mention the perfect place for me to flip out my yoga mat without rearranging furniture every day. My point is not to always go by what everyone SAYS you should do, but with what actually WORKS for you and yours.
Admittedly these are all images from bedrooms, but the same idea would be great in a livingroom as well. It clears up floor space and adds visual interest, often for less than the cost of end tables (which tend to be freakishly expensive considering their diminuitive size.)
- Something to put your tv on and store electronics. On the one hand, most people tend to have a million electronics they need to house in their livingrooms. On the other hand, most of those electronics have been seriously streamlined over the years. Some smart stacking, organized cables, and honestly, it should take up much more room than a phone book + your flat screen. That said, you probably don't NEED an entertainment unit. All you "need" is a long, low surface, preferably with at least some additional storage in the way of shelves, drawers, or cabinets. 10" is all you need, in terms of depth, and you only need about 3' for width. REALLY.
Any of the options above would be great. You can find any of these styles at your local Ikea, Homesense, or thrift shop (I scored a sweet mid-century teak dresser for $10!)
Images found at: amazon.com, jossandmain.com, hayneedle.com, midcenturymodernfinds.com, and lizmarteblog.com
Those huge entertainment units are big money makers for furniture companies, but they're holdovers from a time when a surround sound, DVD player, and TV NEEDED all that space. They don't anymore. Don't waste your money or your wall space if you don't have to. Streamlined dressers, in particular, make for great entertainment stands, often for the fraction of the cost of anything with the words "TV" or "Media" in the name, they're often better built, and always offer more storage. Especially if you chose something with legs at the bottom, cords can easily be bound together and neatly store out of sight below the piece while still providing ventilation and easy access.
Summary: you NEED one or two pieces, MINIMUM for seating, a "landing zone" for each of those pieces, and something for your TV (and XBox. Admit it.)
Phew! So you've got a floor *duh*, you cleared out the stuff you didn't care about anyway, you picked out a great wall colour, and you've sorted out the basics for your furniture needs! Your room should already be kicking some serious butt. Next up, we'll figure out what your next furniture priorities should be, we'll work on getting you some "stuff", and we'll even cover artwork/wall shtuff... good job, boys and girls. As always, if you've got questions or comments, give me a buzz below.
No comments:
Post a Comment