Living Room, Family Room, Furniture NotesTab 5

Living Rooms & Family Rooms

• When it comes to furniture arrangement, each area of the house has a specific purpose and, therefore, special requirements. In planning any room, always consider how the room will be used.

• In some homes, the family room serves the same function as a living room. Either room can be a place to relax and entertain.

Seating Options:

• Sofas

• Chairs

• Love Seats

• Sectional sofas offer flexibility because the sections can be grouped in different ways.

Seating Options:

– Arrange the seating so people may talk

– L or U-shaped layouts are popular

Seating Options:

• Provide convenient surfaces for reading materials or refreshments near the seating:

• End table• Coffee table• Sofa table• Wicker chest• Tea cart• Rustic pine bench

Seating Options:

• (Choose pieces that are in proportion to the sofas & chairs nearby)

• The living room or family room may also include:

• Stereo• Television• CD player• Computer• Video Game System• Other Electronic Equipment• Entertainment Centers (holding electronic

equipment / accessories)

These items may not be the focal point of the room, but they

should be placed where they will be convenient to use.

How to Plan Your Furniture Layout • Basically, you are going to ask four

questions:– 1. Where are the balance lines of this room? – 2. What are the traffic patterns of this room? – 3. What is the focus of this room? – 4. How can I establish the axis of this room?

Question One: Where are the balance lines of this room?

• Very simply stated, a room is in balance when the "weight" of the furniture on one side of the room is about the same as the weight of the furniture on the opposite side.

Question Two: Where are the Traffic Patterns in this room?

• What are the entry-ways into this room? Where will people need to walk? Is there clear “walk-ways” in your room in relation to furniture placement?

Question Three: What is the focus of this room?

• Too many foci lead to a “busy” eye—too much to look at.

• Too few foci lead to a dull room; furniture placement should be done in relation to “room harmony” and “room’s theme”

Question Four: How can I establish the axis of this room?

• What is the central point of this room—where are most of the activities / functions of this room to be located? Do all other “secondary” furniture pieces/accessories support this?

Principles of good furniture placement:• Keep the room’s purpose in

mind

• Consider such features of the room as doors, windows, heating, and cooling vents, and electrical outlets.

Principles of good furniture placement:• Provide for traffic patterns

– The route people use to get through a room or from one part of a home to another.

Principles of good furniture placement:• Leave clearance space

– Additional space furniture takes up when it is in use

• Do not overcrowd a room

• Balance furnishings

Principles of good furniture placement:• Create a focal point

• Consider views

• Use imagination

Consider “Feng Shui”

• Feng shui means "wind and water" or "natural forces of the universe" in Chinese. It's an ancient art based on the harmony of natural forces. The ancient Chinese believed that these forces affect everything in our world.

• Today, feng shui is a popular concept in interior design in Europe and the United States. Feng shui has been adapted to modern life. It's used in residences and office buildings.

Two forces in Feng Shui:

• "Sha" is hard energy, like the energy from electric items, such as an air conditioner or a television. Air-conditioning can be good if it's very hot outside. But the electrical item can create "bad" energy.

• "Chi" is soft energy. This energy is very healing and it's usually good. But you shouldn't have too much "Chi" in your home. There should always be a balance of "Sha" and "Chi."

Concepts of Feng Shui:• " Feng shui is also based on the five

Chinese elements: wood, mineral, fire, water, earth.

• Colors are important, too. • The central idea of feng shui is simple:

you should live in harmony with your environment. If the layout and decor of a house or office is "good," the "chi" flows smoothly. This means health and prosperity.

General rules you should follow: - Chairs and sofas should face the door.

- Plants are good. But you shouldn't have any sick or dead plants in the house.

- You shouldn't put a door or desk in front of a window.

- You should decorate your living-room with candles and small fountains.

General rules you should follow:

- In the city, cover windows with curtains or blinds so you cannot see cars outside.

- There should be no mirrors in the bedroom.

- If your bedroom closet has a mirror, cover it with fabric

General rules you should follow:- Mirrors in other rooms should never be in front

of a window.

- You shouldn't have a television or a computer in the bedroom.

- Your bed should not be next to a window.

- In your bedroom and living-room, you should use the following colors: beiges, cocoa browns,

pinks and apricots.

The bagua is considered the "map of feng shui." It is designed to help you figure out which parts

of your home correspond to each of the nine areas of your life.