ReDesign for Living
Recently, I met with a homeowner whose house had gone under many renovations over the past number of years. Each one was well-planned and helped to create an open concept plan for living. Now, with the major renovations behind her, she wanted some suggestions on how to breathe new life into her living room.
A glimpse into the the space that surrounds the living room:
There is a lovely foyer leading to the living room entryway that opens into the dining room. Extra windows were added during an earlier renovation which brings light from the back of the house all the way through to the front, creating a bright and inviting space.
I began by asking the homeowner some questions about how she spends time in the living room. She told me she likes reading a good book in front of the fire in her recliner, playing her piano (which is between the living and dining room), and hosting her book club gatherings in this space.
The living room had a three seated sofa, two small matching recliners, a side table, coffee table and a lamp. She was concerned about the seating arrangement and wondered if the recliners were taking up too much space. She was also thinking about replacing the sofa. She wondered about adding a sectional sofa or possibly two love seats. Both the art work and lamp she felt were not working in the space. As you can see, the home owner had been pondering about how to make her space work and was struggling to make a choice.
We talked about furniture style and placement and whether some pieces could be rearranged or not. By the end of our conversation, the homeowner decided to keep one of the matching recliners and replace the second (which had been blocking the view from the window) with a chair with a lower back, and search for a sofa in a lighter colour as well as a small glass-top coffee table to better showcase her beautiful Persian rug and open up the room. Once these pieces are in place, she will add a lamp that will provide softer lighting at night, while still maintaining the cozy, open atmosphere. She decided that during book club meetings, she will bring in a few dining room chairs for extra seating, so as not to over-burden the space the rest of the time. Finally, a painting, left to her by her father, found another place in the home to better showcase its beauty. It was lost in the large space, hanging above the mantel and as an art lover, she is now thrilled to be hunting for the perfect piece to complete her living room space! Sometimes it is just another eye needed to help make these decisions.
This living room ReDesign ultimately required some additional investment, but many of the existing pieces could be reused. Re-Design is an affordable way to breathe new life into a space. Whether you are living in the space or moving to a new space. By incorporating your favourite pieces, a professional can offer creative solutions that will fit your lifestyle. This home owner loves living in her house and will continue living there for many years to come.
