Most-used space should be cosy
0 Comments | Winnipeg Free Press, Nov 19, 2006
First suggestion is to paint the wood panelling to give the whole room a fresh, bright feeling
DAVID FERGUSON – CREATIVE SPACE
QUESTION — My husband and I have a small, rectangular family room off the dining room and kitchen that was added to the house during a previous renovation.
The room has a much-used door that leads to a small deck.
The long window wall is finished in dark pine, as is the trim, and the carpet is a beige berber.
In this room we have a dark grey (almost black) leather sofa and a burgundy chair and foot stool.
We also have a small curio cabinet, a magazine and a CD rack and small end tables, although larger ones would be nicer.
We mostly use this space to read and watch television, but it is the most used room in the house.
Currently we have a large entertainment unit, but we plan to purchase a plasma screen television and the entertainment unit will be moved elsewhere.
Are we currently making optimal use of the available space?
ANSWER — Any room that is “the most used space in the house” should also be a cosy, comfortable and attractive space.
The room was likely built as a “sun room” although at present it appears anything but sunny.
The room is not large and the dark wall panelling that covers one wall, along with the window trim make the space feel even smaller.
Based on the photos that you enclosed with your letter, the wood furniture in this and the adjoining room, is a variety of different light and dark tones, including walnut, oak, maple and pine.
In a small room, this is too many wood tones.
My first suggestion is to paint the wood panelling to give the whole room a fresh, bright feeling.
Choose a light tone for all four walls and paint the trim a soft off-white colour to make the windows stand out and reflect the natural light that permeates the space.
The entertainment centre that is currently along the only clear expanse of wall takes up a large chunk of floor space.
Since your plan is to buy a plasma screen television, I wouldn’t plan the new space around this wall unit, but rather plan it as comfortable as it can be.
The only logical place for this television is on the largest wall space and I have shown the sofa placed opposite that, and the occasional chair adjacent.
I have allowed space for end tables to flank each side of the sofa.
Because the door to the deck is frequently used, there is nothing shown in its path.
The room should appear casual and generally, long, horizontal lines underscore a casual look and add to a restful mood.
While neutral colours such as beige, tan, brown, grey are often associated with the casual style, colours can also range from soft pastels to deeper tones such as green, navy and terra cotta.
Furniture in casual settings is often large in scale and selected for comfort and utility.
Unusual pieces such as wicker, rattan, recycled items, and rustic antiques fit well into a casual room.
Fabrics in a casual room are often either lightly or heavily textured, sometimes coarsely woven and usually without sheen
wood magazine rack