Rearrange for a New Look!

Hi gang,

I’m still working on my new calendar (woo hoo– don’t you love a fresh new calendar??) and getting my posts lined up for the weeks ahead, so bear with me a bit for a few days.  🙂

Today I thought I’d share my mom’s living room and a rearrangment we tackled while I was visiting last week.  My parents moved into a brand-spanking-new house last winter and have started from square one with furniture, too.  Daunting, right?  Well, Mom hasn’t been happy with the arrangement in their open living space.  Initially they tried several different things, but kept bumping up against traffic patterns, a bit of an awkward corner (with incredible light and views, though), and the overall flow of the room.

This is actually a horrible “before” photo, but it’s the only one I took, not anticipating The Great Rearrange!  She has two coordinating sofas (one slightly plumper than the other), the marble slab coffee table, TV mounted over the fireplace.  You can also see how her kitchen bar angles off behind that sofa– she’d love to add a couple of bar stools there, so it was important to maintain that space.  You surely have noticed the brass plated outlet in the middle of the floor.  Useless with this arrangment.  Off to the right are Mom and Dad’s chairs, their perches for watching TV, opening mail, reading the paper, etc.  They must each have their own chair– non-negotiable!  And behind those chairs are some wonderful built-ins.  Also off to the right, about where my elbow would be while taking this picture, the staircase up to my Mom’s loft.  Her playroom she calls it. 🙂  Behind me is a smaller, more formal living space with a beautiful bay window.  Here it is with the Christmas tree…

These two spaces are open to each other.  And they both are used and enjoyed.

Here are the problems: 1)  The traffic pattern between the two living spaces (and the kitchen/foyer, too)was in front of my parents’ chairs.  You’re constantly walking in front of whoever is sitting there.  Sometimes not a big deal, but sometimes an issue.  2)  The big living space lacked a conversation area that worked for Mom.  Clearly the two sofas create one, but when Mom and Dad are in their chairs, they are a bit distant.

So, we got to shuffling things around.

The first thing we did was put the smaller of the two sofas in place of the chairs.  Then we shifted the larger sofa around so that it formed an “L” and slid it back so that it covered the ugly floor outlet.  Lo and behold!  She’s got a little space for a round table and a lamp where they meet.  Then we shifted their chairs over to the slightly awkward/well-lit with a view corner.  Ignore her little cane chair you’re glimpsing in the corner there, it’s not staying there. 🙂  Her little bench now fits perfectly in front of the fireplace.  And… drumroll… a conversation area!

View toward the kitchen.

Looking back at the built-ins and the staircase.  We added a floor lamp behind the sofa for reading light.

Flow to the other space and the stairs now has options– including behind Mom and Dad’s chairs.  They don’t even mind that one of them doesn’t have a view of the TV. 🙂

Pulling everything a little closer together not only changed the traffic pattern, but it cozied up the space, too!  Love what re-thinking the function of a space can do, don’t you?  Mom and Dad are enjoying the new layout tremendously.

Sorry for all the glare in the photos ~ I didn’t actually intend to post them here! But you certainly get a sense for how light and bright their wonderful home is! Thanks, Mom, for letting me share your space with my readers!

Check out my post on Four Tips for Managing Your Home Projects in 2012— my first as an official contributor over at Fancy Little Things!

Sharing here:

Back later in the week with some Catalog Finds and a Mom Cave update!

Happy Decorating (and Rearranging!)!