Decorating Dilemmas is a weekly column in which our stylists answer your design questions, so you can tackle your home decorating project with complete confidence.
Dear How to Decorate,
We recently purchased a home with a good size family room that measures 14′ x 24′. The back wall has a 9′ opening that enters into the foyer.
This room has a fireplace and will have a TV. My first question is how to arrange the furniture around the two focal points? This room also has a frequently used door/walkway that leads to the garage.
Craig
Dear Craig,
Congratulations on your new home! The family room looks like a great space with a lot of character. We’d love to help you come up with a layout that accommodates your large family room, and working with multiple focal points is a common challenge. There are really no rules about having to face one way or the other except for the obvious ability to see the TV. For the floor plan, we created three smaller arrangements but kept the feeling of one large space at the same time.
We love the neutral colors and the wood floors and we feel the Mesa Rug in an 8 x 10 size can become the jumping off point for your room. Our Spencer Leather Sofa will sit nicely facing the fireplace right in the center of the rug. We positioned the TV on the built in shelves to the right of the fireplace, but you may need to reconfigure the shelves to make this fit. Next, we’ve chosen two Shiloh Spool Chairs in Buffalo Check to the left of the sofa and the two customized Thurston Wing Chairs with Signature Velvet Slate inside and our Indochine print on the outside to the right of the sofa. This will create a nice balance on the window wall and a quiet spot to read while still being a part of the room.
We kept the palette of colors used very neutral with simple wooden accent tables, like our Allen Side Table and our Bornova Coffee Table.
Adding the Tuscany 6-Light Chandelier in the center is a must. This beautiful, wood chandelier will add such a nice glow to the room. We would also add a few Julian Apothecary Floor Lamps on either side of the sofa for task lighting.
Look at our Kashan Rug, the rust colors will pop on the end of the room where you have the most traffic. We can tuck our Sidney Table in gray in the corner with two Constance chairs in weathered oak for a little game table or morning coffee.
We’d like to create a focal point on the wall with the opening to your foyer by placing a Toulouse Low Bookcase topped with a large Lancaster Mirror. The final touch would be a grouping of our Fresh Birch Art.
Finish with many of our décor pieces like the Jade porcelain jars, a few of our Marrakesh pillows, pillows in Slate or Pumpkin velvet, or our Burlap Storage Ottoman.
The simple architecture of the room works well with this layout and allows an easy flow through the room. Thank you for the opportunity to share some of our ideas.
Happy Decorating!
The Design Solutions Team
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