Question: Our living room is 13 by 20 feet. We are in the process ofbuying new furniture pieces and a computer. I would like to break up the room to serve as our family entertainment room as well as having an area for the computer. My son is 10 and my daughter is 6.

I would like to keep a few pieces - a floor lamp, a small antique Asian piece (32 inches tall and 22 inches wide), a round antique two-tiered Asian table (about 33 inches high) and our 36-inch television set that sits on a corner piece.

The room has a huge bay window and an off-center fireplace that protrudes from the wall. What is your advice for decorating this room?

Vita Sanchez,
Concord, CA

Answer: This family room is a real challenge but I think there's a workable solution in here if you're willing to incorporate some fairly simple changes.

The good news is that there are lots of good elements already in place to use in our new floor plan. The bad news is that there is an awkwardly placed passage to the kitchen in between the bay window and the fireplace.

It's a relatively easy fix but one that will take some flexibility on your part.

The bay window is clearly a focal point that will visually draw people into the room from the front door and hallway. The fireplace is another focal point and one that can be incorporated into the new design with the bay window.

The window and fireplace beg to become a quiet reading place with seating for socializing, conversation and television watching.

TRANSFORM PASSAGEWAY

There's only one problem here: The passage to the kitchen. It's hidden and redundant. Thank goodness there's another entry to the kitchen because the folding door passage would be the perfect nook for a bookcase. I'm sure this passage space on the kitchen side could be used more effectively as well.

By closing the passage and building a bookcase in this narrow space, you'll add an element that allows this awkwardly shaped room configuration to work more effectively.

Build the bookcase to be deeper than the normal 12 to 16 inches.This will make the recess appear shallower than it really is.

On the other side of the fireplace you can continue the bookcase for several feet along the long wall. Because you're bringing the other, smaller bookcase forward, it gives you the depth to incorporate an entertainment unit that holds your television as well as your stereo equipment.

Build the lower shelves with doors on them so you can hide someof the clutter that tends to accumulate around TVs and stereos, liketapes, CDs, extra cords and wires.

This combination of bookcases will unify the long wall as well as incorporate the fireplace into the wall design. It also serves to make this part of the room perfect for the family to gather around the TV.

Use the bay window as an anchor to the new seating arrangement by building a window seat into the bay of the window. Make sure that it has a hinged top so the "box" you're creating can become a hidden storage place. It's useful to have a space like this for blankets and extra pillows just in case you need to use the sofa for an unexpected guest.

Have a foam cushion made to fit the shape of the window seat and cover it with a fabric that complements the other upholstered pieces in the room. Use throw pillows of mixed fabrics and colors to visually unify the other elements in the room.

Place the sofa in front of the wall opposite the fireplace and entertainment center/bookcase.

With a coffee table, a couple of comfortable club chairs, end tables and lamps, you've succeeding in creating an inviting and comfortable seating area at the same time as solving one of your design dilemmas.

COMPUTER WORK AREA

Creating an area for the computer and work space is another challenge with a fairly straightforward solution.

The nearly 4-foot-long solid wall next to the hall closet is the perfect place for a built-in desk area. The design should include drawers below and shelving above. And make sure there's good lighting for this work space by having lights designed into the underside of the shelves above the work surface.

If the desk isn't the first thing you want to see when you walk into the room, build a short wall that extends into the room a couple of feet. This wall should be as long as the closet wall opposite it, creating a small nook.

The 4-foot wall that is the back of the hall closet can be used to place your small Asian piece or your round Asian table. Put an interesting collection on it with a nice lamp to keep the light flowing through the room.

With these solutions to your two design challenges you can see that every room offers a solution to a family's living and working needs if you're willing to think "outside the box" and be flexible.

 

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