Question: The room has very little wall space, being much like a tree house in that it has many windows. We do not wish to have all of the furniture directed at the TV; we'd like a conversation grouping.

We wish to purchase a sofa and complementing chairs but do not know how and where to place them. The two sofas currently in the room are too big.

We have thought of softening the look with a sectional, but do not know where to place it to avoid making the room appear "top heavy." Any ideas?

Jane Rateaver, Oakland

Answer: There are countless reasons to love a room with lots of windows: the wonderful view of nature, the great light and an overall sense of space. Of course, for all these benefits there's a downside -- how do you place your furniture with so few solid areas of wall?

Let's start arranging the room from the fireplace outward, since its position is something we can't do anything about it.

Ideally, we'd like to see the sofa near a fireplace for a variety of reasons. The fireplace is a large architectural feature that anchors the room and the sofa is a good piece with which to balance the space. By placing the sofa near the fireplace we also create a pleasing arrangement for seating, since people are drawn to gather near the hearth.

Because the fireplace is on an angle with the entry near it, let's think outside the box. Starting with the largest piece of furniture, don't put the sofa against any of the window walls, but instead "float" it into the room opposite the fireplace on an angle to the windows. This creates balance to the large element of the fireplace.

Additional seating comes from two comfortable chairs placed perpendicular to the sofa. When you have more guests, use a few small "occasional" chairs that are placed appropriately around the room when not in use and can be brought into the main seating area when more chairs are required.

Place a circular or rectangular coffee table in the center of this seating arrangement, and voila, your living room area is complete.

The next large element we have to deal with is the piano, but fortunately we can move it to another location. Let's place it nearer to the sofa and use it as a visual room divider. We'll bring it closer to the area where people gather because people like to participate with music. This also gives us an opportunity to visually offset the fireplace.

By moving the piano out of the dining area this space is freed up to be used as it was originally intended -- for a table and four to six chairs. This also brings the dining area closer to the kitchen door.

In order to bring a television into this furniture mix, I suggest storing it in an armoire. When the TV is not being used, you can hide it behind closed doors, and the furniture piece itself becomes a decorative element. Let's place the armoire on the one wall that's large enough to hold it -- between the dining area and the fireplace.

When you go to purchase this piece, make sure you select one with doors that slide into the cabinet (called pocket doors); the TV should set on a shelf that can pull out and swivel. These are standard features on armoires that are designed to hold televisions.

A few well-placed plants will add an interesting visual element and act as a transition from the outdoors into the room. Consider putting a tall ficus in the space behind the sofa in front of the window corner.

Lighting is the final element to design into the space. It should provide adequate illumination for all the functions and not be visually intrusive itself.

A floor lamp next to the sofa on the side farthest away from the piano, a chandelier over the dining table and a lamp on an end table on the other side of the sofa should be sufficient.

For more textural interest, place an up-light on the floor under the plant that's behind the sofa.

Candles should always be a part of the lighting scheme in the evenings when you have guests. Two or three large candles on the coffee table and a few on the mantel should do the trick.

Whatever else you choose to add, make sure it lends a sense of purposefulness to the room, otherwise the space will seem cluttered and chaotic.

With this new furniture arrangement you can avail yourself of a wide variety of choices in how to use this space.

 

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