The Cozy Factor

 Hi Christine,

I've been faithfully following your blog, and I've read every single post you have written.

I am a desperate woman, in dire need of your blunt help with my family room.

This is our main room for TV watching and entertaining, and I kind of hate it. It does not feel cozy or balanced to me.

We ripped up the carpet and put down the hardwoods to match the existing that was everywhere else in house.  I removed the 8 x 11 rug I had in there (this one), as I wanted something a bit bigger and not so brown. I like traditional Persian and oushak rugs; however I don't want a red-dominant one.  My very patient husband has driven me all over NY, NJ and CT the last few months to go rug shopping. I've not found any Persians I'm overly keen on, so I was considering a seagrass rug and then punching up the pattern by replacing the linen drapes with something graphic (something like this? , or maybe this? ). I know you like a minimum of 3 in a room.

 I thought you might tell me to put the TV on the fireplace. We tried that, and it was too high and hurting our eyes.

I plan on removing existing vertical blinds left by previous homeowner and installing Roman shades, probably in a woven. If you want me to keep the flax linen drapes, I will have them hemmed and weighted, and also get a longer rod to increase the stack off to the side of the windows.

The only thing I really like in this room are the Greek key pillows I had made.

I was planning on having the armchairs reupholstered in something very graphic. I am at a loss on what to do with the huge wall behind couch. I have a 6.5ft long mirror I was considering, but that still doesn't take up the length of the wall.

My house is a traditional New England colonial, and the rest of my house is done in greys, taupes and blues. Those, along with light green, are the colors I gravitate towards. I'm including some photos of our living room (the blue room, or where our furniture goes to die) in case you want to tell me to use any of this furniture in the family room. The living room is currently a TV/train table room for the kids until we finish the basement. It will be dealt with at a later time.

I am excellent at following directions, and I hope that you can help me. I promise to take pictures and show you what I've done.

Cheers, and thank you ever so much,
Laura

Hi Laura,

Your wood floors are beautiful!  Good move!

I want to address three things with you that will make all the difference in the room:

1.  Your TV

2.  Your big blank wall

3.  The Cozy Factor  (or lack of it)

Let's start with your television.  Yes, it's true that the first thing I would say is, put it above the fireplace or move it to a different room.  So- now that it is staying in this room, and not above the fireplace, I do have another plan for you.  What is really wrong with having it like it is, is your rhythm.  It is very poor rhythm the way it is.  To improve that, I added two large shelves, and set it on an angle on one of them.  The height of the shelves (from Dovetail), gives a different type of rhythm and balance to the wall.  Is it as perfect as no TV at all?  No- but it is a good solution that doesn't sacrifice your furniture arrangement and balance that I am trying to achieve in the space.  Number 2- that big wall.  You have two ways of dealing with the large empty wall.  First, you could have a large collection of wall decor.  One large mirror will not do the trick.  It would still be out of scale with the massive size of the wall.  Or, secondly, you could add furniture to the wall.  When you do this, you change the scale for the wall decor.  Instead of having a relationship with the wall it is on, the wall decor now has a relationship with the furniture that it is over. The piece below is 94 inches in length.  That is great.  With that said, your furniture should have a scale relationship with the wall.  I did this by using a very long buffet table, and then also adding two sconces on either side. 

Do you see how I took you from having to cover 240 inches of wall down to about 70 inches?  You're welcome. 

Now for the cozy factor.  Your room is not cozy because:

First of all, your furniture is too small.  Get larger, taller furniture.  I selected a couple of pieces for you from Bernhardt.  Nothing is cozier than a wing back.  It's like you're being hugged as you sit there.

I also selected for you a sofa that is a larger scale than your current one, and with a softer fabric, and a higher back and arm.  The larger size with be a better scale for the room, taking away the awkward "I'm too small" look that you have. 

I also added two large ottomans for the center.  They push right together to look like one.  An oversized ottoman, or oversized coffee table, could serve the same purpose.  However, you would pay quite a bit more generally for an oversized piece.  Using two is sometimes a cost saver. 

This is the Ulster ottoman from Bernhardt.

Secondly, the scale of the patterns in the room make a difference as well.  Larger patterns in darker colors brings a large room in.  I just went off your pillows and selected a rug and fabric for you.  This rug is from Uttermost:

Of course, sometimes a rug is like a piece of art, and you might want to stumble upon the one that is perfect for you.  Either way, you could get a jute or sisal rug,  (9 x 12) and then later layer a patterned rug on top of it in an 8 x 10.  When you are purchasing a very expensive rug, this can save you thousands of dollars.  It also increases your textural variety, and can buy you time if you want to take your time on the second rug. 

I would not use your soft fabric on the drapes.  The bolder option you had selected is alright.  I also found one from Lee Jofa for you. 

Again, the bolder print will make your large room come in closer. 

Texture is the third aspect that will make a room cozier.  Ramp up your texture in your rugs, woven wood Roman shades layered with a textured drapery fabric, soft upholstery fabrics and plants.  Wallpaper would also be a terrific addition.

A few more additions:

A bench for under your window.  This gives the room a good rhythm, as well as additional seating.  It can be pulled around to the front of the fireplace for a boxed seating arrangement with a larger gathering.

A blue lamp.  Repeat the blue a couple more times to make it really work great in the room. 

I added the blue lamp on a sofa table behind one of your sofas.  Remember that good lighting also makes a room feel cozy.

(table from Dovetail)

You will need a few more lamps in that large room.  I added some buffet lamps on the console, and a floor lamp.

(lamps are from Uttermost)

Here you go- see it all put together:

Nicole's Living Room

Christine,

I am so happy to find your blog again, it is awesome!  I have it bookmarked now too.  Moving across several states was quite a process, but I am settled!

Will you PLEASE help me??  The pictures have captions so you know what they are.  I’m going to make this CONCISE- one room!

 

• The first floor in my new home is an open concept.  
• We need help making our Living Room look better so we can invite some people over.  We are pretty plain people.    
• I am interested in buying new seating- husband thinks sectional, I think sofa sleeper and chair.   You may recognize the couch.  It is very, very, grandmotherly old. 
• We need some new stuff and ideas on how to work the living room/make it look put together, but still be child friendly…by that I mean that white is fine, but not fancy/breakable accessories.
• Measurements:

I wish I had a room worthy of a magazine, but don’t know what to do or get…what color couch would go with the carpet, ect.  Right now it is just ‘blah’ and doesn’t flow.  Our style is not retro or bright type. 

As always, thanks so much for the help!  

- Nicole

Hi Nicole,

I thought it was funny how you said that your style was not "retro or bright type"- I don't know why I found that so funny- but it made me smile.  I kept your design traditional and not too bright.  ;-) 

Here is your current floor plan:

 Here is how I would like to see you have it:

Check out this post on Negative Space.  The first question you should ask yourself when deciding how to arrange your furniture, and so by extension, what kind of furniture you should purchase, is "What is my focal point?"   Your focal point is your fireplace, which is on an angle, which started the concept. 

My next consideration was scale.  You have a small room.  It is only 12' deep.  I used all small scale items.  In your room, they will not look small; they will look great.  More standard size furniture, however, would make your room look small.  This will not.  I have a settee rather than a full size sofa. 

I have a smaller console table behind the settee. 

 I selected slipper style wing back chairs, saving you about 6 inches in width.  That's a big difference.  (The settee and chairs and ottoman below are from Overstock.com)

 To maximize your seating options, I added a couple of small ottomans that can be used with a larger crowd. 

This coffee table is only 26 inches deep.  Perfect. 

Whereas your room is small, you do have a large twelve foot bare wall that is perfect for a larger piece of furniture that can be used as a desk as well as storage and decoration.  I also love how a tall piece of furniture can help the rhythm in a room.  The piece above is from Carolina Rustica. 

Don't forget that your fireplace is the focal point.  Hang something above it that is going to draw the eye of people as they enter the room.  Jewel tones are the up and coming color palet.  In a few years it will be everywhere.  Jump the gun and use them now.

Hang three drapery panels on your windows.  These above are from West Elm.

I chose Quietude by Sherwin Williams for your paint, but you should always get sample quarts. Remember that I can't really select paint remotely very effectively. 

On the wall to the right of the fireplace, I added two sconces, with wall decor between them.  I don't like the idea of having a set of two pieces of wall decor over the fireplace.  I can't really explain why, I just don't like it.  I will say that it just feels wrong.  Now, on the adjacent wall, we don't want one item.  You have one item over the fireplace, you need variety in subject as well as quantity.  I selected for you a photo collage from Uttermost. 

When you put furniture on an angle, I always try to use an area rug, even over carpet.  It helps to ground the seating area.  Especially angular arrangements need that grounding.  This is a Martha Stewart rug.  Another thing that helps to ground an area is a good hanging light over your coffee table. 

Add more color and pattern with some throw pillows- these are from Bliss Living:

Also notice on the floor plan that I showed you exactly how to light the room.  In addition to the hanging light there is track lighting over the wall unit, the sconces on the opposite wall, an eyeball light over the fireplace, a floor lamp by one of the chairs and a table lamp on the console table.  Somewhere in the room you need to put a floor plant with an uplight.  It's a perfect lighting plan, I just needed to make sure it didn't go unnoticed.  ;-)

There you go- we are all done.  I hope I wasn't too bright.  ;-)

Hanna's Family Room

My friend Hanna is re- doing her family room.  Right now it looks something like this:

Hanna has great taste, and it is a perfectly fine looking room.  Her room has too much negative space, and lacks some really good balance.  I'd like to change the furniture arrangement to look more like this:

Remember all you need is three feet for your traffic path.  Your room should really be about being in it, not about being easy to get into.   I feel like Hanna's room before was nice and open to the eating area and to the kitchen, but it is a space of its own.  Create an environment.  Create a conversation area.  Create an atmosphere in each room. 

So- where do you begin?  I start with a floorplan.  Now Coleen can know what size of sectional to shop for.  She knows that it is a left arm facing sectional.  She can go crazy on Labor Day weekend and take advantage of all of the good sales.  I like keeping my large sofas and sectionals pretty neutral, bringing my color in, in other places.  Find a good off white or gray.  Find one that is comfortable and the right size.  For her room that will be about 11 x 8 feet. 

Finish furnishing the place with a chair...  What to look for here is one that is both comfortable for you and also has a good straight back that will look nice in this setting where I have it against the wall.  Some chairs are really meant to be out in the room, with sharply angeled backs, etc.  Stay away from those.  (the sectional and chair are from Macy's)

Now for some tables....  I added a coffee table:

and an end table...and a corner table:

Notice the variety in texture and materials.  Nothing matches.  Perfect!  Get a corner table that is approximately the same diameter as the depth of the sectional.  Not too small, not too large.  This is a 38" round corner table.  That is a very comfortable and common depth for a lot of sectionals.  If you go looking in the "end table" section of furniture stores you are going to find a lot of tables that are 24 inches and smaller.  That is ok for the table out in the room, but his one needs to fill the corner. Scale, scale scale! (the three tables are from one of my wholesale sources)

Now look at the floorplan again, notice the two squares?  I added a couple of poufs.

These versatile little guys act as extra seating for little guys, or a place to put your feet.  The one above is from West Elm.

Add some more color and pattern with a great area rug.   (8 x 10) The simple stripe below is also from West Elm:

There are three walls in the room.  One is clearly filled with the fireplace and built-ins.  One is filled with windows, and the third is big and open.

Add more pattern with some window panels.  (also West Elm):

Now for your large wall. I would fill the space with a terrific wall collage:

You can keep it neutral, or use some of the green, gray and orange.  Collages are great because they can be whatever shape and size you need them to be.  They are also a great way to show your personality, and make your home your own.

Now for your lighting. 

Add a floor lamp next to the chair, a table lamp on the small table, and along with about three house plants, add an accent lamp on the round corner table.  Put a plant in the corner by the fireplace, and add an uplight.  Put track lighting up for your wall collage, and if I remember right,  you already had overhead lighting.  Put the accent lamp and uplighting on a timer, to be enjoyed every evening without thought. 

(lamps from uttermost, track lighting from Pottery Barn)

Notice something about the lighting?  No coordinating "series" used.   Different shades, different colors, different metals.  Nothing matches.  Perfect!

See how it all comes together:

Frequently I find when people go from inadequately furnished rooms to perfectly furnished rooms, they think it is "too much furniture".  It's like if you don't eat cookies enough you think they are too rich.  It's just not true.  Always shop with your floorplan grid, make sure your purchases are the right size, or it really could be "too much," but after you live with the end result you will feel so much better in the room.  You will have created a more intimate environment.  The balance in the room translates to a balance inside you.  You can always move the furniture if you want to wrestle. 

We should all eat a few more cookies while we're at it!

XOXO

Christine

Susan's Family Room

Hi Christine,

I have a question about how to determine the focal point in a room. I think the focal point in my family room is the window at the rear of the room.  However, with the furniture positioned for TV viewing, does the TV then become the focal point?  With the size of the sectional and the shape of the room, I’m not sure how to arrange the furnishings so the window becomes the focal point instead of the TV.  Is it bad design to have the TV as the focal point? Also, I know the room is in need of more color, texture and pattern but I’m not sure where to begin!  Currently, the only thing with color and pattern is the new rug which I bought to introduce a new color palette into the room.  I thought the rug would give me inspiration but it has only made me feel overwhelmed with choices.  Should I pick up on the blue in the rug  by adding throw pillows in shades of blue?  The floral chair needs to be reupholstered, the walls need a color that will coordinate with the colors of the rug and should I add window treatments or would they detract from the architectural element of the window? What colors and patterns would work? Also, I want to get rid of the piano (a freebie which no one plays and the color is not the best) and make a picture gallery display on that wall. I would also like to move one of the chairs to that wall along with a lamp and side table.   Am I headed in the right direction? Please help me “Christine-ize” my room!!

 

Thanks so much for your help!! 

- Susan

Hi Susan

#1-  Let's start with your focal point question.  Yes the window is the architectural focal point.  Sure- it could be a secondary focal point- but no- it is not the focal point.  So long as you have it as a TV room, and have your current sectional- it cannot be the focal point.  Ideally, yiou would have different furniture that could be arranged in such a way to open up that wall.   If I had a pretty window like that, I would not want to stick a big sectional in front of it.  So long as you have a TV, and the main purpose of the room is watching it, the TV wall is the focal point wall.  To learn how to make the TV wall a better designed wall, worthy of being the focal point, see this post.

#2.- This would be hard to say if you were my good friend, but since we don't know each other, I'll just throw it out there.  You made a poor choice on your rug.  Now, I hope you didn't spend thousands of dollars on it.  Maybe it can go in your bedroom.  Is it not a pretty rug?  Sure it is.  However, it is too formal a style for your furniture.  It is too formal for the carpet, and it is too small.  Find a new home for the rug in a different room, and start over.  Your rug should be large enough to encompass your furniture, laying under the furniture a bit.  You have a big room, you need a big rug.  You also need a more casual rug.  This rug from Homedecorators.com would go great with your oversized sectional. Can you see how the sectional is super casual, and the rug is super formal?

OK - now remove the chair rail.  Chair rails don't work well in rooms filled with furniture.  Keep them in dining rooms or hallways.  Instead, add some texture to your walls with a beautiful cream grasscloth wallpaper throughout.   

Replace your leather ottoman with a coffee table and two pouffes.  Put the table where the ottoman currently is, and add the pouffes on the other side of it.

The pouffes will add color and interest, additional seating or a foot rest.  They also fill the space, along with the coffee table, giving you a better scale relationship with the large sectional.

Your flowered chair is not one that I would reupholster. It would cost as much to reupholster as it would to replace, and the style is not that much of a keeper.   Select one with a pretty back, and a consistent level of formality as the sectional.  The chair below is from Palececk.

Speaking of scale, your wall decor needs to be much larger on the wall over your sectional.  I would add a large picture, like the New York one below from Uttermost,

and then also add a couple of sconces to either side.

Yes, your room can still can use drapes.  I would add two long panels,  hung on the outsides of the window.  Think of them as the wall decor for that wall.  I selected an off white, the same color as the grasscloth, so as to not have them stand out too much, but rather just add a soft texture.  I do that because of the sectional visually cutting them off.  A bold pattern could draw attention to that, making it feel awkward.  The drapes below are from Pottery Barn.

I put everything together for you below.  Can you see how selecting the wrong rug can be so frustrating, whereas, selecting the right rug can make everything come together easily?  Add some throw pillows to increase your pattern, as well as a patterned lumbar pillow on the chair.  If all of this is too contemporary for you, you could always keep the rug and lose the sectional.  ;-) 

Leanne's Room

Hi, I'm not sure how blogs work so didn't know the protocol on how to ask
design questions and opted to e-mail.  Hope that's ok!

I have a house with living upstairs.  We enter up the long stairway
into the living room that is open to the dining.  I need to
redecorate and I love your style!  Can you help?  You can move anything
around, change the blinds, paint color, pictures etc.  The paintings that I
have I would like to keep and the couches are new. The pictures
are sitting on top of the big mirror in the photo just for safe keeping.
I'm up for painting the fireplace, covering it up, adding molding - whatever
you say, I will do! :)

My sincere appreciation,

Leanne

Leanne,

I love your "Whatever you say I will do!" attitude!  I wish my husband had that attitude!

Let's start with this room above.  You have issues with rhythm, balance and pattern. 

1.  Rhythm.  Rhythm is one of the principles of design.  In your room, you are lacking rhythm by alternation by having the bookcase and small cabinet to the right and left of the fireplace.  You can get away with similar looks when you have some windows with draperies or other elements that can separate the eye from the hard piece, hard piece, hard piece.  See this post where I discussed the principle.  In that post the gal had lots of case pieces on the walls of her bedroom.  Your example is less extreme, but sometimes an extreme example can help you to see what you are doing wrong.  What would I do on that wall?  I would cover the brick and build-in the whole wall.  On your built-in wall- you could add the three pictures sitting on easels as part of your decor.  I would scatter them, not line them up.   The scale is a little small for over the sofa.  Here are a few ideas:

(photo from houzz)

 You could combine a painted brick or stone fireplace with stained wood built-ins. 

(photo from the Yellow Cape Cod)

The most common look is covering it all in a painted white wood, which is always nice. 

When the wall is a built-in, it is seen as one item, not three, therefore, the absence of rhythm issues.  For a more in-depth description of rhythm, look at this post. 

2.  Balance.  Your room is more heavily weighted on the left.  I know you said you were going to keep your furniture- but I will give you a long term plan, because I think it is too large for the space, and too plain in style and color to really make the room sing.  I would replace your sofa/love with two love seats, which will give you space to replace your chair with two chairs.  Keep the scale smaller, and colors lighter.  (unless you have a three year old...)

(Beckett Love seat by Bernhardt Interiors)

(Pierre chair by Room and Board)

Add a nice coffee table, centered with the room.

Now, the art above your love seat should balance the window with window treatments.

(art from Uttermost)

I would add drapes to your window.  Floor to ceiling.  (drapes from Pottery Barn)

3.  Pattern.  Your "all the same fabric everywhere" look falls a little flat.  ;-)  You will notice that already I have added some pattern.  In addition to the throw pillows, there is pattern in the new chair selection, and also the window treatments.  I would add one more big pattern to really tie the room together.  Get a nice large area rug, probably 8 x 10, to finish off the space.  This is your unifier.  (rug from homedecorator.com)

Remember to have a lighting plan in your room as well as some plants.  ;-) 

XOXO

Christine