I want to come over and move your furniture...

Hi everyone- sorry for the delay in blogging- I have had a computer virus this week- but- I am up and running- so thanks for tuning back in!

Hi Christine,

I ran across your blog while searching for photos of fireplaces with tv’s mounted over the mantle.

I wondered if you would mind to take a look at the attached photos and let me know what you think?

This is the only family/living are on our main level. Due to the doorways, windows, fireplace, etc. there isn’t much room for variation in the furniture layout and the only place I can see to put a TV is above the mantle. Do you think a tv above the mantle will look good? I feel like it is one of the best solutions in rooms with a fireplace and TV- it is a great way to NOT have a split focal point in your furniture arrangement. Also, can you think of a better furniture arrangement? Do you have a sofa/love- or two sofas? I am having a hard time telling... Ether way- I feel like the sofa on an angle is awkward. I would put it opposite the other sofa- and try moving the chair to face the fireplace on the far end of the sofas. Your chair is perhaps too large for that - you could move it to another room and use two smaller chairs- or none at all. We will soon be putting down hardwood in that room and will eventually buy new furniture so if you’d recommend different pieces, let me know. See how the coffee table is not centered with the fireplace- I would move it. Ideally it would be centered with the fireplace. You might find that it is too small for your room.

I took the photos with my phone so the quality isn’t the greatest.

And, please feel free to be brutally honest! :) It looks to me like you have arranged your furniture to make sure you have a direct traffic path through the room. This is not the goal. Everyone needs a little exercise. Have your traffic path go around the furniture. It will probably result in three more steps. But it will also result in people not walking in front of conversations and TV viewers. Plus- it will look better.

Enjoying reading your blog and looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,
Valerie

Below is an example of the two sofas look. This is where I would start with your current furniture.

You can also do a sofa and two chairs- but be careful to use two chairs that have enough visual weight to balance the sofa. I feel like in the photo below the chairs are not heavy enough to really balance the sofa. If this were my client- I would move the sofa to be opposite the fireplace- and then put the two chairs on an angle coming off the fireplace. Then you have the two chairs AND fireplace balancing the sofa- not just the two chairs trying to balance the sofa. Get it?

Here are a couple of sofas with a chair- you will want to ask yourself if you are OK with watching TV with the sofas not directly facing the TV. Some people like to lay down most of the time- and like it that way- other people would not like turning their heads.

You could also consider a sectional and chair - like below. If your L-shape is larger - you would need two chairs to balance it.

And here we see a sofa with two chairs in more of a U-shape. This same look can use four chairs if you have the space.

So there you are- remember your focal point is the fireplace. Frame the focal point with your furniture for the best looking and best functioning arrangement. You want a similar balance of furniture on either side.

Don't listen to your husband if he complains about having to walk around the furniture. This kind of thing only takes getting used to. Invite some friends over- and when they compliment your new arrangement- his pride will help him to like it as well. It would be a little too much of a low blow to draw attention to the fact that he needs more exercise- don't go there.

Photos from Elle Decor.

The Large Awkward Media Wall

Hi Christine,

You are an absolute riot! You totally crack me up. I am so lucky to have found your blog. I wish we could do this in person! Love your style. I noticed you have become increasingly popular so I am sending this real quick before you become the next Candice Olson and are way too busy for lil' ol' me! I wanted to wait until the house was in perfect order and all clean but the fairies never came to magically make that happen for me. Darn them!!

I was thinking I should raise the tv up and put it on the wall. Then a tall espresso colored bookshelf on the right side of the entertainment center?? Floating shelves above it all? A huge painting or one of the photo wall templates you posted to the right of it?

Thanks so so much in advance! Enjoy the holiday season. Oh yeah!! That reminds me! WHERE THE HECK SHOULD I PUT MY CHRISTMAS TREE TOMORROW?? (I'm sure I'll have it before you reply but I'll move it if you say to!!)

Thanks,
Kathy

Dear Kathy,

Where should you put your Christmas tree?? Hmmmm.. In the attic. Sorry- but I have quite a pile of questions to respond to. I really like your home. Your view is amazing. I cut your questions up to respond in different posts. I wanted to focus on the TV wall today. I have the perfect plan for you.

The wall needs to be and have two things.

1. Functionality. You need the TV to stay pretty close to where it currently is.
2. Scale. We need the wall decor on this wall to have better scale in relationship to the wall itself.

   My solution? Start with a very long media cabinet. The one above is 86 inches long- from Global Views. I liked this one not only for the length- (I don't have your measurements- but you might want one even longer) but also for the colors in the teak. They would be perfect in your place. The TV would be hung on the wall- on the left. To the right- go with your idea of floating shelves. Keep in mind that- now that you have a piece of furniture on the wall- the relationship we are concerned about primarily is the wall decor to the furniture. We actually have two relationships here- the furniture to the wall and the wall decor to the furniture. Got it?

These shelves are from Pottery Barn- not the right color- but I wanted you to get the visual. You can have your wall decor extend a little on either side of the console- but keep it pretty symmetrical- and keep the decor on them simple. You want to maintain the clean simpe lines of the room. I would do three shelves.

Don't worry- I am sure that I can get to your other questions before I take over Candice Olson's job. ;)

Thanks for the compliments though. :)

Christine

Problem Areas

Today's post is a continuation of Fridays- we are still on Angela's bedroom. This is the room from another angel:

This is what Angela had to say about it:

Problem area- Don’t you think we need a couple of chairs and a rug? What can I do with this space? A Seating Area? All I do is stack accessories and laundry in the dormers.

Dear Angela,

What a great example of a "problem area." Whereas I am sure the dormers look great form the outside, inside.... not so much. In an area like this- remember who is boss. You! Take control! First- let's add some wall decor- not a picture- we already did that above the bed- how about some metal- let's add some texture and interest! While we're at it- let's take down the valances, and put in some soft sheers. Use two panels on each side, so they are nice and full. I would pull them to the sides as seen in the picture I drew.This will still let the light in, but add a touch of romance that every master bedroom needs.

Now that you just paid $100 for sheers on the right dormer, let's cover it up :) The depth of the dormers creates an awkward feel. Let's put a screen in front of the one side.

I love this antiqued mirror screen from Uttermost. It adds a different texture, and reflects light and color.- Now- in the other dormer area- put a nice large plant. This will add balance back into the room, as we just took it away with the screen.

Add a rug next. This will give your room more pattern, and yes, again, texture. (I feel like I keep using that word:) The one below is Serengeti by Momeni. Notice that I am remaining consistent with the style of the furniture and bedding that we selected in Friday's post.

Then add a couple of chairs. The slipper chair below is from Restoration Hardware. Make sure you select chairs that are a good scale for the room.

There we go- a problem area no more! We have changed the awkward visual shape of the area. We have added texture, color, pattern, and created a seating area. Forgive my sloppy drawings- I have breakfast to make for my four kids- I don't have the time to be a perfectionist :) Don't forget to vote! (at the top of the blog) See this post- and help me choose my baseboard:)

Susan's Question

Hi Christine,

First, thanks so much for your wonderful blog and willingness to
generously share your time and talents!

Here's s design challenge from Massachusetts. I hope I'm giving
useful information. I'll attach a photo, if that helps.

We live in a small (1050 sq ft) post-war cape. Our living room has an
inside wall that goes along the center staircase. It's the perfect
spot for a collection of family photos or other artwork. I tried to
put something together, but, ugh! -- it looks like a bad dorm room
wall (not to mention, they're all crooked).

Do you have some good examples or rules of thumb to follow in terms of
proportions, spacing, etc. for a small living space? Also, a big
obstacle is that a programmable thermostat is in the center of the
wall. I've thought about installing a floating shelf under the
thermostat and covering it with a picture, but think that might look
funny with the other pictures mounted directly to the wall.

Any creative ideas for creating a fun arrangement of photos, while
masking the thermostat?

Thanks very much in advance for any insight you could add!

Susan

Dear Susan,

Thanks for your question, and picture! I feel like it is so much more helpful when a photo is attached.

I just love the architecture in the east! How lucky you are!

Let me talk for a minute about small spaces. In small spaces, I try to keep the visual mass low. Visual mass is how "heavy" something looks. For instance, a dining chair with four wooden legs has less visual mass than a slip-covered dining chair. Light colors have less visual mass than dark ones. A see-through glass coffee table has less visual mass than a wooden chest used as a coffee table. Large bold prints have more visual mass than small simple prints. This does not mean that you won't use dark bold colors (or other items with high visual mass), just not in large areas- perhaps they would be in a pillow rather than the upholstery fabric on the sofa. On the flip side, some large spaces need to have more visual mass, so the furnishings will feel like they are a good scale for the room.

A couple of other items. When you have one table on a wall, the table should be a good scale and proportion for the wall. The table has a "relationship" with the wall. I would suggest that your table is too short, and not wide enough- and perhaps, too deep.

When you have a table, sofa, any furniture against a wall- the wall decor above it should have a "relationship" with the furniture. It should be "rooted" to the furniture. Don't hang it too high. Your pictures are too high :)

OK- so about your thermostat..... Some electrician just wasn't thinking. He was told it went on that wall- so where does he put it? Right in the middle!! Hello!!! My solution- let's use a collection of frames, some larger, some smaller, some square, some round, some rectangle- similar style frames- but not matching. Generally, I would say that my personal design style is a little more simple than this, but the business is what makes it work so well to conceal the thermostat that is right in the middle. I would keep the frames very simple if you have a more decorative table, like the one in the photo- or if you have a more simple table- I would be more decorative with the frames. I would also have my photos copied in sepia tones. With just a few frames, the thermostat is more noticeable- with more- it will blend in. Keep it assymetrical- random but full. - No noticeably large sections of negative space. Then- let's put a plant right in front of it. (It does not matter that you are covering up someone's photo in full or in part- don't worry about this at all.) I would also suggest that your frames are too contemporary for your traditional table. I would lean more traditional becasue of your architetcture as well. I drew two buffet lamps and a plant on your table- the same effect can come from two topiaries and a ceramic urn- or something similar- just so long as the thermostat is covered. :) Thermostat? What thermostat? (Yet still easy enough to use.)

The table above is an example of one that would work better for your wall. It is 40 inches high, 52 inches wide, and only 10 inches deep. The fact that it is taller and wider than your table will give it a better scale and relationship to your wall. The fact that it is only 10 inches deep, will make it a practical solution for a small space. The low "visual weight" will make it work well in your small space as well.

Susan- thanks for the question- feel free to follow up with more questions about this wall- or anything else in your home!

- Christine

Thanks to Guildmaster for the table- $699.00 AGED FILIGREE METAL WITH SKINNY HERITAGE GREY STAINED WOODEN TABLE TOP.

Symmetrical or Asymmetrical?

Should you decorate your mantle in a symmetrical or asymmetrical manner? Here are three times when symmetrical is perhaps the best choice:
1. The more formal the look, the more appropriate is a symmetrical balance.
2. Another time you would decorate in a symmetrical fashion is when you are more of a minimalist. (asymmetrical tends to be a bit busier most of the time - with the exception of the use of only one object- of course)
3. Symmetrical is also easier- for the novice. You buy two of the same item- they are guaranteed to go together great! :)
Three good reasons to go symmetrical! (We'll talk asymmetrical another day.)

This mantle is from the home of textile designer, Suzanne Rheinstein's own home. Photo taken from Southern Accents October 2007.