Design space for function, esthetics

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/05/2010 (5860 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dear Marc:

My home is 85 years old. The living room/family room is 24 by 14 feet (7.3 by 4.3 metres) and all the walls are tongue-and-groove knotty pine. I have been an avid antique collector, so you can imagine the things I have. I am prepared to paint the wood and would reupholster my 10-piece sectional. With none of the chairs attached, it allows for numerous configurations and, because I have a large extended family, I need as much seating as possible. Where do I start? — Lynne

Dear Lynne:

I love designing homes with lots of character and history, such as yours. It’s quite different designing an older home as opposed to a newer one. I have to take into account certain permanent architectural and design elements that were integrated into the space many years ago.

The first step to your design project is to take inventory of all your furniture, accessories and current colour scheme. Take a good, hard look at your pieces and see if they have a common colour and/or style among them. The pieces that do not follow the main colour scheme should be set aside for storage or donation to family and friends. This is a great way to take an objective approach to decluttering your space. If you look at your emotional attachment to each object, you won’t be able to prioritize the accessories.

Once you have a common colour scheme, stick to it in the design of the entire space. Choose a neutral colour for your walls that will translate nicely with your colour scheme. Neutral colours can be white, brown or grey.

Once your wall colour is chosen, you can then select fabric for your furniture-reupholstering project. I would suggest using a solid or subtle fabric pattern on the sectional. You may select a vibrant-patterned fabric for your accent pillows to add a little flair to your design. This way, you will be able to change the look of your sectional as trends evolve, simply by replacing your accent pillows.

Once you have your fabric and colour scheme, you will want to look at the room’s layout. Homeowners have a tendency to overlook the layout and flow of a room and concentrate only on the esthetics of the space. In order to have a successful design, your space must be functional. If you place a chair in front of a door and your family members trip over that chair as theyare entering your living room, then your design is not functional.

To create function in your space, find the focal point. Your furniture should revolve in conversation areas around your focal point. Create a scaled drawing of your space using graph paper and explore your different furniture layout options.

There are many options when designing a space. The key is to design a space that is not only esthetically pleasing but also functional.

Marc Atiyolil is the editor-in-chief of Canadian Home Trends, Canadas Home Decor & Lifestyle Magazine. To submit a question for Marc Atiyolil, visit CanadianHomeTrends.ca

— Canwest News Service