So, I think the biggest change we can make right-now-today is to rearrange our furniture, but I'm stuck.
But the front room, while it's working OKAY, is not really working for me. I really think we need a couch in there, or it just won't get any use at all. I'd actually love to put a couple of cute, comfy chairs in the corner with the bookcase, but I don't have any cute, comfy chairs, and DI is not my BFF (it is just too far away for me to go often enough to feel like it's worth the effort). That being said, we have a great love seat upstairs that is super-comfy, so we can put that downstairs, but where on earth do I put the other stuff? Here are some of the elements I have available -- and would like to keep downstairs somewhere:
I love having the desk with my sewing machine (and don't you love my desktop picture -- that's what I'm hoping to put on the kids' halloween bags this year :), but I think that's the least-necessary thing in the room. We've had the sewing desk in our room, but I really like to be downstairs to do my crafting (plus, the lighting is SO great in the front room!).
The computer armoire, complete with cutie-pie Paige, is great where it is, but I'm not necessarily averse to moving it, either -- maybe to the living room? But it really is a nice place, if only I would clean off the top and that shelf. 
I LOVE having the piano in that room, but I guess that's negotiable, too -- I just don't know where to put that extra piece of furniture from the front room -- or which "extra" piece to choose!
Any ideas?
By the way, this is the feeling I'd like to invoke EVERYWHERE -- and it's a picture from my own house! I love that I'm inspired by a space that's in between my two problem-areas. (On to the space between spaces! hee hee)
7 comments:
I know how you feel about never getting to the "after" part of decorating!
I would move the desk armoire into the family room to make room for the love seat. (Sewing desk needs to stay out of the main path of the little kids, right?!)
To make room for the desk, I have one idea for re-arranging the furniture in the family room. Change the orientation of the L-shape couches. Leave them as an L, but the back of one towards the kitchen (so someone sitting on it would face the wall where the bookcases currently are). Then the other couch can either be against the window wall or the solid wall. (we have this arrangement in our house -- I like that it separates the kitchen and family room spaces, but it still feels open. The other couch does cover the window wall in our house, but we still get plenty of light.)
Then you can arrange the TV and some bookcases on the wall that currently has the bookcases. And the desk can fit in there on one of the walls.
Good luck!
I'm a guy, so you're asking the wrong person. Good luck!
I like Jennifer's ideas, especially the one involving moving one of the couches to separate the kitchen and family room. That may cause a problem with large family dinners, but get some of those "moving man" sliding disks to put under the legs and they move very easily!
I'm a bit of an interior decorating idiot, so I won't offer anything, but I do have to say I giggled at the "To the space between spaces!" comment, LOL!
"I'm sorry, all right? I'm sorry we made this!"
"Um, I'm not sorry..."
Jennifer is on to something. It sounds like you have a problem I've often run into in laying out my own house: Wall space.
Most furniture needs a good wall behind it. Having a free standing bookshelf would look odd. Not to mention danger danger Will Robinson!
What you need is either a new wall... or to use the space between spaces. (lol to Melissa's comment!) Since a new wall is something that would be major and silly, onto the space between spaces!
I think the L shape to the couches is a must. Across from each other does make a good visiting set up, but not watching TV or playing Wii. So I propose one of the following:
Proposition One: Shift the L counter clockwise. This allows you to utilize the current bookcase/couch set up against the far wall. But then you can put a couch against the window wall (probably not against, but close). While this may block the bottom of the windows, it will free up the other wall for the TV and Computer desk. Then in the front room you shift the piano to the other wall and put the love seat where the piano currently is.
Proposition eight: er... I mean Two: Shift the L how Jennifer has suggested. Put the bookcases behind the couch against the right wall. Keep the elliptical in the corner and then put the TV and computer desk against the far wall. Or you can keep the TV against the windows and put some of the bookcases on the right and far wall, with the computer desk in the mix. Repeat my suggestions for the front room.
As for my father's comment... I'm a guy. And I like interior decorating. So here is a mighty raspberry! :P
;) :)
I had another idea after I published. Instead of moving the computer desk, there is the option of moving the piano to the family room. Everything else would be the same. Cheers!
I suggest putting the couches where Jennifer suggests, but don't move the tall vertical computer desk, move the horizontal desk to behind the free standing couch, and either keep the sewing on it or switch the sewing with the computer and put the sewing in the tall space.
Or put the piano either against the back of the couch or a wall, but I like the small desk idea better, because then you're not breaking up vision lines, and you'll still be able to see straight through to everything happening in the room.
Another idea, if you don't care about vision lines, is to buy those double sided bookcases from IKEA, and use it as a room divider between the dining and family rooms. Then you could put the books on that, and free up another wall by removing your current bookshelves (though they are admittedly really nice bookshelves, so it's a toughie).
My two cents.
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