Dear Tiffany,
Thank you for showing me your house. Though it is a small cottage of white brick detailed with black shutters, I found that simplicity especially attractive. Perhaps that was because I had just returned from an overseas trip.
You told me you wanted to renovate the interior since you have lived there for almost a decade. By refreshing the space, especially the living room, you said that you expect the change to lead you out of boredom.
Furniture is the theme
In many parts of the house, the living room is likely the largest interior share and has the least constraint because it does not require such necessary machines or appliances. In other words, the homeowners have the most freedom to manifest their tastes in the living room.
The central theme of the 20th-century living room can be traced back to the manufacture of the chairs. Whether the chairs were made of natural or synthetic material, they were used to make a statement.
In the 1910s, Gerrit Rietveld's "Red-Blue Chair," influenced by the De Stijl movement, was more about creating spatial harmony than ergonomic comfort. On the other hand, Charlies and Ray Eames made a significant contribution to mid-century design history. Their 670/671 lounge chair ottoman in 1956 showed how modern technology and applied ergonomics can make our living room much more attractive and comfy. The S-shaped chair designed by Verner Panton was also the icon of the 1960s. This curvature, cantilevered seating with a vivid color was first produced in 1965. It was also the world's first single-piece plastic furniture.
Proportion delineates the function
Rooms are often arranged based on their shape. These shapes are not merely geometry but were sympathized by their proportion (both in the plane and height). Having a good sense of proportion was also embedded in our human civilization. From the ancient Pantheon to the modern Guggenheim museum, our desire to see a "balanced" environment has never changed. These visual preferences are reflected in choices such as the floor's size, the ceiling's height, or even paintings on the walls.
Other than forming a visually balanced environment, the functionality must also be designed. In your case, since you have all the furniture chosen already. The layout, circulation, and sequence connected to the other parts of the house would become crucial decision-making on your part, which will reflect on your preferred lifestyle.
The first sketch here is the existing condition of your living room. When most people face such situations, they likely make the same intuitive arrangement: placing the sofa against the wall and letting the largest blank wall in the room be the TV and display area.
However, your living room is a 1:3 rectangular shape. Pushing the most lengthy furniture against the wall will result in an even narrower living room, which is not feasible for activities. Visually, it also needs to be proportionally balanced. The more slender the space is, the more our mind would suggest it as a circulation path rather than a gathering space.
The second sketch shows the rearranged condition, a dual-axis plan. I kept all the existing furniture but turned the sofa 90 degrees to serve as a space divider. This way, the couch and the counselor's desk break the slender living room into two primary parts: the foyer and the sitting area. The first golden rectangle is in the foyer. It is an expansive passage where you and the guests can have a transitional space to change shoes, hang coat jackets, or lay down the luggage until they are fully ready to engage in activities with you.
The other side of the divider is the main sitting area, another golden rectangle. You might be arguing that the sofa was not directly facing the TV. However, you are alone in your house most of the time, so it would be more comfortable to use the entire length of the couch rather than sitting in one spot and resting your legs on the coffee table. This arrangement also emphasizes the long island map on the accent wall. The sofa, coffee table, ottoman, and map form a nice axis in the seating area. The armchair at the corner allows another guest to share this smaller living room with a better sightline to the TV.
I hope you will like these suggestions, and enjoy more while staying there.
Your affectionate friend,
Hepburn
