The Key to a Cozy, Comfy Living Room

25 Thursday Apr 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, The Home

Tags

comfort, Country Living, cozy, design, floor plan, furniture, home, interior design, living room, Simple Country Wisdom, Susan Waggoner

Being a designer, I can’t help when I am in someone’s home and my mind is racing with ideas. I usually pick out a few things that aren’t working, which is normal because not everyone has the eye for design. I find that most people have issues with layout and not understanding the space. This is the most important key in creating a cozy and comfortable home that not only you love but others love being in as well.

I am currently reading Country Living’s, Simple Country Wisdom and it has so many great ideas and advice. Its a great book to run through for helpful tips and ways to simplify your life. Author Susan Waggoner hits a lot of good points and includes so many beautiful photos. I just came across the section on how to stage a room and it reminded me how many people get this wrong. I had to write about the issue so my readers can learn how to create a fantastic space they love. Even if you have layout figured out, you can gain some inspiration.

I think the number one problem with living rooms is ignoring the center. Having a small space can be easier to figure out but when you have a large room, it gets tricky. As Waggoner states, “the bare space in the middle of a room becomes an alley people want to pass through as quickly as possible, because there’s nothing to keep them there, no objects of interest or comfortable places to perch.” I think we’ve all been in a space where the furniture lined the walls and the middle of the room was like a black hole. You’re far from the TV, far from the other couch or chairs, and everything is just laid out without any thought of people actually living there. And its funny because the resolution is easy!

All you need to do is focus on the center of the room. This is where your furniture should be along with a coffee table and side tables, if you have them. This will enable all foot traffic to stay around the edges where it belongs. It also helps you create clusters of little areas where people can relax, talk, or just admire your belongings on display. I like how Waggoner mentions, “life takes place in the center of the hut,” which is how it has been for hundreds of civilizations such as the Vikings, Native Americans, and villages in Africa, to name a few. This creates coziness.

The room below isn’t really cozy. The warm colors in the space help but with the furniture so far apart, it seems a little bare. By bringing in another 122DESIGN chair, adding a small table in between them, and shifting the pieces a little closer, it will surely be cozier. The addition of a small rug will top it off nicely. It’s always good to have an anchor in the room so your furniture doesn’t look like its floating.

Photo Credit: Shelterness

This next space may look a little cozy, thanks to the colors and textured rug, however, it seems very museum like. There is at least two feet between the couch and the table, so the spaces seem like aisles. This is not cozy in my book. I think the room would be more successful if it only had one large couch and maybe a smaller one across from it. The space is so airy and lofty, it’s screaming for cozy! Focusing on the middle of the room would do the trick.

Photo Credit: Home Interiors

To successfully pull this off, its good to draw up a floor plan and play around with different scenarios. Pay attention to the scale of your pieces. For example, if you have large furniture, don’t crowd lots of pieces in the space. Let everything breathe. A good thing to keep in mind is what Waggoner suggests, use the letter H to guide you. First, start from the center. Then, arrange two large pieces {sofas, a sofa and chairs, etc..} across from each other acting as the two parallel lines of the H. Adding a coffee table in the middle links them together.

Photo Credit: They Call Me Domesticate

Arrange seating in the space so that they are facing each other instead of just next to each other. This also helps create an inviting and more friendly environment. With the open space you now have around the room, you can dress up windows and have a corner or two to create another cozy cluster. Who doesn’t love a reading nook? And finally, with the addition of textiles, accessories, and wall decorations, the space will feel much more comfortable, inviting, and whole.

Here are some good examples for inspiration.

Photo Credit: Ohua 88:Interior Design Resources

Photo Credit: Country Living

Photo Credit: Houzz

Photo Credit: Country Living

Photo Credit: Indulgy

Photo Credit: Country Living

Photo Credit: Home Decor Interior Ideas

Photo Credit: Country Living

White Summer

30 Wednesday May 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Awesome Shops

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bohemian, clothing, comfort, dresses, elegant, fashion, free people, ivory, lace, shop, spring, summer, vintage, white

Summer is all about sitting back and enjoying the sun. Those days you can’t wait to get out of work and finally chill out. When it comes to fashion, summer brings light colors and comfy clothes. Free People is one of my favorite shops because their selection is a nice mix of boho, vintage and elegant choices.

The color white is often seen during this season as well. Since summer is making its way fast, I wanted to share a few of my favorite picks from some of their white selection which I feel are all great options to wear. Enjoy!

The Natural Palette

18 Thursday Aug 2011

Posted by melissaoconnor in Color Inspiration

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color theory, colors, comfort, design, interior design, nature, relaxation

Recently I have been working with color expert Kate Smith which has inspired me to think more about color. Since nature is where I get most of my inspiration from I wanted to share some tips on how to use the natural palette in your home.

Analyzing a space is a smart thing to do once in awhile. I recommend you do it every six months or so. Tastes change and so does your life. Adjusting your space to your everyday is how you will get the most out of it. If you aren’t benefiting from your home than something is wrong.

A place to chill out should be reminiscent of what you love. What makes you truly relax? You should be able to clear your mind and be totally comfortable. For me, nature is my true love. So I take colors from Mother Earth and bring them inside my home. This means using neutrals such as blues, grays, browns, greens and colors from fruits and veggies. Natural tones in nature is what helps me sit back and relax. I find that most people feel the same.

{Seeing nature as a whole is truly breathtaking. From the sky to the water, you will find inspiration from every angle}

Now, this natural palette isn’t just an inspiration for color but also how to use it. If you look outside the Earth seems so perfect. Trees have brown bark to ground the green and many other lighter colors in their leaves. The sky is all sorts of gorgeous blues, whites and grays while the ground presents more greens and browns. This is a free lesson in how to coordinate and arrange the colors in your home. So, mirroring nature in your space is a great way for successful design to shine. Put the sky on your walls so the room feels airy. Depending on the tone of the color, the trim can be crisp or slightly blend in for a softer look. Antique whites, creams and light grays work well.

{Look closer to find various tones and hues of color on trees during different seasons as well as notice all the different colors in the leaves}

{The colors of autumn are a true inspiration for spaces to feel warm but relaxing}

Flooring should ground the room and provide the necessary weight for all other elements to feel natural. You don’t have to necessarily have really dark floors, but they should be a darker color that the walls so their is some type of contrast. The more texture there is, the more warm the space will feel. Eco-friendly options such as bamboo, cork, cement, brick and stone play very well in a space like this. Adding a rug will bring even more comfort and warmth.

Your furniture should also help weigh down the space. Having pieces appear as they are floating can somewhat look out of place. You want a consistent feel to the room. For a more spacious design stick with darker toned pieces that aren’t heavy. Maybe they have open shelving or thin legs, either way it will work. If you want or need more heavier furniture that is fine too. Just take note of size and the proportion to the other pieces in the room.

{A great example of how texture in natural elements can bring so much to a space. See all the various gray tones from the Earth}

Your accessories are the details that bring the whole room together. From the window treatments and lighting to smaller decorative items such as vases, trinkets and books. Pops of color bring a whimsy and fun feel to the room so look to the seasons for inspiration. The details on your furniture play a big part as well. Handles, knobs and special engraving can sometimes make or break a space. If you are incorporating grays in the room I suggest colder metals like silver. Warmer highlights such as golds and brass, go well with autumn colors like red and orange.

{Light wood tones and soft colors make this bathroom calm and soothing. Silver blends nicely with the colors of the room}

Color is so important when creating a space. Especially, one that is meant for relaxation and comfort. Feeling like you are at a park when in fact you are sitting on your couch reading a book, is a successful result to great design. Everything should accent each other and blend in a natural way, as if the room was meant to look the way it does. So sit back, take a look around and discover the power of color in your home. Creating a space that empowers, inspires and keeps you calm when the day is rough truly makes all the difference. I can guarantee you will be smiling more often.