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