Floor plans stump people in the best of times, not to mention when you have no foyer, no feature wall, and loads of seemingly unusable space. What to do with such a Design Dilemma? Why, write into Stylesheet blog of course! We've got an in with one of HGTV Canada's talented hosts, Cheryl Torrenueva (Colin and Justin's Home Heist, Restaurant Makeover), who's been dishing out advice on all things design, including today's floor plan dilemma. See what Cheryl created for Lucie, and who knows, maybe you can use it too (professional floor plans are hard to come by for free.)
From Lucie:
"We purchased a 100 year old house a year and a half ago, and I'm hoping you can help us with a design/furniture arrangement dilemma we are having in our living room. The front door is centered and as you walk in the house, you walk right into the living room. There is no designated entrance, no closet and one large open space that’s poorly used.
The sofa is facing the door, which is not great for TV watching.
The other challenge is the large entrance into the dining area; no matter how we try and divide the two spaces, it always looks out of balance. Because of all this, seating space is a major issue, making it hard to have company over.
Labour is not really an issue; door can be relocated, an extension to entrance could be built, windows can be added, we're open to suggestions.
Adding a closet would be an asset as well. How to design the space? We just can't find a solution. Can you help us with our dilemma?"
Floor plan before
Cheryl Suggests: Hi Lucie,
Your existing space is definitely a challenge to work with because of where the doorways are located. Not to worry, I have a 5 Step Solution that I think can help solve all of your problems!
Step One: Move the Door
Move the door to the right of its existing location (see floor plan). This will instantly give you enough space for a living area that includes a sofa, side chairs, and a few side and coffee tables.
Tip: If you want to maximize seating options, consider using an ottoman as your coffee table, and armless slipper chairs to keep everything modular. Make sure to have your hanging light fixture moved into the new living room area just over the coffee table to add some drama!
Step Two: The TV
Hang your television on the front door wall so that it’s out of sight when you enter the house.
If you want to add more light into the space, install two windows on either side of the television. This will also add some visual interest to the front of your house.
Step Three: Entrance Storage
Leave at least 30” from the outside wall and the front door so that you have some space to build a closet (see floor plan.) To give it a built-in look, add a wall at the end of the closet and install doors that go as high as possible.
If you want to save on costs, you could buy the PAX wardrobe from IKEA with traditional paneled doors to match the style of your house. Go with the tallest option and trim out the wardrobes with crown mouldings and baseboard. This is also a solution that could fill any gaps that you have between the wardrobe and the ceiling.
IKEA PAX wardrobe with traditional paneled doors
Step Four: Foyer Comforts
To the right of the dining area opening, create an area with a console table and ottoman which will become the perfect place to store mail, keys and to sit down while putting your shoes on.
Step Five: A Simple Way to Ad Value
This would be the icing on the cake! Add crown moulding and baseboard (at least 5 inches!) to add elegance and value to your home. I would go with something that matches the character of your space, but at the very least, a colonial or Victorian style would be great!
With a few changes, you now have an entry that is functional and living space that is great for relaxing and entertaining!
Best of luck!
CHERYL
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