Fireplace Takin' Center Stage

A few weeks ago I did a family room e-design for a client who told me she had a fireplace with the stone running all the way up to the ceiling.  I was blown away by how beautiful this fireplace was when I saw the pictures Brenda sent! The dilemma? How to position the seating around the fireplace and media center.  This is a common problem folks tend to have when trying to configure their family rooms. They want to highlight the focal point of the space, while making it a functional room at the same time!


Family Room Stats:
Center Stage: Fireplace
Function: TV and relaxing room


Here's the stunner:

Here's the layout (sofa is to the right of the fireplace against the wall)

The main thing I tried to fix was the flow of the space.  Sometimes the best way to create a better flow is to bring furniture to the middle of the room, instead of pushing it all up against the walls.  Also, by turning the couch (the pretty new one you'll see in the inspiration board!) perpendicular to the fireplace, we still incorporated the focal point without making it feel like it was out of place or just floating on the wall. I also moved the entertainment center to the opposite wall, since it was the only wall without windows, an archway, or fireplace.  To balance that side of the room, I sourced some bookshelves to give it height.  A fun garden stool, end table with a mirrored top, and introducing some blues and greens really helped to freshen the space.


Here's the new layout I came up with:

The inspiration board for the family room is clean, traditional, soothing and has a touch of modern elements seen in the occasional chair, cube ottomans, mirrors and pillow fabrics.

And finally, here is the media wall that I designed:

I think the flow will be wonderful and the greens and blue will be perfect with the colors in the fireplace materials. Can't wait to see the room's progress! What do you think? Have you ever had a space planning issue like these when trying to draw attention to a focal point?


If you need help in designing a room in your home, please visit my e-design page or email me at michaelawarner90@gmail.com
I'd love to help you create a space you love by coming up with an inspiration board, layout, or help you solve a quick design dilemma.


Hope you have a glorious Tuesday!
Love,