Yesterday afternoon, Patsy and I went to preview a home staging job in Hoschton. We pulled up to a beautiful home, and once inside, it didn’t take very long for us to see why this house hasn’t been snatched up yet — the open floor plan in the Kitchen/Family Room area was structured in such a way that no matter where you put the furniture, it seemed that wasting space was inevitable. This is not an unsolvable problem, but it certainly is a challenge – even for a home stager! Let me explain what makes this room so awkward:
First, notice that the family room is clearly defined by two things: the posts offsetting this area from the rest of the room, as well as the two different colors. Clearly, these are two distinct rooms. So any living room furniture would need to stay within the invisible line running from post to post, leaving a small space for couches and a coffee table and chairs, and an enormous space for the kitchen table!
Moving to the right, you can see the second room which is the eat-in kitchen. Or at least, that’s what it appears to be! Notice the island with space for seating — for two. Where might a family of four sit for breakfast? This was our dilemma. It may not sound like much of an issue, but notice the proximity of the island to the window. Having a mid-sized table centered on that double window becomes almost impossible without blocking off the kitchen entirely! But wait, there’s more…see all the space in the foreground of this photo? Patsy and I agreed that it would be very strange to put a table in this space, because this photo was taken from the entryway to the dining room…which means there would be two tables right next to each other. Very strange indeed. Additionally, as you can see in the picture, there is no light fixture that would suggest the proper placement for a table (you all know that trick, right? When in doubt, look at the ceiling). So, the end result seems to be cramming an off-center table into the corner, leaving all the foreground space open and useless.
There are two things you want to try to avoid as much as possible when arranging the furniture in your home. One, do not create a “furniture store” look. Meaning, do not line pieces up to make them fit but forsaking aesthetic. This is why we couldn’t easily put a table in the bigger space; because it would be right next door to the dining room table, which may give your guests the impression that they are in a furniture store. Try not to do that. Secondly, try to avoid the opposite — huge gaps like this one. Of course, floor plans can sometimes make it very difficult not to break this rule. Once there is actually furniture in the space, it will be easier to tell if something works or not — this is the beauty of home staging! It can be very difficult to spatially and accurately imagine an empty space full of furniture. This awkward space is not hopeless, it just requires a bit more thought. If you’re having trouble making the space you live in work for you, maybe you need some redesign assistance!
Check it out — we spotted some wild turkeys on our way out! I really hope I’ll be able to post some pictures of the finished product here in a couple of weeks! I know Patsy would do a great job making the place look great — even with an awkward floor plan! If you need help with an awkward floor plan solution, call Patsy Overton Interiors to set up an appointment! 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.
