I recently helped a client with her extra-large and somewhat awkward family room. It’s surprising how often I have a client with the “problem” of having too big of a room.
I have helped plenty of clients make the most of their big rooms, so I saw a solution right away. I could tell by the look my client gave me I would have to prove it to her. She could not see how the room would ever be a place where she would want to spend any time. 
After presenting her with a few floor plan options, including furniture and fabrics, she was amazed, and started to get excited about the possibilities. She was relieved once I showed her the plans, and she slowly began to have fun choosing from my pre-selected options.
My client said, “I like how you make this easy for me by not showing me too many things.” I think most people get overwhelmed when they have too much to choose from. I do that part for my clients so that what I present has been edited down to the three best selections for them.
This family room is now warm, cozy and inviting. Dividing the large space into two, separate areas gave us a comfortable TV watching space as well as a separate, stylish sitting area around the fireplace. The generous sectional allows the whole family to comfortably enjoy movie night. The appropriately deemed “awesome ottoman” (my client’s name for it) is a great cocktail table because of its versatility. Of course you can put your feet up on it, but you can also safely and conveniently put your drinks and snacks down on it, since it has built-in trays in the center. There’s also a chair and a half for overflow guests to snuggle up.
The seating area design by the fireplace is what I called the “coffee house” seating arrangement. The four comfortable swivel chairs surround a generous, round cocktail table that has an inset glass top for a no-coasters-needed ease of living. The seating area looks great and is the perfect place to catch up with friends and enjoy a glass of wine.
Do you have a large awkward room that you can see the right solution to? I invite you to contact me for your interior design needs.
Heather McManus
Artistry Interiors
June 2, 2015
