September 2008 - The Parklander Magazine

Locate items in the ceiling such as, a/c & heating vents, fan spaces,
lights, etc.
Measure hallways
Measure the fireplace, staircase and columns.
Now, take all of your space measurements and create a floor plan. The
floor plan represents the floor view of a room. You do not have to draw
your floor plan to scale, however accurate measurements have to point
to items in a room. With your newly created floorplan in hand,
pretend that you’re folding up your room and take it shopping with
you for the perfect fit furnishings.
2. Décors that inspire
The inspiration for my book, 9 Steps to Beautiful Living, was something
I call a “look book.”The look book is a collection of tear outs from home
décor magazines. These photos are decorated compositions that you
love. A composition in decorating language means a totally decorated
room. When you plan your look, be inspired by the total look of the
room and don’t get stuck on one item. I encourage you to be inspired by
what the professional designer has showcased. You can always add
personal touches later to make it your own.
3. Create a furniture plan
Now that you have completed your measurements and drawn up the
floor plan, it’s time to create a furniture plan. Your furniture layout will
be dictated by your room space. Before you jump into your furniture
layout, there are some important things you need to know. Decorative
items placement and size is a combination of science and art.The science
of decorating is body function
space versus furniture
location. Let’s start with
body relationship to the
sofa and coffee table. The
coffee table should be a
maximum of 18 inches
from the sofa. Here are
the three reasons why:
a. Arm space. The average arm reach from
sofa to table is 18 inches. This distance
allows you to sit on the sofa and place
items on the table comfortably;
b. Walking space. This distance will
allow you to walk between the sofa and
the table; and
c. Leg space. This distance allows enough space to
extend your legs.
Some other body space considerations
in designing a room include:
Conversation grouping. This body space concept is called a conversation
arc. The conversation arc is the ideal distance between the
speakers in a grouping, so everyone seated can hear each other well
when talking.This distance is a maximum of 8 feet. When arranging
DECORATING WITH HIGH STYLE continues on page 34
Photo by Kim Seargent Architectural Photography
the PARKLANDER
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