	AllExperts > Decorating & Furniture
	Search

About Jenny Wojcik
Expertise
Decor: I've written about it, planned it, designed it and colored it, and I've never stopped loving it. It's not what you spend, or who made it, it's how it makes you feel. I take pride in assisting people with virtually every aspect of making their homes more comfortable and livable on a budget! As an advisor and decorator, I have assisted many do-it-yourselfers in the quest for developing their own unique home style.

Experience
College, advertising, public relations, marketing, free-lance writing and a plethora of creative endeavors have led me here. A stint at a law firm taught me humility too, but I really never scratched the creative itch until I became an Interior Decorator. Some three thousand questions ago, I wondered if I could really help. I think now that I am, and it feels great to give something back.

You are here: Experts > Style > Interior Decorating > Decorating & Furniture > Expanding & Redecorating

Decorating & Furniture - Expanding & Redecorating

Expert: Jenny Wojcik - 11/7/2009

Question

New Great Room

We are taking a 20'x 12' family room precently attached to a 17'x 10' screen porch and are knocking out the interior walls and enclosing the porch with windows making a rather large room. Our fireplace is in the center of the 12' wall and has been the focal point. There is a stairwell and a wet bar just off to the right of the fireplace. I am at a loss to figure out how I will make it flow or have a big screen TV and fireplace as the focal point (cannot mount TV over fireplace) and use other areas of this room. I have attached a drawing of what we will have after removing a few walls. A is the present family room that will be open to the kitchen, entrance from our garage, wet bar, stairwell up, and fireplace. "B" is the screen porch which we will enclose with primarily windows and a door out to our back yard and pool. Please help!

Answer
Hi Janice,

First of all thanks for the great room layout - it really helps and is a great way to decide how to position furniture. Speaking of furniture - without knowing what you have currently, I'll go with what would work best in the space.

The fireplace is a natural focal point in the room and that will not change even though the space is now considerably larger. One option is to consider placing a sectional sofa in the space with one section facing the fireplace so that the other section is angled toward the adjacent wall (area B in your drawing) where the television could be placed. This makes the wet bar actually sit behind the sectional which is fine as long as you leave at least 3 feet of walk space.

In the "B" space, consider including a card/game table (at bar height) OR a separate seating area for reading, writing or just relaxing. If you opt for a reading area, consider swivel slipper size chairs so that if someone wants to look at the focal wall, they can. That also allows a view of the outside.

By floating the sectional (or a couple of couches or love seats) in the space, you've opened up the rest of the area for other entertainment.

Hope this helps you - and remember, you can always back bookshelves (no higher than the back of the sofa) on each side for storage!

Regards,
Jenny

Add to this Answer Ask a Question