apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

1) Your walls are not the only place to place furniture.

2) Floor-to-ceiling doors can be used as a "wall" upon which to anchor furniture.

3) An air mattress takes up less space than a futon.

I would replace one of the two bench-like seating options with a pair of chairs, placed across from the remaining loveseat/futon (please choose loveseat).

Strongly agree with Patrick that all your furniture does not have to be pressed against a wall. That one loveseat is wasting all sorts of space as is trying to get up against the wall.

Jen's problem is that she's inflexible about the pieces that she has in her possession - They're simply not appropriate together for this space.

She needs to get rid of either the loveseat or the futon - (preferably the futon) and replace it with a pair of chairs.

I would suggest floating the furniture arrangement around the rug in the center of the room: loveseat so that it's back is to the windows, and the pair of chairs facing the loveseat across from the coffee table.

The TV needs to live on a long credenza/media center with legs centered on the wall where the Futon is now.

The wall next to the door could be a pair of bookcases or a narrow console table/desk using the ottoman as a seat.

I have never seen a heater that couldn't have furniture in front of it, as long as the furniture doesn't touch. (Although I admit I have not seen everything -- yet!)

But good luck with whatever plan you choose.

You can keep the futon in the same position, just push it further into the room away from the wall. The other piece you can place perpendicular to the futon so they create an L shape and there is space behind it to easily get to the patio.

Or, move the tv closer to the door and catty corner it. Then move one of the seats by the hallway facing the patio doors and put another near (not against) the wall, but closer to the patio doors than the futon currently is, perpendicular to the first seat.

Agree with BEPSF.

Place the two pieces facing each other, with the rug in between. I might say put the futon with the back to the window (if the back is not as attractive to look at from the kitchen).

Another option. You could put the loveseat across from the futon, keeping the rug between. Another chair ot table could sit in the corner where the loveseat was. The tv can be put in the other corner by the door. Keeps it out of the way with less focus, but you could still see it from the futon (or loveseat) and kitchen when used.

I would center the futon on it's current wall and place the love seat on the opposite wall so that they are facing each other with the rug centered in between the two pieces. (If the heaters are a problem, you can always pull the furniture out from the wall a bit to provide air flow.) I would add some cube ottomans (if possible with storage) by the patio door for extra seating when the whole family comes over. For the TV, I would recommend putting it in the corner of the room on an angle. You will lose some visibility for company, but I'm guessing your family visits will not be based around watching the television anyway. :) This set up will give you the open feeling you're looking for with full access and visibility to/from the kitchen.

Could you try putting the loveseat with its' back to the kitchen, creating a divider between the two rooms and opening up the area in front of the patio door? I don't actually understand where the heaters are based on your picture because nothing is labeled, sorry.

If we consider the walls N, S, E, W (per the compass), I'd put the backs of the sofa and futon to the E and W walls and float them in the middle, conversation-style.

I'd mount the TV to the wall (not to mention investing in a flat-screen! They're really affordable right now as retailers try to tempt business from the people) on the same N wall as it's on.

The side tables on either side of the futon could be set together behind either the couch or futon to create a sofa table.

I'm not sure what the square in the NW corner is supposed to represent, and to me, that seems extraneous. Find a new home for it! NOW NOW NOW! ;)

Also, invest in floor lamps or hang lamps over the seating arrangement for light. I imagine she's probably only got the one overhead light that most houses come from.

A more obscure and slightly more risky move is to see if there's another room you can swap with. If this is directly off the kitchen, it may once have been meant to be a dining room, in which case, two sofa-type pieces of furniture are probably totally irrational. You could switch it with a bedroom and hang a long, sweeping curtain under a pair of velvet drapes (for drama), and then also enjoy a huge source of natural light in your *(new)* bedroom.

As per Patrick's suggestion, get rid of the futon and use an air mattress for visitors.

Otherwise, agree with bepsf, except would put the love seat back towards the kitchen (with maybe a console table behind), and the two chairs facing (so that they back onto the patio door).

I'd recommend selling both lounging options and then getting a love seat that pulls out to a full size bed along with a couple side chairs.

After, place the love seat facing the kitchen with the two chairs facing it.

I have almost the exact same layout/problem in my apartment. The heaters are steam heaters along the baseboard of one entire wall and half of another. After a TON of research, I've determined that solid furniture (like couches, shelves, etc) can be placed 12 inches from the heaters. Open furniture, like chairs, tables, etc can be placed withing a couple inches. It's a safety thing, you wouldn't want to melt your furniture or start a fire.

What I've done is have 2 seasonal arraignment. In the Spring/Summer when I don't use my heaters at all, I arrange the furniture any way I want without regard to the heaters, but once Fall/Winter rolls around, I change the setup by floating the couch (I just have one smaller on, you should DEFINITELY get rid of one of the bigger pieces) and moving the more "open" furniture to nearer the heaters. It helps me to celebrate the coming of Spring, and also when Fall comes, to prepare to "hibernate"