apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Do you really need daybed *and* couch?

You also seem to be suffering from the "if it's a wall, it needs a piece of furniture up against it" syndrome, leaving the center of your room looking a little bit like a dance floor...

Granted, that room is tricky because of so many doors. Do you truly use all of them?

What if you put your platform couch (the thing on jars) in front of the wall with the windows. But make it so there is room to get behind it.
Bring your dining chairs closer in to make a better conversational area.

Draw yourself up a floor plan to scale and make yourself cutouts of your furniture. Move them around to find the best layout!

The daybed needs to go - in it's place is where a the sofa should live with a nice little seating area - a couple comfy chairs facing the sofa and a rectangular cocktail table or a pair of square cube/tables.

Where the sofa is now - a floor-to-ceiling wall system for enclosed storage, entertainment, books, etc. belongs. Those little white bookcases need to be gone too (contents move over to wall unit) and a credenza should live in that space as a landing strip.

A small rectangular rolling table (no more than 54" x 30") could do double duty as a dining table when turned parallel with the wall unit - and a meeting table when turned perpendicular with the wall unit.

I agree with Patick...you need to pull the furniture away from the walls and create a meeting area. Position the couch across from a couple of chairs (not those chairs though--also the couch should face the windows) with a coffee table between. You could set this up on a rug. You could move the bookshelves to be behind the couch as a sort of console table/library with some candles etc on top. I would lose the daybed(?) Its just not the right piece for your needs. I might also paint the walls if possible to be one color.

Create spaces for conversation. That's the key to a good living space, and it's also the key to a good consulting business---being able to sit down and listen to your clients and then work with them. So it's not like the needs for this space are so completely opposite that you can't make the room work for both. But right now the couches are so far apart, it seems like you'd have to shout to carry on a conversation.

I'd start by putting a coffee table in front of the dark brown couch. (An adjustable height table would be perfect, if you can find one that suits your style and budget. Otherwise, coffee table and some lap desks.) Then I'd find a seating option to go across from it. Maybe move the other couch there, or a few of those chairs, or a small loveseat.

You could also put seating under the windows, for an L-shape, but I think being able to sit directly across from your clients is better. It's hard to tell how much space you have along the wall with the windows, but I think you'd still be able to get to the bookcases behind the new seating arrangement.

Where the lighter couch is now, I'd create a more relaxing reading area, with a chair (maybe two) and a small table. If the doorway that leads to your office and the one next to it are redundant, I'd cover the one closest to the corner with a curtain, and then you have a nice corner reading/relaxing area.

"Granted, that room is tricky because of so many doors. Do you truly use all of them?"

I don't know about you, but it weirds me out when I see a door blocked by furniture. It leaves some questions in my mind--are they hiding something? where does that door lead to?

another suggestion - bring your artwork down to eye level. it's all far too high. AT did a post on this technique a few months back: 57 on center.

The room is awkward, and i think the paint job doesn't help. Perhaps a softer color on all the walls would help blend it together.

Also, it is not very comfortable to sit on a daybed for meetings, especially while using laptops. Would the daybed fit on the wall where the couch is? That could be your napping spot. Then the couch would go where the daybed is now, with two "client" chairs (lightly upholstered but upright) to face it, and a coffee table in between. The meeting area. Have a few outlet strips handy for electronics. You also need task lighting for the area.

You could use more shelving. Perhaps start investing in Billy bookcases from Ikea. Buy as your budget allows until they fill that wall.

It would look more professional to curtain the two open doorways. And to cover the milk crate with a piece of fabric.

My other suggestion would be to get a few individual laptop tables, like this http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00120818 for the folks that have trouble holding a laptop.

Hope this helps a bit.

I love it how everyone is deftly avoiding the "your client meeting room has a daybed on oversized pickle jars" topic. *ducking now*

Those jars scare the hell out of me and if I enter an office with them, call me close minded or whatever, I'll walk out in panic (Serious panic)

lolol @ wally.

That is the first thing that I thought. I think it is scary, I know I wouldn't be able to sit on it.

sorry, but i'd be afraid to sit on the daybed cause it looks light my weight would crush those jars. Your clients may feel the same.

Wasn't necessarily talking about blocking the door in an obvious way, but perhaps actually sealing up a door that wasn't being used and was perhaps preventing you form solving the furniture plan.

Sealed or blocked doors or not, you totally need a coffee table. Or, perhaps given the function of the room, a "tea heght" table or two, both on wheels.

first thing i would do is attached some real legs to that daybed! scary!

Move the day bed out of the room. The glass jar bottoms detract from your "office" goal. I would also move the art lower (hang 57 or 60 inches in the center). Replace the curtains. Opt for something more trim (like Roman shades) and hang the rod right above the window (You've got a crazy gap going on it looks like). Cover the milk crate or remove it all together. I'd also move your speakers: having one on the floor and another on a milk crate reads 'college house' not 'I'm an expert: gimme your money.'

a direct critique of the pickle jar daybed:
if you must (and you go! girl),
do paint the wood platform under the cushion the same color as the cushion.
also, I think it would look better if the jar supports were
precisely evenly spaced. It may be the angle of the pic, but they don't seem to be spaced carefully. And adding more supports might make it look more sturdy. I agree with people who say that they would be afraid the sit on it.
It doesn't say "I am stable, I will give you the support you need." Which is the message you want your clients to get, right?
Oh, and think about painting the walls a more optimistic, creative color.

You need a conversation area and a work space, plus a place to hang out when you’re not working. I would use the less is more approach defiantly. Move the sofa on the wall with the mirrors to the book shelf wall and vice versa. While you’re at it, continue the color to the wall where the shelves are now. Also get rid of some books, all of the stuff hanging on the wall except for the picture above your daybed, the rug, grandma’s throw on the sofa, milk crate, mismatched chairs and hide your shoes. I agree the pictures need to come down lower if you do hang them. For the daybed legs would look clean and bolsters would make it more comfortable and inviting. If you have a good amount of space left a very narrow coffee table would give you workspace or pull the sofas from the walls. Your end goal would be an inviting lobby or comfy looking conference room type of feel. Hope that helps!

The pickle jars are really clever. I like them.

i would put the bed in the closet and pull the office back out into the room

Maybe you could put "stuff" in the pickle jars. Random items could be cool and spark conversation. Instead of: "Look at those pickle jars!", they might say: "Interesting stuff in those ...picke jars". Just a thought....

WOW! These comments are incredible, thank you very much! I appreciate the dance floor and 86ing of items, images hung lower, etc. The mayo jars under day bed--I will try an alt to getting rid of them, thanks, Mrs.B, perhaps rocks? Sand? Ideas for "solidifying" these "seem dangerous" supports?

The day bed is wider than the couch wall will support and the heater btw the windows on the orange wall prevent putting something in front. Roman shades won't work on the french windows--however, I like the ideas of lowering the cable and trimming the curtains.

Anyone have sources on adjustable height tea/tables which can flip down or be stored when not in use? I have an ikea laptop table (mrs. yow), however multiples would create a storage challenge.

keep 'em coming! Thank you very much.

Dyana