Did you know the layout for an early 1900s American farmhouse is commonly called a “four-square” because each floor has four square rooms? I’m generally a fan of anything from this era but particularly enjoy their streamlined but interesting wood trim. So I was really excited when a friend asked me to help her with a couple rooms on the main floor of her family’s four-square!
Before we get too far into the details, it should be noted that we deeply respect the individuality of our clients’ projects. Unless they have provided an after photo with the intention to share, we will always keep the products sourced for clients private. In this instance, we will share the actual space plan but the renderings of the rooms do not reflect the client’s design.
Okay, let’s get into it. This family of four came to us because their space simply wasn’t working for them. The main floor of their four-square houses the kitchen, dining room, living room, and a pass through room to the stairs. This pass-through room presented a particular challenge for them as the furniture they had didn’t allow for much other than to just pass through the room, but they needed it to do more for their two young boys. They wanted to focus on this room and the adjacent living room; they were even considering removing the partition wall between the two rooms if it would help. In order for the space to function ideally for them, we needed to find room for the following items:
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- Seating for everyone to watch tv together
- A desk / office area
- An area to play games
- Storage for books and games
- Allllllll the plants
- A record player
- A keyboard, if it fits
As with all space plans, we started with the biggest pieces. Here, that was the seating for the tv area. In addition to the stairs creating a challenge, these rooms also have fairly limited wall space due to windows and openings into adjacent rooms. We found that their current living room area did, in fact, present the best space for this. We placed a sofa along the left side wall and rounded it out with a side table and chair in the corner by the door. We then placed a console across from the sofa, on the longer section of the partition wall. This allows for unobstructed movement into the room from outside and also from the pass through room into the dining room.
With one whole room down, we have only taken the first item off the list. Yikes! Thankfully, we had a feels there was a ton of potential within the pass-through room. Through shared inspiration photos, we knew the client liked the look of a wall-to-wall bookcase that extends overtop a doorway. We thought that the opening between these two rooms was the perfect spot for this! Not only does it fit the era of the home, but it also creates ample closed and open storage. We then placed a desk in the corner opposite the stairs with a small chair for reading to the side. The wall along the stairwell would be a great spot to house a keyboard; if not, a larger chair or chaise lounge would be great here, too.
But wait – what about the games and a record player?! Don’t worry, we did not forget. We recommended a sizeable coffee table for game play and offset the tv atop the console in order to fit a record player. This was a real win-win because now the tv is better aligned with the sofa!
So that means . . . we did it! We managed to get everything they wanted into their current space. And without having to move any walls, too. Hooray! Here’s their 2D space plan:
You know what time it is, right? We’ve made the room work better . . . now we get to make it look better! First, we have a 3D view of the 2D floor plan. We kept the walls and woodwork light in order to bring an overall calming feel to the rooms. Then we strategically placed saturated accent colors around the room for interest. The beautiful green color that ties both rooms together was inspired by the client’s love of plants.
For your viewing pleasure . . . here’s a few different views of the re-designed pass through room! In this version we switched out the desk for a round game table in the corner. Do you love these bookshelves as much as we do?!
And a couple views of the living room, too! Like in the pass thru room, we aimed to balance staying true to the era of the home with the client’s love of mid-century modern furniture. How do you think we did?
Why should you look to Insighed Designs for virtual interior design? We have options!
Do you want our opinion on how to rearrange your current furniture? Our 30 minute virtual consultation would be great for that!
Do you want our opinion on the best floor plan but you want to find your own pieces? Contact us for a custom estimate to design you 2D floor plan like the one above!
Do you want us to source furniture and accessories with photorealistic 3D drawings of your room? Sure, we can do that too!
