Melissa Michaels - But Where Do I Put the Couch?: And Answers to 100 Other Home Decorating Questions

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

But where do I put the couch?

Right? How many of us have looked at a room and asked that question? A lot .

We know because during our 20-plus years of combined blogging, that question has surfaced more often than a lint-covered quarter from beneath a sofa cushion. We wrote this book to answer those questionsthe ones we all face in moments of desperation or creative burnout. To keep it real, these questions are gathered from our blog followers who are now eager for answers. And here they are! So sit back, relax, and get ready to resolve a few home dcor conundrums.

And along the way, you will find the perfect place for that couch.

Melissa & KariAnne

CONTENTS

How do I start when I dont know where to start? Whether youre refinishing a table or furnishing an entire home, often the hardest part of decorating is the whole getting started process. Maybe you have a distinct vision of what you want, but you dont have the budget or cant find the pieces to make it work. Maybe your home is hopelessly out of date and youre completely lost as to where to begin. Or maybe youve collected pieces you love and have a Pinterest board full of inspiration, but youre terrified to take that first step.

You got this, friend.

Truly.

The secret to getting started is getting started. Even when you feel a little overwhelmed and are second-guessing your decorating decisions. Getting started is where its at. Thats really the only solution. There isnt a tried-and-true method for decoratingonly what works for you . Once you take that first step, once you begin, once you follow your heart and step out in faith, you are well on your way to turning your decorating dreams into reality.

Help! I really want to turn my house into a home, but I have no idea where to start! Im not even sure where to put the couch! I keep staring at my living room and Im stumped. Is there a rule I should follow? Or maybe I just need the confidence to try something unexpected. Can you help?

Kathleen M.

Melissa & KariAnne say...

Whether youre staring at a wide-open, empty space or have embraced the same decorating scheme for decades, knowing where to start decorating or redecorating can be intimidating. What if you choose the wrong style? What if things dont end up matching well? What if you put the couch in the wrong place and the room just doesnt make sense?

Truth? Every room can throw you a curve ballor an angled wall! But dont worry. Weve both stood in your shoes (or slippers), overwhelmed with furniture placement and unsure of where exactly to set that sofa.

Perhaps youve had your couch in the same place for ten or more years and have always assumed thats where it goes. But now? You want to redo and rearrange and get a new look. Or youre starting from scratch with an empty room. Youve moved the couch from wall to wall, but you just cant decide on the perfect place. And no matter where you place it, its hard to envision the rest of the room.

Here are some suggestions to help you get past this decorating hurdle:

Start by finding the focal point of a room. Determine your focal point by following your eye. What draws your attention when you walk into the room? In many cases, this is the fireplace or mantel. It could also be a large picture window with an incredible view or an oversized painting. Place the couch facing the wall with the focal point. Next, add chairs, side tables, and other furniture and accessories based on your couchs location in the room. Your focal point is now center stage in your space.

If you have a larger room with two sofas, keep the furniture arrangement symmetrical. Arrange the sofas across from each other. You want the bigger pieces in a room to be visually balanced, and arranging them in this manner is the best way to achieve that balance. (Note: Its best if the sofas match each other. If theyre not the same, tie them together with coordinating pillow colors and patterns, as well as cozy throw blankets.)

Its generally not a good idea to block a window. But if you have a lower sofa and a big window, consider placing the sofa in front of that wall.

Resist the urge to shove the sofa against a wall. Depending on how much room you have available, try floating the sofa (as well as the other furniture) in the room. Ideally, you want to place your furniture about 12" from the wall. Moving the furniture into the room creates cozier spaces and helps with traffic flow. You can also add items of interest behind the sofaa potted plant, an attractive floor lamp, a small shelf, or a narrow sofa table.

Get creative with sectionals. Often its assumed the natural placement for a sectional is in the corner of a room, but instead, try pulling it away from the walls. With a sectional, you have a ton of seating space available, so you dont need as many other pieces for seating in the room. This gives you the freedom to try some creative layouts.

Improve a box-shaped room. Got a space lacking details (such as built-ins, chair rails, or coved ceilings)? Perhaps your furniture arrangement could shake things up and provide some interest. Try putting a small sofa or chair at a 45-degree angle. You might even try angling your rug. Why not? The key is to keep trying different arrangements until you hit on a solution that seems creative yet functional.

In a larger room, its important to create conversation circles. If all the furniture is pushed against the walls, it can be challenging to communicate across the distance. Try floating a sofa (or even two sofas facing each other) around a coffee table along with chairs set in the circle to close up any gaps.

Dont worry if none of these solutions work for you, or if you make one choice about where to put your sofa and then six weeks later you decide you want to do something different. Our best decorating advice of all? Do what makes you happyincluding deciding where to put your couch. Step back, look at the room, and let go of perfection. Because heres the thing: There may not be a perfect location for your couch. It may take trial and error (or trying your couch in several different locations) to finally land on an arrangement that works best for you. The room may not be perfect, but it can be comfortable. Designing your home is about serving your familys needs and making the people who live there feel at home.

As you read through the rest of the decorating questions and answers in this book, we want you to keep that in mind. Well offer you our very best advice and be cheering you on, but we believe that ultimately you are the best judge of what will work for you in your home.

So dont feel intimidated by rules, limitations, or possibilities. Youve got this! Truly. Your new design is going to be as amazing as you are.

I have a decorating plan for my home, but how do I know where to begin with the big projects, especially when my life is so busy? Ive always wondered about the best sequence to follow. For example, do I paint the walls before or after I put in new flooring?