Sixteen possible ways of arranging bedroom furniture in a large bedroom.
In recent years, in many parts of the country, grand houses have been erected, some with very large rooms. A while back, a viewer of this website posted a question about how to arrange furniture in a large master bedroom; her inquiry inspired this post. I’ve come up with 16 possible floor plans for arranging furniture in such a space. The ideas that I’ve come up with can also be applied to a space that is a bit bigger or smaller.
Choosing the right furniture for a Large Bedroom….
The Bed is the focal point of any bedroom. When considering one for a large space, you want to choose something that has presence. A room that is large, and possibly has a ceiling height that is 9, 10, 12 or more feet high, or has a tray ceiling needs to have a bed in it that possesses vertical tension (some part of the frame of the bed directs your eye upward). If you have traditional taste, a four-poster bed, or a canopy bed might be something that interests you. The posts of the bed bring your eye upward (vertical tension) and the posts and bed itself fill in visual space in the bedroom. If you have more modern taste, look for a bed with a high headboard. Even if the bed’s mattress and box-spring sit kind of close to the floor, the headboard will provide the vertical tension that is needed in a larger room. If a person chooses a bed which sits close to the floor and has a low, or nonexistent headboard, and it is in a room with a high ceiling, the bed will get lost in the space and there will be too much space between the top of the bed and ceiling. If you have this problem, considering placing a folding screen, hanging a large tapestry or some kind of large piece of artwork behind your bed; it will act as a headboard and provide the vertical tension needed in the space. When hanging anything over/behind a bed just make sure it is securely mounded to the wall, so it does not fall while you are in bed.
Examples of side chairs / occasional chairs that would be used in a bedroom.
Side chairs and Occasional Chairs
When picking furniture for a large bedroom side chairs and occasional chairs should be considered. The above illustration shows two examples of side chairs and two examples of occasional chairs; the side chairs (shown on the left) just have a seat and back, whereas occasional chairs (shown on the right) have arms, but the arms have minimal or no upholstery. When people think of side chairs, dining rooms chairs come to mind. Side chairs and occasional chairs have a relatively light weight wooden frame and can easy to move around by one person.
Most often in bedrooms, a side chairs is seen placed up close, next to a bed, and if space allows other side chairs are spread around the room. The side chair next to the bed is the perfect place to throw a robe, or extra bed coverings at night. If you look through shelter magazines, you will always see at least one side chair positioned at one side of the bed. Side chairs are also used, paired with table desks in bedrooms. Occasional chairs, being a bit bulkier (because of the addition of the arms) can be placed with other upholstered chairs, or even a sofa in a bedroom if space allows.
Club chairs and Chaise Lounges are perfect additions to a large bedroom.
Club chairs, Ottomans, and Chaise Lounges
The above illustration shows two examples of club chairs and a Chaise Lounge, which are staples in large bedrooms. A pair of club chairs can be put at the foot of a bed if desired, placed by a fireplace or singly tucked into any of the corner of a large bedroom. If you buy a club chair and it comes with a companion ottoman, you have the ability to use them separately in a bedroom, or put them together and make a chaise lounge. Chaise Lounges are often seen placed at foots of beds, shown floating out on one side of the bedroom or positioned by a fireplace.
Three different styles of benches that could be used at the foot of a bed.
Benches
Benches are another constantly seen piece of furniture in large bedrooms. The above illustration shows three examples of benches that would work perfectly placed at the foot of a bed. Of the three, the first bench (small one on top with the “X” styled legs) could do double duty; it would be great if used in front of a fireplace, or a pair of them could be placed at the foot of a queen or king sized bed.
The right styled desk for a bedroom.
Table Desks
A table desk is another piece of furniture to incorporate into a large bedroom. The above illustration shows two examples of the desk. The table desk is not supposed to be an office desk, or have the ability to store a lot of files and all of your computer gear. The table desk is a place for a person to write a letter, pay the bills, look at a laptop, page through a magazine, use as a surface to do a puzzle on, or even as a kind of dressing table/vanity. The table desk has few drawers, which are not too deep, and has kind of thin legs.
The table desk could also have a TV mounted on the wall above it. The companion chair for the table desk is the side chair, which I covered earlier.
Lighting
When it comes to lighting for a large bedroom, or for that matter any room in a house, you will be using floor lamps, table lamps, and probably accent lamps. To learn more about those different kinds of lighting read my posts:
The Right height of Table Lamp for your End Table 5-19-2011,
The Answer to..”Can you put a Floor Lamp next to a Sofa?” 10-4-2012,
Interior Decorating with Table Lamps 12-12-2012
Interior Decorating with Accent Lamps 12-5-2012 and
Matching the Right shape End Table to your Table lamp 1-12-2014.
For this post, as I wrote earlier, I came up with 16 possible ways of arranging furniture in the 15 foot by 25 foot space. To come up with that many possible ways of arranging furniture, I first had to make a graph which represented the dimensions of the room. To do that I taped together a few sheets of computer printing paper and marked off a 15 inch by 25 inch rectangle on the paper and then divided it into 1 inch squares; one square inch on my graph represents 1 square foot of floor space. After that I went through furniture catalogs and came up with general dimensions for width and depth for each of the different pieces of furniture I would be trying to arrange in the room. A queen sized mattress is 60 inches wide by 80 inches long and a king is 76 inches wide and 80 inches long. To be able to fit either size of bed into my imaginary room, I made a paper template representing the bed, which is 6 1/2 wide by 7 inches long. I did that for each of the pieces of furniture that I would be using in the room. On average club chairs were 36×36 inches, a chest of drawers (also called tall chests and high dressers) averaged 20×46 inches, triple dressers (also referred to as double dressers and dresser chests) averaged 20×63 inches, armoires (door chest) average at 22 1/4 x 50 inches, side chairs 25×25 inches, foot of the bed benches 20×52/54 inches, chaise lounges 35×64 inches, bed side tables 17×25 inches, table desks 32×62/64 inches, ottomans 2×3 feet, small benches 18×24 inches and a three cushion sofa is 3×7 feet.
Now let’s look at the first group of illustrations I made for this post.
In interior decorating it’s all about equal balance, and what you build visually, for weight, on one side of the room, you must also visually build , for weight, directly opposite it, on the other side; interior decorating is really all about counterbalancing weights.
Illustration #1 shows a bed flanked by two side tables with lamps, and a bench at its foot. Directly opposite it, on the other end of the room, by the fireplace, it is counterbalanced by the chaise lounge, with a floor lamp behind it to illuminate that corner of the room, a small bench (s.b.) and the chest of drawers placed on an angle. On the long wall, at the right, a triple dresser is counterbalanced by the table desk and side chair (sc) opposite it. A TV could be hung on the wall over the fireplace so it is view-able from the bed.
This bedroom and the next seven are shown with both chest of drawers and triple dresser in them for storage. The arrows show the entrances into the room.
Illustration #2 has the bed now moved to the inside wall between the two entrances to the room. The bed is flanked on one side by an end table with lamp, and on the other side there is a floor lamp (space dictates if two end tables can flank a bed). Directly opposite it (counter balancing the bed, night stand and floor lamp), on the outside wall of the room is a triple dresser which is flanked by two side chairs (sc); a TV could be mounted over the triple dresser for viewing from bed. At the bottom of illustration 2 are two club chairs that are flanking an end table with lamp. Counterbalancing them, on the other side of the room is the chaise with floor lamp, small bench (sb) and chest.
Illustration #3 is similar to illustration #1 with the placement of the bed. A side chair (sc) has now been placed by the bed. Counterbalancing the bed and things around it, on the other side of the room, by the fireplace, are a three cushion sofa, side chair and ottoman or coffee table, and a floor lamp for illumination. A chest of drawers has been placed in the left corner. In the center of the room, on the outside wall is a triple dresser, it is counterbalanced, on the inside wall, by a table desk and side chair (sc).
Illustration #4 shows that the fireplace has moved to the outside center wall of the room; it is flanked by a pair of club chairs (a TV could be hung over the fireplace for viewing from bed). The fireplace and chairs are counterbalanced by the bed, end table with lamp and floor lamp. At the bottom of the room a triple dresser is flanked by a pair of side chairs (sc) and in both corners of the room are floor lamps for illumination. Counterbalancing them, on the other side of the room, is a club chair with ottoman (forming a chaise lounge) and floor lamp, chest of drawers and a desk with side chair.
Illustration #5 has the fireplace moved to the inside wall, between the two entrances to the room; it is flanked by a pair of club chairs that face each other. Directly opposite the fireplace, on the outside wall of the room, between the windows, is a bed with end table and lamp on one side, and a chaise further to its left. To the right of the bed is a floor lamp and desk with side chair (sc). In this room the chaise on one side of the bed is counterbalanced by the desk and side chair on the other side. At the bottom of the room a triple dresser and side chair are counterbalanced by an armoire and chest at the top of the room; the chest also counterbalances the chaise.
Illustration #6 has the fireplace moved to the far side of the long outside wall of the room. The fireplace and side chair (sc) to its right are counterbalanced by the three cushion sofa, club chair, and coffee table. A floor lamp could be placed behind the side chair, or in the space between the sofa and club chair for illumination at that side of the room. Counterbalancing the grouping by the fireplace is the bed, end tables with lamps, bench and side chair (sc). The chest and triple dresser counterbalance each other on the long walls of the room.
Illustration #7 shows the same positioning of the fireplace as illustration 6, but this time the bed is placed between the two entrances to the room, and is flanked by a pair of end tables with lamps. Directly opposite the bed is a table desk with side chair (sc); a TV could be hung on the wall above the desk. A chaise lounge, with floor lamp behind it, chest and club chair with floor lamp behind it, at the bottom of the room, are counterbalancing a triple dresser, two club chairs and two floor lamps on the wall opposite them (top of room). Notice how the angling of the chaise and club chair on one side of the room mimics the placement of the two club chairs on the other side of the room.
Illustration #8 shows a large bedroom without a fireplace. The bed is placed on the outside wall of the room between the two windows. Two end tables with lamps flank the bed, and a side chair (sc) is placed to the side of the bed, facing the bed’s head-board (similarly to the cover illustration for this post). A bench is at the foot of the bed. Across from the bed, counterbalancing it, is a triple dresser (a TV could be hung over it for viewing from bed). At the bottom of the room a table desk with side chair (sc) is flanked by another side chair and a club chair (an occasional chair could also take the place of a side chair in the corner of the room)(a floor lamp could be placed behind either the club chair or side chair/occasional chair, or both if needed). On the wall opposite them, counterbalancing them, is a chest flanked by a pair of chairs, with floor lamps in the corners of the room.
Illustrations #9 through #16 show fantasy bedrooms, where there might be a walk in closet or two, and a separate room for chest of drawers and other kinds of storage. In these spaces storage pieces are used when needed for balance, but are not an important factor in the bedroom’s layout.
Illustration #9 shows a bed with bench at its foot and it is flanked by a pair of bedside tables with lamps; a side chair (sc) is to its right. On the other side of the room, counterbalancing the bed and the other furniture around it are the three cushion sofa, an ottoman and two club chairs, grouped around the fireplace. There are also two floor lamps in the corners of the room for illumination. A TV could be mounted above the fireplace if desired. On the left wall is a chest of drawers, it is counterbalancing the sliding glass door on the right outside wall of the room. If needed, a floor lamp could also be placed to the right of the chest, so there would be more light in the area of the sofa.
Illustration #10 is similar to illustration #9 with the placement of the bed and other furniture around it. A table desk and side chair (sc) have now been added to the left side of the room. It is counterbalanced by the chaise lounge on the right. By the fireplace two club chairs face each other with an ottoman between them that can easily be moved up to one of the club chairs and it would create a second chaise lounge in the room. Floor lamps, tucked into the corners of the room add illumination. A TV could be mounded over the fireplace if needed, or it could be hung over the table desk.
Illustration #11 shows the fireplace now on the center of the outside wall between the two windows. The bed, a night stand with lamps, a floor lamp and a bench counterbalance it. A TV could be hung over the fireplace for viewing from bed. On the bottom part of the room a three cushion sofa, end table with lamp, and a club chair have been placed. To counterbalance them, on the other side of the room are two club chairs, one with an ottoman put next to it to create a chaise lounge, a chest of drawers and two floor lamps, placed in the corners of the room for illumination.
Illustration #12 shows the bed, and now two night stands with lamps, and bench are still facing the fireplace. A TV could be hung over the fireplace for viewing from bed. Placed on the two far ends of the fireplace wall are a chaise lounge and table desk with side chair (sc); they counterbalance each other for size. A floor lamp is behind the chaise for illumination in that corner of the room, and a triple dresser is to its left side. On the bed side of the room, in both far corners are two club chairs, with floor lamps behind them. They counterbalance each other. A small side table is placed next to the club chair that is next to the desk.
Illustration #13 now has the bed with two night stands flanking it at the top of the room; a side chair (sc) is to its right. At the foot of the bed a chaise has been placed. The chaise and three cushion sofa, as well as the ottoman (or it could be a coffee table) and small bench maker a grouping in front of the fireplace. A floor lamp is next to the fireplace to illuminate that side of the room. Behind the sofa, facing the bed is a table desk with side chair. At the bottom of the room, in the corners, a potted tree is seen on the left and a folding screen is on the right, they both cut off and soften the corners of the room. Counterbalancing the fireplace, in the center of the room, is an armoire that is flanked by two more floor lamps for room illumination.
Illustration #14 has the bed in the same place as illustration 13, and it now has a side chair (sc) to its left and there is a bench at its foot. The bedroom now has no fireplace, so in the middle of the room, on the outside wall is a three cushion sofa, flanked by two floor lamps. The sofa and lamps counterbalances an armoire that is on the left inside wall of the bedroom. Counterbalancing the bed is a table desk with side chair, and there is a club chair with floor lamp behind it to illuminate that corner of the room.
Illustration #15 is similar to illustration 14 for placement of the bed. On the middle of the outside wall of the bedroom is a club chair, table with lamp and chaise, they are counterbalanced by the triple dresser opposite them. A TV could be hung on the wall over the triple dresser if desired. The table desk and side chair (sc) counterbalances the bed and a club chair was put into the corner of the room for extra seating. Two floor lamps illuminate that side of the room.
In all of the different illustrations that I’ve come up with for this post, wing chairs, occasional chairs, slipper chairs, etc could also have been substituted for the club chair if desired.
Illustration #16 has the bed at the bottom on the room; it is flanked by two night stands with lamps and there is a bench at its foot. The bed is counterbalanced, on the other side of the room, by a three cushion sofa, table desk and side chair (sc). Floor lamps are in the top corners of the room to illuminate it. On the middle of the outside wall is a side chair, which is part of the seating grouping, it also counterbalances the armoire.
So there you have it, sixteen possible ways of arranging furniture in a 15×25 foot bedroom. When picking out furniture for a space like this, or really any room in your house it is most important to first find things that you like and then get the exact measurements for those pieces of furniture. You want to know their length, width and height. Knowing the measurements for the furniture, you can go home, and tape newspapers together to make templates that show exactly how much floor space a certain piece of furniture will be taking up. As soon as you place the template on your floor, you will instantaneously know if it works, or takes up too much space in your room. Also, always take into account the problem of getting certain pieces of furniture up stairs, through doorways, or possibly having to make a turn in a hallway. If you live in an apartment building, ask yourself “will it fit in an elevator”? You don’t want to pay good money for something and not be able to get it into your place of residence.
When buying chairs, sofas, etc for bedrooms, think about having them in neutral fabrics so they can go with many different bedspreads, etc. Think about soft gold, off white, light silver gray, or a golden tan. With colors like that as your base, you can keep changing things up with accent pillows, bedspreads, throws, and even area rugs. You don’t want to be locked into a certain color story, unless you love that color, or are possibly wealthy enough to change things as you please. Neutral colored furniture could also be slip covered so you could change the look of the room seasonal, or when you are wanting a bit of a change. I’ve heard of people who have a Spring-Summer look and a Fall-Winter look, and they do it with slipcovers, area rugs that they swap out and other inexpensive accessories.
The sixteen possible ways of arranging furniture, that I came up with, are just a starting point to inspire you. Every house has rooms where doors are not in the right place, and windows and even fireplaces might not be where you want them. What I’ve come up with is just to get you thinking, now it is your turn to try to take something from what I’ve presented and apply it to your own home. I want you to go through interior decorating magazines and books and do searches on Pinterest ( Beautiful Bedrooms in Traditional Home Magazine, Beautiful Bedrooms in Veranda Magazine and Beautiful Bedrooms in Architectural Digest to name a few) to see how different designers and decorators have applied the concepts that I’ve presented here. I hope this post helps you, in some way, to understand the concepts of interior decorating better.
Companion Posts from Fred Gonsowski Garden Home.com …
Picking Colors
Pick (Use) Four colors when Decorating a Room 3-7-2011,
How to Pick the Perfect Gray Paint..A Popular Color choice of the moment 2-15-2014,
The Color BLUE, the Next Decorating Trend 3-30-2014,
When Decorating a Beige Room think Tones, Texture and Sculptural Interest 3-16-2011.
Curtains and Drapes
The Right way to Hang Curtains and Drapes 5-3-2011,
Hanging Valances, Curtains and Drapes on Different Kinds of Windows 7-15-2012.
Hanging Pictures and Arranging Knickknacks
Arranging your Decorative Accessories (Knickknacks and Collectables) 6-7-2011,
Picking and Hanging the Right size Picture or Mirror over a Fireplace 6-23-2011,
It’s easy to make a Grouping of Pictures 6-29-2011,
Making an Interesting Arrangement of Pictures 7-8-2011,
It’s easy to hang Pictures up on a Wall 7-17-2011,
Hanging Pictures around a Room 8-3-2011,
Hanging Pictures over a Sofa 9-12-2011,
Fabrics, Wallpaper Patterns, etc
Looking at Patterns used in Interior Decorating 3-10-2012,
Interior Decorating..Looking at the Different Sizes of Patterns used on Wallpaper and Fabrics 3-20-2012,
Mixing and Matching Fabric and Wallpaper Patterns 4-13-2012,
Arranging Furniture
Arranging Living Room Furniture so Sofas talk to Chairs, like the Pros do 9-7-2012,
Arranging Furniture TWELVE different ways in the Same Room 9-15-2012,
Arranging Furniture around a Fireplace in the Corner of a Room 9-29-2012,
Arranging Furniture in a 12 foot wide by 24 foot long Living Room 2-5-2014,
It’s Easy to Arrange Furniture in a Square Living Room, some Ideas that will Inspire You 11-29-2013,
When buying Living Room furniture, FORGET the Love seat, buy two wing, club or Occasional Chairs instead 10-13-2012,
It’s Easy to Decorate a Room with a Tall/ High Ceiling 2-3-2013,
Interior Decorating Ideas for a Small House, Condominium or Apartment 11-24-2014.
Fred Gonsowski Garden Home 
Thank you Fred! You’re awesome. You answered my question; and then some. I have so much to help me out here. Thanks for all the time and effort you took to carefully craft the many variations.
Happy New Year Fred!
This is a masterpiece that I will file for future inspiration. Although my own home has very small rooms (we have small homes with multi-function rooms in Japan), one can see there are elemental arrangements within each rendering that can inspire us all. You break things down into “units” and subunits – which is so helpful. I have to say that I have learned that I am more at home in cozy rooms than in those with great expanses of space. When I lived in Texas we built a home with a vast cavern of a “great room” with soaring ceiling and sky lights. I had a devil of a time trying to decorate it on my own and could have used your superior illustrations on creative groupings within a large space. My decorator only suggested one or two ideas and it occurs to me now that she probably had a host of ideas for other arrangements -in her head- that she did not mention due to time constraints. So many thanks for pouring so much hard work into creation of 16 renderings!
One more comment- I’d love to see you turn your illustrations into a coloring book- I bet it would be a hit with the adult coloring craze that is au currant!
Suzanne
Happy New Year to You also Suzanne.
You get the premise of by blog…to get people thinking, and trying to figure possibilities for their homes. My first house was a Cape Cod styled place, and it was cozy. When I moved here to Whimsey Hill (of course I named it that) I have some large rooms, the living room is 15 1/2 by 28 feet long and it opens into a good sized dining room. This house I think of as airy. But, if you looked at my Christmas decorating you saw my Red Room, which is a cozy space; so in a way I have the best of both worlds. As for you past designer, some people don’t have that many ideas, or think, if they are hiring me, they will be happy with whatever I give them. Creating this post, making the drawings and illustrations, and writing the copy took a full week. As for an adult coloring book, I would love it, (If anyone is out there and has a legitimate publishing company with product distribution, pop me a note here, I will see your e-mail address on this side and get back to you.) My blatant pitch for a side job ;-}
Again Suzanne thanks for your comment, It is always nice to hear from my blog readers!
Fred, you can self publish your book through Amazon I believe.
Hi there Cheryl, thanks for you suggestion, but at this time, I really don’t want to take on a project like that, and have to do all the work,(writing, illustrating, complete editing, publishing, and distribution, schlepping, packing for shipping, and who knows what else… myself). Maybe some day, I might have a different opinion, but time would have to change that ;-}
Fred! You are a genius. You pour so much thought and passion into your posts. You make decorating not only an art form, but something based on logical proportions and measurements that help those that do not have your gift flourish. I am struggling. I have read several of your blog posts relating to furniture arrangement, i.e., decorating a room 12 different ways, arranging furniture in your 12 x 24 sized living room, and am inspired but still a bit stuck. Your living room is almost the same exact dimensions as mine. Mine has one entry way fairly center to the room on the west wall and large stained glass windows on the north wall and the south wall. The fireplace is on the east wall, with an entryway on each side of it to the sunroom. I have flanked the fireplace with 2 90 inch chesterfields and put 2 wing chairs in the northern space, with a small table in between. I put another couch on the southern wall. Many of my decorator friends are quite dismayed by this-and unconventional as it is, I like it, as I love to lay on that couch and bask in the afternoon southern sunshine while reading. Is it against the rules to have 3 couches parallel like that? I also love having a room with lots of beautiful furniture, artwork and lamps. Would love your two cents and hope you are enjoying the holiday season. And if you published a book I would buy it, and I am sure your loyal following would be thrilled as well!!!
Hi there Layne, I just drew out your room on a piece of paper and have no problem with your placement of the three sofas in the room. If you don’t have one already, and can have one, how about having some kind of patterned-oriental (area) rug in front of the fireplace between the two sofas to define the main seating space in the room.
Also, how about making a vertical arrangement of pictures on each side of the door to the room, opposite the fireplace, so the door and art collection would, for size, kind of counterbalance the visual weight of the fireplace and mantel, opposite it.
How is your lighting for the room. Could you possibly use floor lamps in the four corners of the room to illuminate it.
Layne, here are some different posts that I’ve written and I want you to look at them, as they might inspire you.
First of all look at Visiting (RHONY) Dorinda Medley’s home, Blue stone Manor, in that post look at her library and how I describe how the center seating room is counterbalanced on both ends of the room with a pool table, on one side and a seating grouping on the other side.
After that look at…
Interior Decorating is ALL about Equal Balance,
Pick (Use) four colors when Decorating a Room,
Picking and Hanging the Right size Picture or Mirror over your Fireplace,
Hanging Pictures around a Room,
The answer to…”Can you put a Floor Lamp next to a Sofa?,
It’s Easy to decorate a room with a Tall/High Ceiling.
Read those posts and the companion posts that follow the articles, and hopefully you will learn a lot about decorating.
Another possibility, could you put one of the sofas at each end of the room (north and south) and just have one of the sofas by the fireplace, and have the two chairs that you have opposite it to counterbalance the sofa.
One more thing Layne, don’t pay your friends no attention. Oh too often people make suggestions not knowing anything about decorating. Also I think your eyes have to view beauty, and if the sofas smile at you, and make you happy, then they are just right.
Layne, thanks for your comment, I hope my suggestions are helpful ;-}
As for a book, I would love writing one, but someone in the book publishing business will have to get in touch with me here, and if the project and company are really legitimate, a book will be written.
I was thrilled to discover that you responded to my email Fred. I was driving one of my children to school and could not wait to arrive home and read it fully in my study. I am looking forward to devouring all of your suggested readings. Thank you so much Fred! As it turns out, I do have an Oriental that the Chesterfields are situated on (with a coffee table in between.) It is a Semi-Antique (almost antique) Heriz that is incredibly rich with saturated jewel tones. I was so tickled when you mentioned that and it was something I had done. And I adore Dorinda Medley-I am a big fan of her television show. 🙂 I am going to follow your suggestion and look at moving the Chesterfields at the North and South ends of the room and move the other couch to flank the fireplace counterbalanced with the wings-that is something I had not thought to try-I am looking forward to seeing what it looks like! As far as lighting, there is a tremendous crystal and iron chandelier (at least 4 feet wide) in the room but I am a table lamp fiend, and cannot wait to add more lamps and floor lamps to the room-there is nothing like the golden, magical glow of lamp light. I wish I knew of a publisher, as I would forward your materials, because I think you are brilliant.
I am looking forward to learning more under your guidance today. It is rare to find such a genuine kindness today like the one you exemplify. Thank you so much and enjoy your day!
Hi there Layne, thanks for your note. I want you to look at my different table lamp posts…
The Right height of Table Lamp for your End table,
Interior Decorating with Table Lamps,
Matching the Right shape End Table with a Table Lamp,
Looking at the Different Shapes of Lamp Bases. Also look at the companion posts that follow the pieces, there might be something there that will interest you.
Also look at How to Pick Paint Colors that go with an Oriental/Rug carpet.
Layne Happy Thanksgiving to you!
Hi there Suzanne, I don’t know if you will be reading this, but if you look at Year in Review, put out by WordPress about my blog, and hover your pointer, slowly over the world map, you will see that in 2015 324 times people living in Japan have read something that I posted. How small a large world really is, when I think about me sending out articles and people from soo far away reading them. The computer is really the newer version of a note in a bottle.
Hi Fred,
I just found your comment regarding many readers of your blog in Japan. I am not surprised at all that you are popular here. English is the second language of Japan (truly, I am blessed for that fact!) and people here are especially intellectually curious about US norms and concepts. Our American interior decorating styles are emulated here as much as possible, given our cramped housing trends. As for gardening, Japan will always hold a special challenge for me as I love Japanese gardens but struggle to read tree, seed, and bulb labels and planting instructions. I am not truly bilingual and sometimes make mistakes such as this winter when I quickly skimmed the label and brought home a Japanese plum (apricot) when I thought I was buying a lime tree!
All I can say is that I am glad that you are back to posting and hope someday you find time to reprint all of your posts in book form for us to savor and preserve your ideas as all seem timeless.
Fred!
This was a most ambitious post on your part! It took a lot of your time, but the love you have (and knowledge) for the subject shows in this and all of your posts. I too, will be saving this post for future reference!
I really think that you should consider combining many of your previous posts (the ones people keep pinning all over Pinterest) into a book and publishing it. Your drawings are wonderful examples and your style is spot on. Really, your explanations and “rules” (lamp heights, i.e.) are so helpful, and having them all in a printed book form would be so useful!
You are off to a great start Fred! Again, I wish you all the best in 2016! 😊
Hi there P.W. Thanks for your lovely comment. The last year and a half has been just too busy for me to really have the time to take on more time involved subject matter. Times now have kind of changed for me, so I hope to be able to write more interior decorating posts, which are a true passion of mine. Maybe one day a book will be written but I really would want to work with a legitimate publishing company who really has proper distribution. People have suggested self publication, but at this time that does not interest me. In a way, I’m really self publishing a book, it is right here at Fred Gonsowski Garden Home.con. If you look at the interior decorating principles, seen under Categories to the right of the screen, all of my so far written decorating posts are there.
Also, P.W. a lot of books are really written by so called famous people who are on TV or seen in social columns in New York City etc. Even if they write “drivel”, because they are known, a publishing company will take them on or have a gost writer even help them write the book. I’ve looked at many interior decorating books in my life, and really none of them cover the principles of design, like I try to cover here on my website. So for the time being, I’m really happy to have all of the Pinterest pinners, Facebook people and all the others lovely folk that tell the world about my site.
Again Thanks for your comment, you really don’t know how important it is to me to get encouraging words from people like you;-}
Hey Fred! Just got a notification of new comments, so I am using this as an opportunity to say I wish you a Happy and blessed Thanksgiving.
Hi there P.W. The Happiest of Thanksgivings to you also. Such a hard time of year, from Thanksgiving to the New Year, oh to many delicious things being offered for people to eat. Glad I have a gym membership.
Thank you Fred! your is just awesome. keep posting!!!
Hello Fred,
I’ve discovered your blog today and find it great – especially your hand-drawn layout pictures. I haven’t found anywhere on the website where I could contact you to ask for a professional opinion on my rather awkward flat layout and some ideas on what I could do with it.
Keep on posting 🙂
Hi Fred, your work is absolutely inspiring and helpful, plus your beautiful drawings. I have a question, can you do email consultations? I have a real furniture dilemma with a narrow living-dining-kitchen space. I really hope you can help me. Many thanks, Carmen
Thank you for another amazing post. The timing is perfect for us as we have just moved a couch into our large bedroom. I had been struggling for a few months with the large empty feeling of the space, and floating the bed in the middle of the room just wasn’t an option! Your post helped me see that I also need to add a desk, and now there are several arrangement possibilities. I hope you know how much your talents are appreciated.
Hi there Heather, it is soo nice to read your comment, I’ve literally helped over a million readers, and it is a rare person who comes back and says that something I’ve written helped them.
Hello Fred,
Having just read your post about picking the right colors for the wood in your home (super helpful, by the way!), I was very excited to stumble upon this post about long bedrooms since we recently bought an old colonial house with an especially troublesome master bedroom and I just don’t know what to do with all the (awkward) space! I would say it most resembles your illustration #11. The fireplace is in the middle of the long side, with two windows flanking, just as in your drawing. However, directly across from the fireplace is the entrance door to the room, so we can’t put the bed there. Where you have placed the “chest” on the short wall with two windows, we have only one window in the middle with a radiator underneath, so no option to put the bed along that wall.
Where you have placed the sofa in the bottom of the drawing is a wide opening that creates a small nook where there are two closets, one on each side (facing each other, if you can picture that), with another radiator in-between. So, again, we can’t put the bed there.
We have currently placed our bed in the only other option, against the wall where you show the top arrow (with a third closet directly next to it in the top left corner, where you have drawn a lamp), and flanked by two nightstands. Right now, the only other furniture is just a standing full length mirror in the top right corner, and a triple dresser where your bottom arrow is (with the door to the room between it and the bed). The bottom right corner – indeed, most of that side of the room – is bare, as I have no idea what to do with it.
While empty, the room appears to have some symmetry, but when it comes to placing furniture – especially the bed – there’s no way to create balance. It’s definitely a challenge.
Anyway, I appreciate your blog and I look forward to exploring it for some ideas!
Hi there LC, thanks for your comment ;-} Could you float the bed out in the room, away from any of the walls or windows, and then mount a ceiling mounted drapery rod on the ceiling and hang fabric from the ceiling to floor, which would create a fabric wall behind the bed. You could then use the room that you created behind the bed as an office space, or a dressing room of sorts. You could even think of it as a retreat inside of a retreat. I’ve been in bedroom recently where they had a desk/work area behind the bed, which was floating out in the center of a room. In another bedroom there was the bedroom wall, that would be behind the bed, then there was a walking space, then floor to ceiling cabinets, which were backed by a sheet rock wall, which was where finally the head board for the bed was placed. The storage unit/ wall for the headboard to be up against, was floating like an island in the room. Not knowing your room dimensions, or seeing it, I don’t know if it would work in your space, but it did in that bedroom. As with everything that I write for this blog, my premise is to get people thinking about possibility, so Best of luck with your project.