I know there are a million online floor plan generators out there, but I like my old-fashioned way: my Mom draws a scaled version on graph paper, then I measure my furniture and create scaled cut-outs which I colour with pencil crayon. When
else will I get a chance to bust out my pencil crayons?
I've been working on
more detailed plans for
the lakehouse, especially layouts. I want to figure out what furniture will transition and what won't work, so I can sell things before the move. Also, we're moving to a much smaller city, so now's my chance to source things I might not find there. I'm getting organized!
The living room layout gave me a bit of difficulty because intuition
says the sofa should point toward our fancy-pants lake view, but I want it
pointing toward the television so I can watch Rookie Blue. There's no room above the fireplace for the television because that's where the fireplace vents that circulate the heat are located. There's no room on either side, either, unless I want a smaller tube TV shoved into the corner (hear that? That's Hubby sobbing at the thought). And then there's a wall of windows . . .
Eventually I came
up with this layout (and it took a surprisingly long time!):
The sofa will be against the windows but pulled out a foot or so.
Our Ikea wall unit will make the trek with us and live opposite the sofa. We're ditching
the teak side tables in lieu of handmade ones that will tuck in closer and higher (bottom left). We're moving
the mint chair, mint table and
one of my favorite paintings of Hubby's grandpa's into the living room to create a little lake-facing-nook beside the wall unit. We thought about a sectional, but with a sofa and accent chairs, we can move the chairs to face the window when we want to relax with a book and stare dreamily at the waves.
The
soon-to-be-made-over velvet chair will take centre stage. Eventually I hope to get a grey leather sofa that is lower, with more mid-century lines, to replace
our cream one. In the meantime, we're planning to make or buy a new
ottoman in a more modern shape and fabric.
This goes without saying: I'm painting out the wood flanking the
fireplace. I'd like to paint the stone and the whole wall a deep
charcoal grey, but Hubby is opposed to painting the stone because it
matches the exterior of our house. For now, the gold will get de-goldified, the ceiling fan and dining room light are first to hit the chopping block, and we'll say good-bye to all of the skinny oak trim! Any volunteers to paint out the trim on those top windows?
Right now we're still in limbo, unsure when we'll actually
start
working on the lakehouse because we have not sold the townhouse yet, but I don't mind: it's giving me a chance to get prepared. I need to keep repeating that so I don't start feeling antsy about the uncertainty. I hate uncertainty, but sometimes good things come from it.
For a little distraction, look how adorable the original townhouse plans look! I saved these from 2009.
The ottoman is the only piece of living room furniture that is the same. But the dining room table and chairs are identical (just oriented differently).
