It’s hard to mask my excitement when I walk into a new interior design project with large spaces – they usually allow for more creativity. Then the dreaded panic sets in, if only for a moment. ‘Oh my goodness! What are we going to do here?’ How are we going to create a cozy room within such vast parameters? After I catch my breath, sensible thinking kicks in. We will do what we always do!
I start by taking stock of the architecture. This is when ‘design forensics’ takes center stage. Where are the windows, doors, and passageways? I am a nut for balance in interior design and geometry, particularly symmetry – it is often what leads me. I’m looking for the best sight lines and the best vistas while seated. The best light. You know, the details.
Then I divide the space into a series of ‘zones’, usually there are three distinct zones that typically work well. For Zone One, should a fireplace be present, I will place comfy seating elements centered around the opening. Perhaps sofas facing each other, or symmetrically placing a lounge seating group. These lines of furnishings visually create a boundary around the fireplace.
I love to add a bumper guard for the layered appearance it creates. I also think one of the key elements in creating cozy spaces in large rooms is pulling the larger furniture items off of the walls and floating them in the space. This will assist in the creation of zones and make movement throughout the large room feel easy.
Joy Moyler, H&G's new columnist, is a US-based interior designer and creative mastermind. Before launching the A-list interior design services Joy Moyler Interiors 12 years ago, she worked for some of America's best interior and architectural design firms including, Skidmore Owings & Merrill and Kohn Pederson Fox, and as head of Giorgio Armani Interior Design Studio.
Zone Two consists of a smaller gathering area, hopefully near a window where a garden view can be enjoyed. Here you can create a games area with a table to encourage social engagement, doubling as a small workspace for Zoom calls or catching up with a friend.
Zone Three is the perfect reading nook. This begins with a comfortable chaise longue, large enough for you and your furry friends to snuggle, and a swivel floor reading lamp, so that light hits exactly where you need it. When possible, floor power outlets are a bonus. They allow for lamps to be placed precisely where you want them, eliminating tripping hazards with trailing cords.
A Chaise Lounge in a corner of a room creates a visual invite to take a break, creating a feeling of comfort and relaxation.
A throw over a chair, sofa or across the end of a bed will immediately inject a feeling of coziness, particularly if you choose something with a thick and fuzzy texture.
Adding a table lamp to a side table or console creates the potential for opting for a gentle, low-lit ambiance, ideal for making a room feel cossetting.
Once completed, the space reads as a harmonious one, with distinct but connecting areas of engagement. Cozy, warm, and inviting: sometimes candlelit, sometimes glowing from the gold interior lining of a series of table lamps; warm, worn rugs underneath bare feet as your favorite book is read.
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