When we first sat down to talk about this space, both the husband and wife were ready to get rid of ALL of the furnishings seen above – the plush couch, the dining table and chairs, and the beautiful bookcase that was custom built just a few years back.
Instead, I proposed that we first use what they have and see what can be done. Often times it is the placement of the furniture – not the furniture itself – that makes all the difference.
The biggest problem with the qi in this space was what you saw when you first walked in – the massive bookcase, the deep couch in front of it, and the black massage chair off to the right – all of which competed with the wall-to-wall windows. It was overwhelming.
View from entry before:
View from entry after:
The second problem was the wall behind the dining table, as seen below. It was barren really, and yet wall art or family photos would still make that space feel cluttered, no matter how nice the arrangement.
By simply switching the credenza against that wall with the large bookshelf on the other wall, turning the couch to face the window, and shifting the rest of the furniture accordingly, the entire space felt completely different.
Dining Area Before:
Dining Area After:
It only took us one organizing session to clear out the space, empty out the bookshelves, and move almost every piece of furniture around in that room – us being myself, the client, and her housekeeper – plus the time it took for them to add the finishing touches after I left.
What a difference that one session made!
Now when you enter the home, your eyes are immediately drawn to the wall art and family photos (feels more intimate and personal), the large windows (feels warm and bright) and the lounge chairs as seen below, making you want to walk over and have a seat!
And when you do sit down, you can’t help but gaze towards the bookshelf, now behind the dining table on the other side of the room.
The bookshelf is suddenly a dramatic visual for an otherwise barren wall. It also brings out the beautiful light fixture above the dining table that my client really loves but wasn’t nearly as noticeable before, and that light – in turn – brings out the vividness of the bookshelf.
The bookshelf enhances the light, and the light enhances the bookshelf. Imagine that!
I videoed the kids when they came home from school, the Mandarin tutor who came soon after for their weekly lessons, and the husband when he came home from work – all of whose reactions were priceless. I felt like an HGTV camera crew filming the reveals!
- “Woahhh it’s like we just moved in.”
- “The whole place has changed, it feels new!”
- “Ooo! It looks good. It looks very good! Wwwwow!”
- “It doesn’t look oooold…”
- “It feels like… a hotel.”
- “The living room feels cozier.”
- “It feels more spacious, allows for more discussion.”
- “Uhhh… I don’t know why! But I like it!”
- “Why does it… it’s more… you feel like there’s a living room, and a dining room, and…”
- “Is this a new couch?!”
Since we changed the room around and optimized the qi, multiple people have asked if the couch was new, including one of their own kids! They’ve had that couch for seven years!
It’s amazing what a small change can do.
To read the client’s testimonial, click here.
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