Ideabook 911: No One Gathers in My Lounge Space!
How would it look in this large open plan room to lose the couch and existing thin chairs and replace with 3 modern slouchy comfortable chairs and a pouf? Too busy?
Shelley's family consists of herself, her hubs, and three young girls, and she is drawn to natural materials like wood, stone and slate, spare and clean rooms, and neutral palettes. She lives outside of Frankfurt, Germany and describes her style as "modern farmhouse." Further discussion revealed that she cannot seem to get anyone to ever gather and hang out in the lounge area of this open space.
Add a thick area rug to define the space. Here is a somewhat similar space. While Shelley has the right idea with how she's defined the lounging space with an area rug, it does not quite stand out enough to draw people over. I had to squint to see it. Perhaps grounding that area with something softer for kids to sit on and with a bolder design will draw people over to the space.
Use a pair of sofas to flank the fireplace. There's nothing like a warm fire on a cold night to attract everyone to this spot! A symmetrical setup can help ease conversation. A large coffee table between them ties them together and provides a spot for drinks, books, even a bit of homework if someone wants to sit on the floor and work.
Attract them with a warm glow. I know your ceilings are not super-high, but once you get your layout down, you may want to add a ceiling light that will emit a soft glow and draw people over. Something like this fabric fixture could do the trick. The other note about this picture is that this is a Togo sofa. As soon as I saw the Veronika you spoke of, I thought of this lounge-y series. It's definitely kid-friendly.
This is the lovely wide open space Shelley is currently working with. For some reason, no one seems to want to hang out in the area at the far end of the room. There are French doors right behind that dog cage, and there is not a television in the room. She likes the idea of ditching the two Wassily-style chairs and sofa she currently has in there and replacing them with three lounge chairs like Verzelloni's "Zoe" lounge chairs. That sounds like an interesting plan, but I'm not sure if three lounge chairs will inspire a lot of interactive gathering. Here are a few other ideas for furnishing the space.
Q