Wednesday is Reader’s Day – the day we publish reader’s successes, questions, ideas, projects and suggestions. Today a reader asks for help with a square living room that poses decorating challenges.
Angelia writes:
“ I recently just bought a house and while in the decorating process I realized that I don’t have any floor plugs in my living room. This creates an issue for me as the room is large with a brick fireplace flanked by 2 large bookshelves that are the focal point. I have considered putting in floor plugs but I have wooden floors that I don’t want to tear up. The room is a large square and putting the furniture against the walls (where the plugs are) looks ridiculous since it creates a massive empty space in the middle of the room. Any ideas on decorating?”
Square Room Arrangement
To solve her problem, the first thing Angelia needs to do is arrange her furniture away from the walls and facing the room’s focal point - the brick fireplace and 2 large bookshelves. I previously wrote a post about furniture arrangements for a square room – read it here . Angelia should refer to and use the information for determining her furniture arrangement.
Due to the size of her living room, either of the furniture arrangement styles noted in the previous post (furniture parallel to the walls or furniture angled to the walls) will suit Angelia’s room.
Furniture in a square room angled to the walls.
Furniture in a square room parallel with the walls.
Angelia simply needs to follow the nine steps outlined in the square room post in the order in which they are presented – starting with the largest seating piece facing the fireplace and building the arrangement from there.
Floor Plugs
Once Angelia has her furniture arranged so she’s pleased and comfortable in the room, she should mark the floor with blue masking tape in spots that make sense for floor plugs. Lighting triangles should be considered. The number of floor plugs should be kept minimal – for example placing a single plug under a sofa to serve the lamps at each end of the sofa is generally a better solution than placing an outlet at each end of the sofa.
An electrician can install floor plugs in the designated areas without damaging hardwood or carpet flooring. Plus, floor plug receptacles can be slightly recessed so plugs don’t stick up obtrusively and they include caps that create a smooth surface when the receptacle is not in use.
Other Outlet Options
Although floor plugs would be the best solution for Angelia’s living room, if she prefers not to install them there are options she can consider:
- Use an area rug to anchor the desired furniture arrangement then run the electrical cords under the furniture and along the edge of the rug.
- Run cords the shortest distance possible to a wall receptacle and then cover the cord with a carpet runner, a small rug or a rubber cord cover.
- Run the cords across the floor to the wall in low traffic areas of the room – keep the main traffic area free of electrical cords.
Other Input?
If you’ve faced a dilemma similar to Angelia’s living room and have ideas or input, please share it. Simply use the Comment link below or email your comments to solutions@yourdecoratinghotline.com.
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