Question: My parents' home in St. Bernard Parish east of New Orleans was recently devastated by Hurricane Katrina. They have decided not to move back and will be living in a new tract home in Brenham, Texas. The living room is awkward because there isn't much wall space, and there must be traffic flow to the kitchen and breakfast area. The corner fireplace takes up a good deal of space. The house is wired so that the TV has to go on the wall shared with the master bedroom. My parents were able to salvage one Victorian oak occasional table and a small ladder-back chair. They need two recliners of some sort and seating for five. What do you recommend?

Tim Blevins
San Francisco

Answer: The resilience of people never fails to amaze me, and your parents' willingness to start over in a new community is a testament of that spirit. I applaud their strength through this challenging time.

I've designed a furniture layout that addresses all your stated needs.

I started the layout with the TV's location because this is the only predetermined element. But, because we don't have to work with an existing TV, the one I've selected is a wall-hanging flat-screen unit. It's at least 48 inches long, which should be large enough to see from across the room. Underneath the TV is a low console cabinet that holds entertainment components such as DVD player, stereo, CDs, DVDs and related electronics. Opposite the TV are your parents' two recliners. There's a variety of styles to select from, but to make the traffic flow to the kitchen possible, buy small ones. In front of the recliners is an oval coffee table. I chose the oval shape to avoid having the elevated footrest of the recliners bang into the edge of a square table. Between the two recliners is a small end table with a reading lamp. This lamp could be a table lamp with shade, or a lighting unit that has two gooseneck reading lamps that have individual switches. Perpendicular to your parents' seating area is a 6-foot-long sofa. Its smaller size is intended to keep the furniture plan functional yet provide the requested seating for guests. Behind the sofa is a console table or cabinet. It helps define the room and provides a surface for a table lamp, bowl of flowers and small decorative objects.

Next to the fireplace is a small "slipper" chair, your requested fifth seat. If you need additional seating, the console cabinet behind the sofa should be a console table, and then there's room to store two ottomans beneath it for additional seating.

At the counter between the kitchen and living room are a pair of bar stools. They can reside below the counter when not in use, so they don't get in the way of traffic flow. They provide seating to keep someone in the kitchen company, or a place to sit, have a cup of coffee and spread out the newspaper in the morning.

I've kept the two pieces of furniture that your parents have from their lost home in a special place; the corner of the room just to the right of the entrance. The occasional table and ladder-back chair are placed near each other and can tell their story together. New family photographs can be framed to hang on the wall above to make this corner special for your parents.

People who have experienced a loss of this magnitude often find that their new home fulfills needs in a more meaningful way. And with technology and so many new home products to choose from, a new home and its contents can be a reward in and of itself.

 

 

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