Question: I have a small condominium on the water. The layout makes it difficult to arrange the furniture to face the view.

I also would like the furniture to be grouped together, making it easy for conversation. I enjoy entertaining and like people to be able to flow throughout the dining room and living room. Am I asking too much?

LAURA MASSET, Larkspur

Answer: Your floor plan lends itself nicely to entertaining because it gives you the opportunity to create several conversation areas. I've created a furniture layout that allows you to move pieces around easily on an as-needed basis.

Let's start with the view. Because there's a large wall almost directly opposite the view, I suggest you put a mirror across the entire length of that wall. People seated at the dining table with their backs to the view will still see the scenery, in reverse. This mirrored wall also will make the entire room seem twice as large.

Because you're not committed to keeping your furniture, I would select contemporary furniture with very clean lines. Use warm colors and textures in your fabrics to make your home even more inviting. The simplicity of this style will let the view dominate yet provide flexibility for entertaining both large and small groups.

Let's place a rectangular table that runs the length of the dining room to make the space appear longer than it actually is. The dining chairs should be "slipper" chairs; that is, chairs with simple lines and mostly upholstered. The chairs can have fabric skirts to the floor, or have open, wooden legs. I recommend fabric to the floor, and all six of them should have upholstered arms. You'll see why later. If you want two more chairs and a dining table that's expandable, you can seat up to eight for dining. The extra chairs can reside in the corners of the dining area. For flexibility, I suggest several seating areas with club chairs instead of using a sofa that defines one area as the living room. One pair of chairs can be placed nearest the entry. Let's put a coffee table in front of them and two people can sit and enjoy the view and conversation. If there are more than two people, there's a backless bench opposite these club chairs for additional guests. This piece provides seating, yet doesn't break up the room. People can sit on it facing the other side, if they wish. Moving along to the other side of the room, I've placed a seating area with several club chairs here. These chairs provide an intimate grouping in which four people can sit and talk together.

The "coffee table" for this seating area should be an upholstered ottoman. It can be a place for putting a tray with cocktails or coffee, or it can be an ottoman for more relaxed socializing. And, if absolutely necessary, it can serve double duty when you need one more seat somewhere else.

Finally, put a console table or low cabinet on the alcove wall. There's a mirrored wall opposite it, so place an interesting piece of art above the console and the image will be reflected into the room.

To make it easy to re-configure this arrangement for gatherings and to expand seating where needed, I suggest that the larger, heavy pieces have casters (feet that are actually little wheels) so that you can easily move them around. Alternatively, two of the four chairs in the one grouping can be on swivels.

Now the dining chairs again; remember I suggested that they have upholstered skirts all the way to the floor and all have arms. This is so you can bring any number of them into the other seating areas easily without appearing to have borrowed the dining chairs for the occasion.

Lighting helps define spaces as well as providing illumination. Here are some tips for this home: For overall lighting, put recessed lights on dimmers. These can cast an overall glow, feature art on specific walls and define spaces by how they're placed. On the console, place a pair of candlestick lamps to make this area more intimate.

In the seating area near the entry, use a pair of arched floor lamps to avoid having lamps that impede the view. Place each base behind a chair and let the lights arc over into the seating area.

A chandelier over the dining table will finish the lighting scheme.

This floor plan gives you maximum seating which is also flexible, and it won't interfere with the beauty of the view.

 

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