Question: I have a 1,300-square-foot condo in Noe Valley with a view of San Francisco. However, the designer chose to plunk a fireplace right in the middle of the million-dollar view, which causes me no end of problems in arranging my living and dining room.

My long-term goal is to remodel the kitchen and remove the walls to make a loftlike, open living, dining and kitchen space. In the meantime, I have this fireplace that sits between the living room and the dining room and is not usable by either. The area in front is just large enough for a walkway and not much more.

Jann Fitzgerald
San Francisco

Answer: Your letter describes a not uncommon problem; sometimes builders don't take into consideration how people plan on living in a house once it's finished. They place large, essential elements in such a way that it's practically impossible to decorate comfortably and attractively around them.

Taking down the kitchen walls to create an open floor plan would certainly give you a more spacious feeling.

But until you're ready to make that change, there are other things you can do to make the space work better for you. Simply rearranging your furniture and perhaps acquiring a few items that will enhance what you already have should make a tremendous difference.

I think you've put the living room where the dining room should be and vice versa. It seems to me that the dining room should be closest to the kitchen and in the smaller area, while the living room should be where the view is best and in the larger area. I suggest you flip these two rooms to give you more flexibility in positioning your furniture. This won't change the fact that your fireplace is still in an awkward place. So let's see what we can create in the way of furniture layout to make the space more inviting. What if you place the sofa on the long wall perpendicular to the sliding doors? Place one large club chair facing the sofa with a coffee table between them so you've got a comfortable seating area. Instead of having a second large club chair, put a long, low upholstered bench which can seat two close friends in a pinch. This serves as another seat but because it has no back, it doesn't obstruct the view to the fireplace.

Put one more small, "occasional" chair perpendicular to the sofa and you've got comfortable seating for up to as many as six people. This smaller chair can be one of your dining chairs pulled in to serve double duty.

A pair of floor lamps, one on each end of the sofa, create soft light in the evening. On the wall perpendicular to the sofa and opposite your great view, I suggest you place a long console table or use a cabinet no taller than 36 inches high that offers storage below.

Above it, put a large, beautiful mirror that will double the view by reflecting it back into the living room area.

The shape of your new dining room begs for an oval or round dining table that gives you seating for at least six people. Since the space in front of the fireplace is only large enough to function as a walk-through area, I would place a mirror on the wall opposite the fireplace so at least the reflection of it can be seen from more areas.

When you eventually take down the walls between the kitchen and the other rooms, make what is now the corner of the room that faces the fireplace into a serving counter that doubles as a breakfast area with bar stools. You can even soften the architecture of the space by having this element be curved rather than squared.

At the same time, add an entry to the kitchen nearer to the front door of the house. This makes the kitchen more accessible as you walk in with groceries and also makes the breakfast counter a free-standing design element.

It's interesting how people like to congregate near the kitchen, and I think this design feature will make your fireplace more of the gathering place it should be.

 

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