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LORI LEVINE INTERIORS, INC.
CUSTOM DESIGNED ENVIRONMENTS
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Tuesday-Saturday 10-6 & Sunday 11-5
Fine Furniture • Accessories
Antiques • Lighting • Fine Art
I recently compiled a list of the most
frequently asked design questions.
While I tell my clients “…there are no
design-rule books,” there are definitely
Design Guidelines. Many of these
questions can turn even the most con-
fident do-it-yourself design star into a
hand-wringing nervous wreck. So, here
are some easy answers to those fre-
quently asked questions.
Family Room Basic Questions:
Furni-
ture placement and scale.
Start your
furniture plan with the best seat in the
house, and work out from there. Float
something in the room… maybe some
chairs. Use this as an opportunity to
show off those chair backs. A few very
large scale pieces make a room appear
bigger. It’s counterintuitive, but it works.
Go for the BIG statement! For general
upholstery, I recommend at least two
comfy chairs, either swivel or on castors
and one sofa no longer than 7 feet
long. Consider the padded sofa arms as
additional seating. Add in some shaped
ottomans and your seating arrange-
ment is moveable as well as versatile.
Next to consider:
What size cocktail
table works in the room?
The length
of the cocktail table should be at least
half the length of the sofa. I suggest a
width 30”-36” on a rectangular table.
Try to keep a minimum of 15”
between the cocktail table and sofa so
guests’ knees don’t bang the table.
Optimal cocktail table height is
between 18” and 20,” although a tea
table height of 24” is great if you enjoy
eating in front of the TV. Try not to use
end tables lower than 30.” The pro-
portion as well as the lamplight is bet-
ter. Have your electrician reposition the
electric outlet at 28”high behind tables
so you don’t see the “dreaded dan-
gling cord.” And before you hang that
picture over the sofa, the optimal
height for artwork is 9” off the back of
the sofa. Hanging groups of pictures?
Keep the gap between them no greater
than 3” to utilize the wall space.
Dining Room Basics:
A rectangular
table of 36” to 40” is great for conver-
sation. Don’t put a round table in a
long skinny rectangular room and vice
versa…and, no rectangular table in a
square room. Make sure you allow a
minimum of 36” around your dining
room table to give your chairs enough
room to pull back. The area rug follows
the same rule. Dining room chandeliers
should hang 60” to 66” above the
floor. And because lighting creates
atmosphere, place all lighting on dim-
mers, even your lamps! Use recessed
ceiling lighting sparingly to avoid the
dreaded Swiss cheese effect. Add
drama to that fifth wall with metallic
paint or a graphic wallpaper!
As you go forth with paint fan and fab-
ric samples in hand, I hope that these
simple guidelines help ease the process.
For any Design Dilemma questions
email Lori at :
Lori@LoriLevineInteriors.com
DESIGN PRIMER…ANSWERS TO THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED “DESIGNER QUESTIONS”
By: Lori Levine Interiors, Inc.
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