Vern Yip's Design Wise

PART ONE:

THE ELEMENTS

OF

SMART DESIGN

The hard and fast principles of good design result in remarkable room transformations—no matter what style you choose or are drawn to. There is no mystery to these rules and principles, nor do they inhibit your creativity. In fact, once you know the right formulas and combinations, or at least have them handy and accessible, you can design any room with great confidence and originality. This section takes a scrapbook approach to both visuals and information to give you the design information you need to make whatever style you choose look great—pleasing to the eye and to the body (because you should be comfortable when you sit down with your friends and family); proportional; well-lit; and in color harmony.

As you choose the finishes, furniture, and fixtures, you’re also making important style decisions. Design definitely goes through cycles and trends. We have to be careful not to fall into what can be very seductive trend traps. When I was on Trading Spaces, Tuscan kitchens and sponge-painted walls were quite popular. I worked with several homeowners on the show who dreamt of installing an “authentic” burnt-orange Tuscan kitchen in their split-level or mid-century ranch. I had to find out what elements of the trend attracted these homeowers to make sure they sincerely loved the look, and weren’t just being drawn to it because it was popular. Thankfully, that particular trend isn’t as ubiquitous as it once was. The industrial look is another trend, but that too will fade, as people grow weary of its cold, hard surfaces. Some other design du jour will take its place.

The best approach in a world filled with the next new thing is to create something timeless and enduring that speaks to your life and personality and tells your story. The solution? Surround yourself with quality pieces and personal items that you love and feel passionate about. This path transcends trends, so no matter what the fashion dictates, your home will be a manifestation of you. As long as you follow this approach, your home will never feel dated. Another bonus: When you walk through your front door, you feel at home. It becomes your favorite place to be more than any other place on the planet. Everyone deserves to have that feeling.

Achieving that feeling starts with knowing what to buy and where to put it. Once you know how long your sofa needs to be, for instance, you can focus on finding the one that delights your heart, puts a smile on your face, is built to last, and feels “right” in the space where you place it. Logistics may not be the most glamorous part of design and decoration, but once you know the facts behind the fancy, selecting pieces that make you happy and that you love becomes fun. No more design paralysis or fear of making the wrong choice.

CHAPTER ONE:

DESIGN BY THE NUMBERS

CRITICAL DIMENSIONS FOR TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES

Get past your fear of numbers and get out your calculators and tape measures. What follows are important numbers that make designing and decorating a room much easier and more pleasurable. Knowing the right numbers takes the anxiety out of shopping and pulling a room together. Think of this first chapter as a guide to basic dimensions, which you can build on as you proceed on your design journey. Measurements may not be the most glamorous part of design and decorating, but the application of correct space planning allows your rooms to convey lasting aesthetic integrity and personality. People usually don’t get excited about numbers; it’s like asking someone to get excited about bookkeeping or taxes. Yet getting the numbers right is so helpful in giving you a roadmap of where to go with furniture and its proper placement.

One of the important lessons I learned from working on television with many different kinds of people with differing budgets and tastes, is that space planning is the great equalizer. It really doesn’t matter how much you have to spend—all furniture, no matter its price point, comes in standard dimensions. Your economic situation isn’t tied to your personal size requirements for furniture. You can find six- to eight-foot sofas for hundreds of dollars or thousands of dollars. However, the tighter your budget, the more important it is to get measurements right, simply because there is so little room for error. This is another lesson I learned from my years on television, especially on Trading Spaces, where we were working with a challenging budget of $1,000 for an entire room. You can create amazing rooms with next to nothing if you understand proportion, dimension, and space.

No matter what design approach you’re drawn to—from Colonial to contemporary—or what budget you have, space planning is the first step toward making an empty or awkward space into a smart and beautiful room that reflects you and your family. The basics help your personal style evolve and shine. It’s truly remarkable how a carefully placed coffee table can make guests (and you!) feel “right” when sitting on a sofa, and how one that is placed too close or too far away makes socializing awkward and uncomfortable. Likewise, art that is hung incorrectly brings disharmony to a room, when it should be adding aesthetic warmth and character—furthering the “narrative” you are weaving. Good design depends on the quality of the context you create within the spatial parameters that define the room. Our homes provide for our most basic needs: shelter from the elements, a place to prepare and serve food, a place to gather with family and friends, and a place to bathe, dress, and rest in safety and comfort. These are the fundamentals we must honor when we design rooms to serve their intended purposes.

LIVE BY THE NUMBERS

SEATING & SEATING AREAS

A seating area that is easy to access and enjoy, and that encourages conversation and comfort, is one of the most important elements in making your home a haven. If you have the right numbers, you can design a space that works, and no one need ever stumble over tables, fall over a couch, trip on electrical cords, or battle other impediments again.

FURNITURE ARRANGEMENTS

Multiple conversation areas can (and should) be established in a single room, especially in large or “great” rooms. Correctly arranging seating and other furniture in living areas is the key to making socializing and relaxing enjoyable and natural, as are the pathways you create within a room to navigate through it.

•  42” to 120”: The general comfortable distance between seating pieces in a group to establish the most welcoming and functional seating zones. Distances less than 42 inches can feel cramped and invasive of personal space while distances greater than 120 inches make it difficult to hear and converse comfortably without speaking loudly.

•  24” to 36”: The usual distance needed as passage through a room or between a piece of furniture and an adjacent wall. Although it may be physically possible to pass through a distance less than 24 inches, if you must, your room layout will end up looking crowded and tight.

SOFAS AND SECTIONALS

Americans like a lot of space when they sit down to socialize or relax. Don’t fence them in! I really do think it’s a cultural thing. Europeans and Asians don’t seem to mind as much about converging into one another’s personal space, at least in terms of sitting on sofas, as Americans do. That said, personal boundaries with your friends and family are important no matter where you’re from, and this should be taken into account when determining the length of a sofa. How many people do you entertain when you host a gathering? Do you plan to use the sofa for stretching out, or lying down and taking a nap? The answers to these questions help determine what you need—along with the amount of space you have in your room to accommodate a sofa or sectional, of course.

THE SEATING NUMBERS YOU NEED TO KNOW

STANDARD SOFA LENGTHS

•  72”: Seats up to 2 people.

•  84”: Seats 2 people comfortably, 3 people who are familiar with each other.

•  96”: Seats 3 people comfortably.

•  108”: Seats 3 comfortably lounging or 4 people sitting upright.

•  120”: Seats 4 people comfortably, although it’s rare that 4 people would actually want to sit on the same sofa unless it’s a friendly group watching a sporting or entertainment event.

STANDARD SECTIONAL LENGTHS

•  108” to 168”: Typical length^a of sectional sofas.

•  72”: Typical length^a of the couch component of a small L-shaped sectional. With an attached loveseat depth (or chaise width) at 36 to 42 inches, the overall length measurment results in a small sectional couch ranging from 90 to 114 inches.

•  90” to 114”: Typical total length^a of a small sectional sofa set. Seats 3 or more.

•  114” to 138”: Typical total length^a of a mid-size sectional sofa set. Seats 4 or more.

•  138” to 168”: Typical total length of a large sectional sofa set. Seats 5 or more.

STANDARD HEIGHT AND DEPTH CONSIDERATIONS

There is a wide range of seat depths and back heights in the world of sofas, and these measurements do have an impact on how comfortable a sofa will be for an individual. Select the perfect height and depth with your specific needs and room conditions in mind. Here are the numbers you need to know.

•  34” to 38”: Typical sofa back height. Lower back heights might not provide enough back support, while taller back heights can look awkward or overwhelming in rooms with ceiling heights lower than 9 feet.

•  34” to 40”: Typical overall sofa depth front to back (versus seat depth only). On average, I have found that overall sofa depths in this fairly standard range work well for most people. Deeper sofas (up to 42 inches) are more comfortable for taller individuals and those with long legs. However, those looking for more support might be more comfortable with a depth closer to 36 inches. Those looking for casual lounging and afternoon naps might find a depth closer to 42 inches is just what they need for a truly satisfying snooze.

•  16” to 20”: Typical sofa seat height. Sofa seat heights have gotten progressively higher as people have gotten taller and bigger. When purchasing a sofa, make sure that your feet are able to comfortably touch the floor. Remember that sofa seat cushions can compress greatly, depending on cushion composition, so a lower sofa, designed for lounging, won’t work well if you will use it in an upright position, or plan to pull it up to a dining room table. You might feel like a kid at the grownup’s table.

•  20” to 24”: Typical sofa seat depth. Seat depth can range widely, since new sofa designs seemingly continue to get deeper each year. Shorter individuals or people who have shorter legs will generally be more comfortable with a seat depth between 19 to 21 inches, whereas taller or long-legged individuals will be more comfortable with deeper seats closer to 22 to 24 inches. As with most upholstered seating it’s best to try it out before purchasing.

•  23” to 26”: Typical sofa arm height. As with other elements of a sofa, there are a variety of arm heights and styles, but most that are meant to support your arm will fall within this range. Some sofa styles have arms at the same height as the back. In these instances, you obviously won’t be able to rest your arm comfortably on it, so keep this in mind. This style of arm might also not be ideal for those who use the arm to support their head during sofa naps or while reading in a reclining position.

^a Length refers to the longest side of the overall, configured sectional.