Open for Christmas

Chestnuts can be roasted on a television fire and Jack Frost will not nip at our nose. Yuletide carols can be played by Alexa, and folks will wear light sweaters to their shows. Yes, a Florida Christmas is definitely not a Christmas of those traditional songs, but we do have our own unique things. When I see palm trees wrapped in lights, I know that it is Christmas.
I love to see lighted pink flamingos pulling Santas sleigh, adorning lawns this time of year. When I see Santa in a Hawaiian shirt, yes that gets me in the Christmas mood. So yes Virgina, we are geographically different, and we don’t have real snow but the one thing we have in common at Christmastime is family. If your living room is not inviting that might hinder family time fun. Most homes that I work in have open floor plans but there is still a desire to cut the room off by placing a sofa blocking the main entrance to the room. Why not think of our living room differently just like our Florida Christmas! Let’s take a peek into the living room of a Gardenia model that is now open for Christmas somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

  •  Open floor plan
The definition of an open floor plan as defined by the AI helper on my computer is “A home design that combines multiple rooms into one large, open space by removing walls and barriers. The goal is to create a more open and versatile living space that encourages communication and movement.” I think this definition is very accurate, concise and clear. However, it seems that though the walls and barriers are removed we still want to put something in the way to, “delineate the space”. An open floor plan should remain open, it will not become more clear that the living room is the living room by blocking it with a sofa. Open the rooms so that movement is easy, and you will enjoy more seating and therefore more family fun at Christmas time.

  •  Dark sofas get darker in the light
In a model where the sofas are floating out in front of a large sliding glass door and the sofa is dark, the sofa will appear darker than it is in reality and therefore make the room look darker. When you approach a room and the back wall is a large slider, you have a lot of sunlight coming into the room and the human eye will adjust making things in front of the light look darker. Anything floating in front of the sliding glass door should be lighter so the light will work with them not against them.

  •  Lets see that view
This model has water in the view and the homeowners wanted to see the view from most of the seating in the living room. We moved the TV to the wall next to the sliding glass door. This would allow us to change the furniture in the space to better utilize the room. The couch was moved to the wall between the windows. The second couch was moved to the wall opposing the sliding glass door. This created a faux sectional. I like placing two couches together rather than having a sectional because each person gets a side table and a lamp with the two sofas. When you are considering new furniture, and you think you want to try a sectional just remember that someone has to give up a side table and a lamp to have a sectional and we all know who that someone will be.

  •  Two new chairs
The homeowners purchased two new chairs that swivel and they are in a light crème fabric. These chairs are made by Best Home Furnishing, and the homeowners purchased them online. They are so comfortable, and they allow the room to look open and light. There is so much more room to walk into the living room without the dark couch in the way. The chairs are inviting, and they will be the chairs that guests claim first.

  •  New rug
The rug is amazing! This rug is an abstract design, and it is the Marble Collection by Kaleen. This was also purchased online, and we knew that it would work because the online website allowed us to place it in the room before purchasing. The rug is 9’6’ by 13’ and it fills the space perfectly. Remember, the larger the rug the more sound is absorbed, and it controls the echoes.

  •  Mirrors
Two large art deco mirrors were hung over the sofa on the wall opposite the sliding glass door. The two mirrors have a beautiful design, and they reflect the beautiful view of the home.

  •  Large art
The homeowners loved the photographs of the artist Alan Maltz. They chose “Endless Journey”, and we hung it over sofa and it pops as focal point in the room.

  •  New lamps
The two new lamps that highlight the picture are glass lamps, they look like the water in the picture. The third lamp is also glass, and it looks like the blue of the sky.

  •  Television
The homeowners mounted the television on swivel mount so they can move it out if they need to. They also installed lights behind the TV that glow. The light changes colors as the screen changes colors. For example, if the screen looks blue the light will be blue but if it looks more yellow the light will glow soft yellow. The light is like an extension of the screen and the color changing enhances the TV experience rather than fighting against it with odd colors that do not match the screen.

  •  Ready to entertain
The room is ready to invite guests to come in and get comfortable. If the room needs more seating the chairs from the dining room can be moved into the space with ease.
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Before and After Pics Below