In earlier post I allready wrote about the office and the storage and style problems I have there. In the link there are also pictures of the office as it is now. Biggest problem area is the work space. I really would need a bigger table for crafting and sewing.
I drew a floor plan of the room and placed all the furniture in. We would like to keep most of the furniture. Only the table is something that we want to replace. I know we don't have much use for the guest bed, but I like it better than to have air or regular mattresses on the floor for the guests. I also personally hate air mattresses even though those are handy to store. I would like to keep the armchair, eventhough it's always filled with stuff. We certainly need the bookshelves and the speakers.
This is the floor plan of the office now. All plans were drawn with SmartDraw trial version. All measures are in meters.
Symbols:
- black squares: speakers
- long yellow rectangles: shelves
- small yellow rectangle: shest of drawers, later this is assumed that it fits under a table
- big yellow rectangle: table, later coloured white
- gray circle, floor lamp
- office chairs, bed and armchair are obvious I think
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| Some ideas, click to enlarge |
All of those have something wrong with them. The option A and C has lot of work space, but the armchair or guest bed does not fit in. Options B and D look cramped, in both the shelf in the middle would not let any light to the back of the room.
But after a while I came up with this.
This is the best plan so far. It has few deficienies, the shelf next to the armchair can be quite difficult to reach. The bed lacks a night stand that it now has from the chest of drawers. The floor lamp does not fit very well, but that can be replaced with something that attaches to the wall.
It has few pros as well. Because the cable and electric plugs are mainly on the upper righ corner the wiring to the computer and related appliances should be easy to do and all things I want there fit and there is way more work space.
Any suggestions on the furniture placement or do you have any suggestions on alternative guest beds?
Had trouble leaving my comment--this is just a check to make sure it will work.
ReplyDeleteOk--I'll try again.
ReplyDeleteFirst: Have you thought of using a pullout sofa--or a fold down sofa bed--or even a futon? It would take up a lot less space and look more appropriate in the office. Plus it would be OK not to have the chair.
As things are, I like option A the best. It gives you the best access to everything you want. There's just one concern: it looks like you might have trouble getting in and out of the desk area if both of you are sitting there at once. As well, do you think you will like working back to back with each other? Are you in there at the same time?
If it would be difficult to get in and out (it looks as if you'd hit each other's chairs) then perhaps you could remove the connecting bit of desk along the wall--or just make it temporary: something you can put up and take down when you are working with projects that require more room: then the chair problem would only be a problem sometimes and not always.
Another thought: Can you remove one of the bookcases--maybe put the stuff on it into the closet? I'm thinking that if you can do that, then you could put the bed and remaining shelf as you have it in Option D and then put the desks side by side along the long wall with the small window at the bottom of the drawing. I'm hoping the arm chair and floorlamp will be able to go beside the bed under the window.That arrangement will feel much more open, too. If the dresser doesn't fit under the tables, you could also turn the shelves to be perpendicular to the wall (parallell to the foot of the bed) and place the dresser on the wall. Maybe.
This is such a long and narrow room: awkward to work with. I'm surprised you came up with as many options as you did.
Wow, long comment! Lots of ideas thanks!
ReplyDeleteI have thought about pullout sofa, only thing is that I have never ever slept in a good one, all those times I've tried the bed has been too hard or too something and it's been horrible to sleep in. I think people usually have very cheap pullout sofas and the quality is in line with price. So I would need to invest a lot in a good one and I'm not sure I want to spend that much right now. But I'm really considering if we need the guest bed at all. We have lived here for 2 and a half years and the guest bed has been used (by guests) three times. I like that we can provide this for our friends, but I'm not sure it is worth the space it takes. I do often sit on it though.
Nowdays we usually don't work in the office at the same time. I'm usually at the office, but A works with the laptop in the livingroom. He sometimes pops in the office to check on his old computer. If he did not have his old computer here, maybe he would have the space to work here with the laptop.
Good idea to remove the connecting bit. I only wanted to add work space and did not consider the chairs. Also we could remove one of the bookcases. One of the cabinets is very under utilized.
So many options! it makes this so difficult, I need to have a good talk with A and really figure out what we want and how.
Could you and A maybe sleep on an air matress and give your bed to your guests? For guests as infrequent as that you wouldn't be putting yourselves out of bed very often! I agree, pull out sofas are not that comfortable. But I have slept on a fold down sofa bed--and it was quite comfy. It was something like this: http://www.mysofabeds.co.uk/lepus-faux-leather-sofa-bed_447.htm (I did a google search for fold down sofa bed and lots of options like this came up. This was the best example. I think Ikea may even have one.
ReplyDeleteCan A put his computer into a storage place where he could still have access to it? (Like a shelf at stand up height in the closet for the moniter anyway?) That way, he won't even need a desk and chair.
Hi Leena,
ReplyDeleteit has been a while since we last 'met', I found your blog via Alanas. This is Kattis (we met in the simplify 101 classes, remember?)
I just wanted to give a couple of quick comments, have you thought about putting legs on the bed that would make it able to fold up against the wall? Our guest bed is used as rarely as your and we chose this solution, the bed folds up into a little nook in between the corner of the room and a cupboard. WE got legs from here http://www.yousee.nu and it works well.
Also I thought about your solution E, since you put the tables in the corner I think that it would be hard to use/reach most of the table top area.
I think you are well on your way to finding a good plan for this room, you have come up with very creative ideas.
I am glad that I found your blog and am looking forward to see what you will do, I always enjoyed reading about your creations.
Hälsningar Kattis
Hej Kattis! Så roligt at höra från dej!
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love that leg idea! I had thought about a bed that would just fold up, but I did not know that I could buy the legs separately. Thank you for the link. I have to speak A into those.
You are right about the table in option E, I need to still think about this.
Hoppas at 'se' dej igen
-Leena
Alana,
ReplyDeleteYes I know that type of sofabed, I've never slept on one, but the design is so simple that I can assume it can be comfy. I kind of fell in love with Kattis' idea of the bed that folds up and I have hard time giving any other options any change.
A sometimes plays games with his computer and when he does he spends great deal of time by it, so the standing up solution will not work, eventhough I like the idea a lot. It could actually work better for me, because I tend to move a lot and never sit in a good posture. I would need a chair for sewing though.
You have very useful ideas, thank you so much for sharing!