My Dream Drawing Room

• Size of the Drawing Room. Depending on the size of the drawing room, we need to make a choice as to what items, their size and numbers, which could find a place. A fine balance is to be made to include the essentials while avoiding clutter or including too many elements. As a common man, it is not easy to visualise the End State by the use of layouts, or for that matter even with a 3D or PPT. The room itself will have many civil works related elements which have to be kept in mind while designing. These could be:
  • The Main entry door and other doors and their interse distance, size, curtain / drapes plan / option. The area outside, beyond the main door and the space available there. The two spaces are interrelated and need to be treated in sync.
  • Window(s) size(s), location and direction, ie, the path of the sun. This will also dictate the type of curtains / blinds suitable and whether and how the window could be incorporated in the overall design plan.
  • If the space is less, add mirrors to make the room look bigger.  One could put a mirror on the wall opposite to the one with window.
  • Size will dictate the amount of furniture one could place in it so that it neither looks empty, nor crowded.
  • One may be surprised that the size dictates the choice of colour. A Small Drawing Room is preferable with light colour and smaller furniture.
  • Smaller space can be better served with Sliding doors. A huge Living Drawing area could be separated using a sliding partition. One could have a large/mid sized fixed/sliding door for the balcony, depending on the overall sizes. Very Large drawing room can be divided into multiple seating spaces. One could also use coffee tables, sofas or console table for divisions.

• Furniture. The Bible of Architects and Interior Designers, written by Ernst & Peter Neufert is a major help in deciding the type and amount of furniture apt for the space. There will be numerous furniture types and placing options from which one can chose. Some points to consider are:
  • There are various themes of furniture, like Modern, Minimalistic, Contemporary, Eclectic, Traditional, Vintage, Retro, Rustic, and so on. 
  • The theme for a space should preferably be one. For a small space, only one theme is better. For a huge space, one could have one theme, or seatings for different spaces could be of separate themes. One theme generally looks more cohesive.
  • Normally the largest piece of furniture becomes the focal point. Centre table design is quite important as it attracts attention. Sofas and centre table should have a separation of about 36”.  Some Wicker furniture could also be meshed in. Floating chairs maybe suitable for smaller areas (easily movable). One could throw in an odd arm chair to optimise the space.
  • Side tables are ideally placed on the sides of sofas of all sizes. Considering the current requirements, Side table area should have a switch board for  easy access  to charging points.
  • Entryways should be clear of any furniture. Never put furniture in front of doors.
  • Experiment with colours, textures and patterns in sofa and cushions.; textures of different materials like wood, metal, wool, silk and glass could be considered.

• Electrical. For any space, where its greater utility is in the twilight hours or beyond, lighting becomes a major contributor. When the guests arrive, you may want a brighter ambience, which could be subdued as the evening progresses. In the previous millennium, it was almost an unwritten rule that drawing rooms had yellow lights. Gen X and Gennext have since changed the Rules. Availability of varieties in lighting and changed mindset, gives a designer umpteen options for quality lighting. From vibrant to focused to soothing to gyrating and what not, are all in. Some of us may be surprised that there are lighting specialists who can change the complete look and feel of a space, just by changing the lights.  Some specific points for lights:
  • Combination of lights could be used on the ceiling. One should not rely on a single source of light. A combination of ceiling lights could be used.
  • The Statement wall could have a Picture light if there is a dominating painting on it.
  • Sconces may be suitable on the main wall, where as Floor lamps along the side tables look great.
  • The corners need special attention. Lamps in corners look nice. Some mix and balance is needed. Chandeliers still find their place for an elegant effect. Dimmers are handy to change the feel of the room.
  • Numerous inputs like location of AC, heating appliances for winters, switch board and other electrical fittings need to be incorporated.

• Automation. Apart from lights, there are numerous gadgets which one should know about, eg,  SPIN Remote to control different devices; DIY Thirsty Plant Kit, a solar-powered device which lets you know when your plants need H2O; Prizm to play the right tunes to play at the right time. Organic LED Lights- the thin, flexible lights use half the energy that a standard fluorescent light fixture does; Relay- brings all your smart home gadgets together in a single hub where you can control everything; and many more. There’s a race for automation.

• Furnishings. One of the most difficult part is furnishing. It has unending options. Let us see a few:
  • One could create one main wall or a focused wall. This could be the Statement Wall, which could be specifically designed to highlight the space. A Piece of art could be used here, which could dictate the Statement to be made.
  • Paintings and art / craft works add to the ambience if in restricted numbers. Too many pieces clutter the space and give a confused feeling.
  • Normally the Drawing room should have a TV only if there is no Living room. Wherever you place the TV, ensure that Lights,- natural / electrical should not reflect off the TV.
  • Carpets do add to taste, but need maintenance as they are a house for mites & pests. The size, colour and type normally depends on the seating and should be off the circulation area. (In office spaces, we recommend the opposite, to reduce foot sounds).
  • A gallery with Family photographs gives a homely touch and could be thought of.  One could try some black and white photographs; they have their own charm.
  • Greenery is an ever green option. Add some indoor plants, preferably those with lower maintenance requirement,- potted \ hanging.
  • Space permitting, a Fire place can be added. They bring the Old world charm.
  • Wood panelling and moulding could be used for the Statement wall. False ceiling should be such that they do not overwhelm the roof.
  • For a large space and for connoisseurs, a Designer Bar may come in handy, along with a mix of modern and antique decorative pieces.
  • The curtains / drapes family has various options to chose from; sheers to blinds to rollers to rods in false ceiling etc, to should one use blinds for windows.
  • Treatment of beams is important. You don’t want your drawing room roof to look like that of a garage. Flooring type is a lengthy topic and needs to be dealt with separately, as it contributes handsomely in the overall finesse. Wooden, marble, tiling, hardwood, are some options.

Going through the above text we can visualise that it would be a very sound decision to utilize the Services of Specialists to do up our Drawing room. Lets join hands to fructify your Dream Drawing room.