Which way does it go?

Rooms have a direction and a flow. Generally, you look for some architectural detail to establish the direction. A fireplace, windows, doorways and halls all help determine where the focal point is and what direction the room is meant to take.

In the photo above, while the natural focal point is the fireplace and windows, this small living room got turned in the opposite direction because the TV was placed in opposition to the fireplace.



In this photo of the same room, we returned the room to its intended direction, making the fireplace the focal point it was intended to be.

There is no doubt that a television set has probably caused more conflict in the natural direction of a room than any other piece of furniture. If a room is large enough to allow for separation of the space then putting the TV on the opposite side of a fireplace or window/door will probably work out. But in a small space, splitting a room just doesn't work, so adding the TV to the focal area, say above or next to the fireplace, is your best bet. In this case we were able to relocate the TV to another room entirely.