photos: Anthony Tieuli

One of the central areas of our home will be the family room, which was the dining room in the original configuration of the home. Technically, that room will be accessible from five locations, so flow is urgent.

Equally crucial is how we furnish the room so that it works both as a family room and a transitional room to get to other parts of the home. One element is the bay window, opposite the fireplace, adjacent to the side door and the next wall by from where we plan to put a flat screen TV. In a nutshell, do we use the bay window as a seating space or alternatively as a display table—behind a sofa, for example?

If we use as a seat, we’ll want to design a cushion that works for the space. that approach will cause furniture to be pushed in towards the room, possibly affecting flow, but additionally might be great for social events. However, would we really hang out there on a day to day basis?

On the other hand, whether we have a sofa that goes up against the bay window, we could use the surface to display pictures and other items. that would open up the room more, facilitating flow. But will we miss that spot for a quick seat on a day to day basis?

Any thoughts appreciated!

Original post by Paul Friedberg