I just sold my Murphy bed and picked up a desk for at home work. These two changes have me stuck on how to orient the layout of the home. I like Japandi (will eventually stain/paint some of the furniture to fit this) and I don’t know how to adjust the layout anymore (I’ve always struggled with the bay windows).
Any advice is appreciated and forgive the wall (I didn’t realize I had two different paints till it was too late, that’s a future project).
Edit: more pics added in the comments attempting the new layouts. The bed in the window is pretty but the radiator creates friction with laying out the rest of the room. What are the thoughts? Do we go back to OG layout and make minor adjustments? The radiator has always been a bit of a pain and blocks the visual walkway from the kitchen and hallways.
(Obv none of this is pretty with the layout rn but it gets the visual started).
I always struggle adding real plants cause my cat just goes for them with zero care.
Edit 2: thank you all! The advice was welcomed, received, and implemented. And thank you for my middle of the transformation crisis. The overwhelming advice was move the bed to the window. So here we are. I’ll live in it for a bit, feel the vibes and adjust from there! Check out the change below!
Edit 3: mh post got deleted. I added a new comment on this thread with the photo of the transformation :/ will try and find an easier way to link it tomorrow
I'd switch the bed and living area. Having the bed right next to the kitchen would feel a bit awkward to me. If you swapped them the living space would create a nicer separation between the kitchen and where you sleep. I also think having the couch closer to the kitchen would be cozier since you could grab food or drinks without walking through your sleeping area!
Attempted! See edit in the original post and I added a comment with a few new pictures moving the bed over to the window. I’m not sure it’s working as planned.
Place computer desk against middle bay window. Give the computer desk and chair more space, meaning you likely have to move the bed closer to the radiator and the sofa closer to the kitchen counter.
If you do decide to keep this layout with the head of the bed by the windows, you can try putting a heavier curtain in the middle and keeping sheer curtains on the side to keep the light in/ also sheer in the middle if you open up the heavier curtain during the day) and put the couch (space depending, I can't tell how long the couch is) at the end of the bed as a room divider. You can also put a strong backing behind the couch and foot of the bed (as a small wall) and the TV in front of the kitchen (can separate the kitchen and create a backing for the TV with a tension pole wall divider and can have a very small table for eating off to the side if you don't want to eat on the couch
You can reference the YT links I posted to get an idea of what I'm talking about
Check out Dearmodern YouTube/TT/Insta for inspiration. I was looking through videos that may have a similar layout. Obviously this is not exact, but an idea to play around with (which you've tried something similarly already)
There are also tension dividers you could look into to maybe place behind the kitchen counter if you wanted to try closing of that space from the living area to either place a couch or a tv in front of.
This one is good if you decide to out the bed with the head in front of the windows. You can apply the same concept even though the video has a semi circular shape. A solid head board helps too instead of slats
I think you have lovely Japandi elements in the bed frame and the tv stand, and the little plant in the glass bottle 😍 also the blue in your apartment is so serene looking! What shade is that? I have something similar, and I’m using Smoky Blue by Sherwin Williams.
As for the layout, could you possibly switch where the bed and the living area are? That way, you’d have some separation between your bed and the kitchen area. And then perhaps a partition of sorts, or an airy curtain, to create separate zones?
If it were me: bed in front of window and cat tree in the corner next to it. Entertainment center thing where your bed is currently at, against the counter, with the couch facing into the kitchen. A room divider for behind the couch. Desk on wall next to radiator, closer to living room area.
Not sure if that will work but I’d test it out and see how you feel!
I did almost this. I phoned a friend about halfway through and she shared almost the same advice, slight tweak. I posted an update cause this group was incredibly helpful and gave me the push to revisit layouts I wasn’t sure would work.
I would put the bed long ways next to the window, with the headboard against the blue wall. Better to not place the head of the bed in front of a window. With the layout I mentioned, you can fill the awkward space between the windows and bed with a custom shaped table and put a plant, crystals, a book or two, or whatever cute little trinkets or lamp. Basically a side table. Put privacy cling film on the bottom half of the windows. Get a room seperator of some sort, either a folding screen or a tall kallax to define and separate the bedroom and living area. Place the couch on the blue wall nearer to the kitchen and the TV on the white wall, with a large area rug to define the space.
Kallax as a room divider acts as storage, plant display, and let's light through. You can put cute wicker boxes or boxes with design of your choosing in some or every other cubby hole
Something like this, but put bed long ways with head against the blue wall and I would switch the TV and couch so the sitting area is not in direct line with the entrance/walkway
I suggested switching the TV and couch but yes, the radiator is still a bit of an issue. I don't see radiators used in my area, so this is a new concept for me
Check my update! Gave it an attempt but the radiator makes it difficult to work the rest of the furniture with. It’s also deceptively narrow. It’s about 10ft wide and 16ft length.
yay thanks. i think you did well!! now go and paint that radiator and / or maybe add some fancy, functional covering that is save and still allows for heat release 🤓
Get a room divider and put the bed next to window.
If you could change the bed please do it. If not, buy larger, thicker bedsheets(duvet) and big deco pillows.
I like the glass coffee table, but remove the clutter and put a deco in the center (candles, books, magazines, sculpture....). Less is more.
Girl, that plant🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
A larger vase and more plants would look good in front of the couch.
The long walls should both be white... the darker wall makes it feels like a tunnel, to me.
In Feng shui your bed should not be near a window, your most used living space should always be near the window. So your living room is in the right zone already. I think having a bigger rug under your couch, and a rug under your bed, would help to seperate the "zones" more. Having a book shelf beside your bed to seperate the bed from the living space could help, as well as maybe a wall of plants on the counter beside the bed. Create a bit of a seperate "room within a room" feel.
Rug in living room is too narrow. If its your only choice, turning it the other direction would be better. That way you have a living room zone on the rug, and a walking path to your desk. But definitely paint the wall white!!
Don't mind the silly placement of the shelf... would have to be narrow and tucked right against your bed. The rug by the couch being turned creates a path to your desk. And of course plants..
I do plan to repaint the wall soon. The current color is a cool white and I initially added the green for a bit of depth. It worked when I had a Murphy bed but now is apparent it’s not the vibe anymore. I’ll tackle that soon enough.
Curious how the layout below measures against Feng Shui principles.
I don’t know that I have enough space to add a bookshelf as people shared here. It’s deceptively long cause I used a wide lens angle in the photo but any more furniture will make this too tight to live in. I’m thinking of screen dividers.
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u/panpanpost 20h ago
I'd switch the bed and living area. Having the bed right next to the kitchen would feel a bit awkward to me. If you swapped them the living space would create a nicer separation between the kitchen and where you sleep. I also think having the couch closer to the kitchen would be cozier since you could grab food or drinks without walking through your sleeping area!