It’s a zany association but when I think of “FLOOR PLAN” I think of Arthur Murray. Murray’s passion was teaching people how to navigate gracefully on a dance floor. He created a floor plan that anyone with two feet could follow.
Like most teenagers, Arthur Murray was shy and self-conscious about his tall, lanky build. In the early 1900’s, dance gatherings were the internet cafes of today – it’s where people met and socialized. To increase his comfort level, Murray asked a savvy friend to show him some dance steps. His favorite practice venue was neighborhood weddings where he happily paired with dance partners of any size and age to gain additional experience. By age 17 Murray was teaching dance at night and he was winning dance contests!
Two years later in 1919, as a college student and still teaching dance, he organized the world’s first “radio dance” – a dance music broadcast. Knowing that he couldn’t teach everyone he met to dance, he stumbled on an amazing business idea. Murray created a system to teach dance by mail-order using paper footprint diagrams. Within a few years, over 500,000 dance courses had been sold. Over time his business morphed into the franchise dance studios we know today.
Despite generously-sized spaces, furniture frequently occupies only the perimeter of a room. Easy navigation plus cozy conversation areas should be the design goal. With that goal, it may not be wise to plop a left-over chair in an empty corner or wedge a loveseat in a narrow hallway.
Why re-do a floor plan when it’s worked for years and no one has complained? That’s not a rhetorical question. The answer is “life evolves/styles change/the way we ‘do business’ occasionally needs to be re-evaluated.”
During a tour of a lovely, well-established funeral home, I was asked about cost-effective design suggestions. My response - “Rearrange the furniture.” Simply by re-positioning two large chairs (which had been flush against a wall) and moving them into a right angle, an inviting conversation space was created. The owner was amazed that such a simple change effected a more attractive visual and caused a better use of space. The no-cost change also positively affected traffic flow.
There are easily accessible on-line sites for floor planning. Or, if your thinking is more two-dimensional, office supply stores carry ¼” graph paper and templates. To get started, measure the room or space being mindful of windows, doors, electrical outlets, installed wall lighting or wall spaces where furniture won’t fit, such as in front of a fire place or built-in cabinets. Note: Architect’s drawings are helpful but are not usually to scale with most furniture templates.
Mark off measurements for the floor plan. Now the fun begins!
• Select furniture templates being sure to include ‘floor items’ such as rugs, plants, lamps, umbrella stands, etc. Make sure the templates are scaled appropriately to the floor grid.
• Create seating groups for two or more. A lone chair in a remote corner can create a “bottleneck” when another person stands by to visit.
• Be mindful of traffic flow. A minimum of 3 feet of space is needed to “get through” but allow 8 feet for major traffic areas such as hallways.
• Don’t crowd the furniture. There is nothing attractive about an over-stuffed room with wall-hugging furniture. It’s always possible to add more chapel chairs.
• Use furniture to accent room features. Group four to six chairs near a fireplace; position two loveseats across from each other to highlight floor-to-ceiling windows.
• Furniture can direct traffic flow. A dramatic round entryway table gently encourages guests to choose the left or right chapel instead of standing in an open space and possibly blocking traffic.
• “Play” with room lay-outs to maximize traffic flow and convenient furniture arrangements.
• Put the plan into action! Position furniture. Evaluate what works.
A great floor plan allows guests to circulate and converse with ease. As Arthur Murray discovered, a tangible floor plan allows for the most efficient steps as well as a confidence and comfort in movement. So, channel Arthur Murray and let’s dance!