I was watching a new home design show that features a very pretty blond designer who looked like a runway model. It was all the reason I needed to watch the show.
She not only designed the interiors, she also designed the furniture for the project. All items were one-of-a-kind (and probably very expensive).
One item she designed was a “coffee table” that resembled a flattened out, four foot diameter mushroom, cast in some sort of stucco-like material. It was pretty heavy. It took four men to carry it in.
She placed the coffee table between two couches that were facing each other.
There was about 3 - 4 feet from the couch to the table. Then the 4 foot round table. And then another 3 - 4 feet from the table to the other couch.
Conversations must be interesting. There is 10 to 12 feet between the couches. I wonder if the host was supplying megaphones.
But the bigger question for me, is when the host served coffee. Do I take a sip of the coffee, then get up from the plush couch and walk 4 feet to place my cup and saucer down then return to the couch, and repeat each time I wanted another sip?
In my mind, a coffee table should be close enough to the couch that you can reach over and set down your beverage when you wanted to. And reach out to pick it up when you wanted another sip.
That would place it about 18” from the couch, give or take another 2 to 4 inches.
Or the table would be light enough to reposition easily.
I recall walking into a Roche Bobois showroom in Manhasset (NY). They advertised that they provided free design services.
They had some rather nicely rendered layouts. One was of a master bedroom (Oops! Politically corrected to “Primary bedroom”). It was for a very large room and apparently they were intent on filling it with furniture.
There was a king sized bed with a large L-shaped couch facing the bed on front and side. Large enough to seat 6 people.
I asked, “So this design is for people who liked a large audience when they had sex?”
Screwy design (sorry for the pun). Another bad design.
And I am currently sitting in the cafe at the local Barnes & Noble store having a cup of coffee and reading one of their magazines: Nordic Living [The art of loving your home]
In that magazine there were probably 5 or 6 photos of stair cases. Not one of which would have passed local specifications.
1. Four steps—no hand rail no guard rail. (Maybe not high enough to be worrisome.)
2. A couple posed on their concrete patio, no railing with a drop off that is higher than the evergreen tree tops.
3. Rail with spindles about 6 - 8 inches apart.
4. Ten stairs, 15 vertical floor to ceiling 2” x 2” posts, but no hand rail to hold onto.
5. Ten stairs, open risers, attached to one wall with under mounted structure, but nothing at all on the open side. You can simply walk off into the air.
6. One perfectly acceptable stair case (12 steps)
7. An artfully curved stairs with spindles about 10” apart.
8. One staircase about 10 -12 steps, flanked by a wall on one side and a pony wall on the other, but no hand rail.
9. Another with 8 steps, no hand rail.
10. Very wide (probably 10’) outdoor steps (I counted 16 steps, but much of it is out of the frame). No hand rail.
Don’t Scandinavian countries have building codes? Or once you get in a magazine, you are exempt from building codes?
She not only designed the interiors, she also designed the furniture for the project. All items were one-of-a-kind (and probably very expensive).
One item she designed was a “coffee table” that resembled a flattened out, four foot diameter mushroom, cast in some sort of stucco-like material. It was pretty heavy. It took four men to carry it in.
She placed the coffee table between two couches that were facing each other.
There was about 3 - 4 feet from the couch to the table. Then the 4 foot round table. And then another 3 - 4 feet from the table to the other couch.
Conversations must be interesting. There is 10 to 12 feet between the couches. I wonder if the host was supplying megaphones.
But the bigger question for me, is when the host served coffee. Do I take a sip of the coffee, then get up from the plush couch and walk 4 feet to place my cup and saucer down then return to the couch, and repeat each time I wanted another sip?
In my mind, a coffee table should be close enough to the couch that you can reach over and set down your beverage when you wanted to. And reach out to pick it up when you wanted another sip.
That would place it about 18” from the couch, give or take another 2 to 4 inches.
Or the table would be light enough to reposition easily.
I recall walking into a Roche Bobois showroom in Manhasset (NY). They advertised that they provided free design services.
They had some rather nicely rendered layouts. One was of a master bedroom (Oops! Politically corrected to “Primary bedroom”). It was for a very large room and apparently they were intent on filling it with furniture.
There was a king sized bed with a large L-shaped couch facing the bed on front and side. Large enough to seat 6 people.
I asked, “So this design is for people who liked a large audience when they had sex?”
Screwy design (sorry for the pun). Another bad design.
And I am currently sitting in the cafe at the local Barnes & Noble store having a cup of coffee and reading one of their magazines: Nordic Living [The art of loving your home]
In that magazine there were probably 5 or 6 photos of stair cases. Not one of which would have passed local specifications.
1. Four steps—no hand rail no guard rail. (Maybe not high enough to be worrisome.)
2. A couple posed on their concrete patio, no railing with a drop off that is higher than the evergreen tree tops.
3. Rail with spindles about 6 - 8 inches apart.
4. Ten stairs, 15 vertical floor to ceiling 2” x 2” posts, but no hand rail to hold onto.
5. Ten stairs, open risers, attached to one wall with under mounted structure, but nothing at all on the open side. You can simply walk off into the air.
6. One perfectly acceptable stair case (12 steps)
7. An artfully curved stairs with spindles about 10” apart.
8. One staircase about 10 -12 steps, flanked by a wall on one side and a pony wall on the other, but no hand rail.
9. Another with 8 steps, no hand rail.
10. Very wide (probably 10’) outdoor steps (I counted 16 steps, but much of it is out of the frame). No hand rail.
Don’t Scandinavian countries have building codes? Or once you get in a magazine, you are exempt from building codes?
