DECORATING Problems with angles solved by designers

Interior designers figure out right angles for placing furniture in odd-shaped rooms.
By Margi Vorder Bruegge and George Snead
LOS ANGELES TIMES
Placing furniture on an angle in a room can be very effective, but only when angled for a logical reason.
There are basically two situations in which we recommend angling furniture: When there are existing architectural angles in a room or when dealing with a very small and/or L-shaped space.
Many "great rooms" in today's homes have tall cathedral ceilings -- with angles created either by a pitched or tray ceiling. Many family rooms have a built-in fireplace or entertainment center in a corner. These built-ins are usually the focal points of a room and most are on a 45-degree angle. The largest piece of upholstered furniture (usually the sofa) should be placed facing the fireplace -- therefore on a 45-degree angle in relationship to the straight walls in the room. If pulled out far enough from the fireplace, there will be room for a pair of chairs on either side of the sofa -- or a chair and a half on one side of the sofa, and a pair of chairs flanking the other side. To visualize this, think of the sofa and flanking chairs as forming a rectangular box that is rotated 45 degrees in a square room.
Tricky arrangement
The real trick is to continue this 45-degree angle throughout an angled room. If you have a second seating group, it should also be a box within a box on the same angle. A desk or game table placed diagonally across the room in a corner will create this effect.
Sometimes the upholstered furniture itself will create a starting point for an angled room. Sectional sofas have been enjoying a resurgence in popularity. In the room pictured here, the wedge-shaped sectional perfectly mimics the angle of the fireplace at the other end of the room. As you walk through the room, the effect is almost of a sailboat tacking through the water.
Last resort
Another axiom for this type of placement is, "When all else fails, angle." Sometimes, especially in a very small room, or in a condo where you might have an L-shaped living room/dining area combination, angling makes a space feel larger. If you have irregular wall space that makes it impossible to center a sofa on a long straight wall, angling can lessen the visual chaos.
Angling furniture in a room usually doesn't work when done on a whim. But when angled for the right architectural reasons, it's magic.