Q: My house is small but very comfortable. It meets all my needs, with one exception: a lack of shelving for books and other objects. The problem is that the casually furnished living room has little available wall space due to various entries to other parts of the house. The longest wall also has a fireplace that's not centered in the room and a small window that's off-center too. Is there some way I can add shelving and at the same time make the wall look balanced?
A: Since the room's architecture will prevent that wall from ever ,, looking symmetrical, let's try to make it more interesting.
Does the look in the photo appeal to you? This is also a small, casual setting with a narrow window and a fireplace (not visible in photo, to right of woodpile). Neither of those elements is centered on their respective walls.
The problem of a lack of space for shelving was addressed here by installing vertical posts and horizontal planks. The result is a set of adjustable shelves, with an alcove-like window seat. Areas are delineated for the storage of firewood and for a television set, a reading lamp and a compact chest of drawers.
Personal touches count for a lot in a space of this sort. A collection of photos or interesting objects will draw the eye away from the asymmetrical layout. Attract guests' attention in other ways, and they probably won't notice that the standard grouping -- fireplace flanked by a pair of windows -- isn't present.
That's a major reason, by the way, for building in a window seat. Never mind that it will seldom be used. The alcove's main purpose here is visual -- to give a viewer something extra to contemplate subconsciously.
The same goes for the curtain. It isn't required for privacy. Instead, that fabric hangs there because of its colors, which change in subtle ways as the sun's rays slant and as the lamplight glows.
Little things like this make a home more comfortable.