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Fun Stuff => CHATTER => Topic started by: Sorflakne on 05 Dec 2013, 11:49
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So I just moved into a new apartment, and in the course of unpacking, I realized that I really do not like my living room, mainly due to the layout of outlets and heating vents (as seen below). And as a result, I've no idea how to organize my furniture to best utilize the power outlets and not block heating vents or the AC unit. What sucks even more is that the cable jack is on the heating vents side (yet strangely there are two Ethernet jacks...), and I'm wary of having my electronics close to a heat source (unless I'm just being overly cautious).
So I'm wondering if there's any interior designers here or people who have experience with this who could give me some advice on how best to set this room up. One other thing to consider is that the room is oriented so that at sunset at certain times of the year, sunlight will come in through the patio door and hit the wall at the top of the diagram, and I like most people don't like glare on TV and computer screens. One thing I'm not keen on is having the desk next to the window to the kitchen (it's like a wall/countertop thing) because of concern about an Act of God where food or grease or liquid gets spilled and then goes onto the desk and wrecks my computer or other electronics.
To give an idea of what I'm working with, here's a diagram of the room, locations of heating vents, AC unit, outlets, and shadow outlines of furniture. The outlets aren't on the floor, just drew them that way so they'd be easier to see. Everything is as close to proportion as I could get it. So if anyone has some ideas or suggestions, I'm all ears.
(http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/5500/ucq7.jpg)
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You can give yourself more options by putting plastic deflectors on the air vents so they blow sideways instead of straight up. Then you can put something like a couch or a table above them, though not a bookcase.
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That's not possible for these heating vents, since they are this type:
(http://inspectapedia.com/heat/Heating_Baseboard153-DJFs.jpg)
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If it helps any, running new network cables is cake.
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Wireless internet or connected via Ethernet? And if wireless, desktop or laptop? These could help a bit in moving things around since you might not have the computer desk anchored to one area
I have similar heating so it's a pain to put couches near them. Since you have to keep the couch away from the vents I would be partial to an arrangement of end table-couch-end table on the AC side of the room, coffee table in the middle, then bookshelf-tv stand-desk or desk-tv stand-bookshelf on the heating vent side. If you wanted you could the bookshelf on the ac side of the room near the half wall.
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I'd prefer to be hardlined, since I never seem to have luck with wi-fi. I haven't had a desktop in years, so laptop only.
Otherwise that setup sounds like it would work. I'm still somewhat concerned about the electronics being near the heat source though...would the vents generate enough heat to damage or otherwise affect performance, or am I just being overly paranoid?
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This is what all those hours of playing Tetris were for!
How tall are the bookshelves?
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The one is 7 ft tall. The other one I don't have yet, but will be similar sized.
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At 7 feet they may be too high for the half wall.
I think you could try setting the shelves up back to back, perpendicular to the baseboard heaters. Hopefully that would not obstruct the view of the television from the couch (assuming the couch parallel to the wall opposite the baseboard heaters).
As far as heat goes, a power strip might buy you some distance.
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I sincerely doubt that the heat would affect your electronics in any way, unless they are directly sitting on the baseboards. You won't be having the heat up to 80, will you?
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/nekowaffer/ucq7_zps7715459d.jpg)
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Tbh, the more I think about it, the more I'm thinking I won't be running the heaters as much as I think I will, or if I am, it won't be very high temp (no more than 75), since my neighbors and the people below me will also be running their heaters, so if anything, I might get enough residual heat from them.
That layout might work. The bookshelf at the bottom would have to be moved elsewhere, though; forgot that the thermostat controls are on that wall and pretty much right where that shelf is. I dunno, I'll have to do some test placements and eyeballing this weekend.
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Just move the couch to the left and put the shelf opposite the other one. I love doing things like that to get an idea of where everything fits.