Penthouse Interior: the room belongs to the view
Why in a flat with a view the lowest furniture is the best
A penthouse has one advantage no piece of furniture can replace: the view. Almost every furnishing mistake in such flats comes down to something standing in its way, a high backrest, a shelf in front of the window, a plant in the sightline.
There is a second theme: open plans without walls give little support. The furniture itself then has to create order. This page covers both, plus lighting in rooms without ceiling outlets and the link to the terrace. The basic sequence is under furnishing an apartment.
The sightline is the floor plan
In front of the glazing one rule overrides everything else: nothing stands higher than about eighty-five centimetres. That is the height up to which a piece does not interfere when you are seated. Sofas with low backs, flat sideboards and side tables stay below that line, while cabinets and shelves move to the solid walls.
The arrangement follows the view too. The sofa stands so that you look towards the window when seated, or at least at right angles to it. A sofa with its back to the view is the most common mistake in flats with panorama windows, because the same arrangement would be right in a terraced house.
A second point concerns the glazing itself: curtains do not belong in front of the glass but beside it. The rod runs across the whole wall width so the fabric stacks left and right of the opening during the day and not a centimetre of view is lost.
Creating zones without walls
An open living space of seventy square metres without zoning feels like a hall. Three areas are the minimum: sitting, dining and a third, usually working or reading. Each gets a centre and a boundary.
Boundary from textiles
One large rug per zone is the most effective and least conspicuous means. The flooring stays the same everywhere, the rugs do the dividing.
Boundary from furniture
A sofa with a finished back, a console or a low sideboard placed across the room draws a line without taking the view.
Boundary from light
Every zone gets its own light on its own switch. In the evening the light alone decides which area is visible.
What does not work: tall room dividers and shelving in the middle of the space. They take away the openness the plan offers and still fail to create real rooms.
Proportion in tall rooms
Many penthouses have rooms over three metres high or a void across two storeys. Normally proportioned furniture quickly looks lost there. Two means help: large single pieces instead of many small ones, and at least one strong vertical.
The vertical can be a tall mirror, a full height curtain, a large picture or a chandelier hanging well down. The chandelier in particular is the right means in a void, because it fills the empty height without taking floor space. Its lower edge stays at least 2.10 metres above the floor where people walk beneath it.
For size the usual rule applies: room length plus room width in metres gives roughly the right diameter in centimetres. In large rooms you may calculate generously, small fittings disappear there.
Light without ceiling outlets
Modern flats with concrete ceilings often have only a few outlets, and chasing is unwelcome. That is not a problem but a planning task. The lighting plan shifts from the ceiling to the walls and the floor.
- Floor lamps behind sofa and armchair take over the reading light completely.
- Table lamps on sideboard and console form the mood layer at mid height.
- Wall lamps on the solid walls open the room upwards where there are no windows.
- A chandelier above the dining table uses the one existing outlet in the right place.
- All lamps in the same colour temperature, warm between 2400 and 2700 kelvin. Details under lighting a flat.
In flats with large glass areas it is also worth looking at the evening picture: as soon as it gets dark outside, the glazing turns into a mirror. Switch on only a bright ceiling light and you mostly see your own ceiling. Several small, low hanging or low standing sources prevent that.
The link to the terrace
The roof terrace is the reason many people choose a penthouse, and it works best when inside and outside belong together. That is achieved through three connections: the same or a related floor colour, the same seat height inside and out, and a continuous sightline that begins in the living space and ends on the terrace.
One object at the end of that line, a sculpture, a planter or a lamp, draws the eye outside and makes the terrace part of the living space, even in winter. In the evening two or three warm points of light on the terrace are enough to stop the glass turning black.
How much ornament modern architecture can carry
Penthouses are usually built strictly: straight edges, large surfaces, a lot of glass. That is exactly where classical furniture gets its chance. A single carved or gilded piece against a smooth wall has more effect in this setting than in a period building, because the contrast makes the shape visible.
One ornate piece per field of view has proved itself, for instance a commode, a mirror or a pair of baroque armchairs. How far you can go is described under combining baroque and modern, the range under baroque furniture.
What Casa Padrino supplies for penthouses
Open plans need two things: large format single pieces and complete dimensions. Both are in the range: luxury sofas in generous lengths, luxury coffee tables with marble and burl tops, rugs in large formats, chandeliers for voids and oversized mirrors.
All models are new productions in the respective style. Private customers buy on the same terms as contract clients and hotels. For an overview see luxury furniture and the home page.
Large surfaces, few pieces
Large format sofas, coffee tables, rugs and chandeliers with complete dimensions for open plans.
View luxury furniture View chandeliersRead on
Frequently asked questions about penthouses
How high may furniture be in front of glazing?
About eighty-five centimetres. Up to that height it does not interfere with the view when seated. Anything taller, meaning cabinets, shelves and high backrests, belongs against the solid walls.
How do you furnish an open living space?
In zones: sitting, dining and a third area. Each zone gets a rug, a centre and its own light. The flooring stays continuous, otherwise the space falls into parts.
Does an open plan need room dividers?
Rarely. Tall dividers take away the openness that makes the plan special. Low boundaries work better: a sofa with a finished back, a console or a flat sideboard across the room.
How do you light a room without ceiling outlets?
With floor lamps behind the seating, table lamps on sideboards and wall lamps on the solid walls. The existing outlet is used for the light above the dining table, where it does the most good.
What size chandelier suits a tall room?
Room length plus room width in metres gives roughly the diameter in centimetres. In a void you may calculate generously, small fittings disappear there. The lower edge stays at least 2.10 metres above the floor where people walk beneath.
Why does the glazing look like a mirror in the evening?
Because the room is brighter than the surroundings. A bright ceiling light makes it worse. Several small, low placed sources plus two or three warm points on the terrace largely dissolve the effect.
How do you connect living space and roof terrace?
Through related floor colours, the same seat heights inside and out and a continuous sightline with an object at its end. The terrace then reads as part of the flat, even in winter.
Does classical furniture suit modern architecture?
Very well, as long as it stays to single pieces. A carved commode or a gilt mirror against a smooth wall has more effect in strict architecture than in a period building, because the contrast brings out the shape.
How big should the rug be in an open space?
Larger than in closed rooms. It defines the zone and should carry the whole seating group, at least under the front legs of every seat. In large rooms 300 by 400 centimetres is often the right size.
Where do curtains belong with panorama windows?
Beside the glazing, not in front of it. The rod runs the full wall width so the fabric stacks left and right of the opening during the day. The view stays completely free and the room looks wider.
