Designing a great room starts with deciding how the room should work. For our Santa Rosa Beach project, we explored four layouts, each offering a different approach to gathering, circulation, and connection.

The first creates one generous conversation area anchored by a large sectional, keeping the arrangement open and communal.

The second introduces a console or low bookcase behind the sofa, adding storage while giving the seating area a stronger sense of definition.

The third uses back-to-back sofas to divide the room into two distinct zones, allowing different activities to happen at once without closing anything off.

The fourth and final concept takes a more sculptural approach with curved, multidirectional seating that encourages conversation from every angle.

While each option makes use of the great room’s scale, the experience shifts from open and familiar to divided, flexible, or free-flowing. Exploring these possibilities helps us find the layout that feels best suited to how the family will actually use the room.