Need Living Room layout help

9 years ago

My black thumb in gardening seems to have spread to my ability to decorate a room! I recently bought a house that has both a family and living room - a huge change from our little condo. The family room is set but I'm so lost as what to do with my living room. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I have little furniture which means a shopping trip in the near future! My furniture thus far consists of a sofa (27"x38"x90"), loveseat (27"x38"x72"), oversized stuffed chair (27"x38"x50") and matching ottoman. I have no tables and a very small area rug (3.5' x 5.5') which I assume will need to go due to the size of this room.

The room is pretty open with a large 7' picture window at one end and the step up to the dining room at the opposite end. I'm looking to make this room "cozy" so that when I have people over, they would want to curl up on the couches and chat (no TV in this room).

I am also looking to get either a buffet, server, re-purposed dresser, or console table where I can display family pictures or knickknacks, and would consider putting in an electric fireplace if I could find one that doesn't look cheesy.

Would love some suggestions on how I can layout this room to achieve that cozy feel, still have the ability to comfortably walk through the room to get to the dining room, and suggestions on the size of tables (end, coffee, buffet/console/server) to purchase for that would be the right proportion to this room. I've attached a picture of the layout of the room and an idea of the look I'd be going for.

Thanks!

Featured Answer

karemore55

9 years ago

Hello! Congratulations on your new home! Yes, I imagine moving from a condo is a bit of a shock, but believe me, you will fill up your new, larger home on no time!

I drew a sketch of a layout that I think would work. (If you think your drawing is bad, wait until you see more lol). This involves finding a other home for your loveseat. Love seats are real space hogs because seldom do two people share a loveseat. You will find two arm chairs to be much more flexible. So, in addition to your current arm chair, you could find another one that is similar in size, but not necessarily the same color and fabric.

Rather than an ottoman, a coffee table will be more versatile, since you can set drinks on it. If it is rustic, like the one below from Pottery Barn, it will play to that casual mood you would like to set, as well as be conducive to putting your feet up.

I looked at several pics of electric fireplaces, and I think you could find something that isn't cheesy. Look for something with clean, modern lines, and you will be fine.

In the drawing below, I like the sofa being centred in front of the window for a nice, strong focal point. Some fabulous side drapes will really anchor is vignette.

For coffee table size, about 30" deep and 4 - 5' wide is about right. You won't have room for an end table on both ends of the sofa, but a round table on the right - and about 2' diameter - will allow you to have a table lamp at this end and still leave room to set down a drink.

On the left side of the sofa (in sketch), as well as beside the matching arm chair diagonally across from it, floor lamps will provide even lighting throughout this area.

An 8X10' rug should be about the right size to anchor this space.

For your family pics and knock knacks, consider an upright set of shelves in the corner closer to the dining room. Something upright will balance the height of the window, as well as take up less room than a horizontal piece. The two pieces below - from Crate & Barrel and Ikea - would work.

You don't show your own furniture, so as far as achieving that incredibly inviting look in your inspiration pic, maybe posting pics of your furniture will give us more to go on?

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Comments (13)

cjillings
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks! I've greatly enjoyed all the additional space that I have to play with in my new place. I really do love decorating - I'm just not very good at it. :(

Thank you so much for being so detailed in your post! I spent the better part of the afternoon looking into electric fireplaces but couldn't find any with a height of over 50". I think the shorter ones ( >40") would look odd against such a large wall. However, I did find a video on building a faux fireplace that might do the trick - although I'd prefer to make mine deeper. I might just have to make 2 and put one up in the master bedroom! (
)

I love your idea of the layout. I could maybe move the loveseat up to the master bedroom since it has plenty of room even with the bed, night stands, and dresser. I found some couch covers from Overstock that I was thinking about getting which would hopefully make the sofa look like the one from Pottery Barn.

I also found some unfinished pieces on Amazon that I could get and finish to achieve the feel I'm going for after a little painting and distressing.

Coffee table: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003G2ZLX0/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=B3QXC9CMID2L&coliid=IQ3JYFH1PW279
End table: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0029LHTAW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=B3QXC9CMID2L&coliid=I9CPPXCJP0YFS
Sofa table: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0032WTT14/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=B3QXC9CMID2L&coliid=I1D4PFMFQYEEX7

Faux fireplace blog: http://thepursuitofhandyness.com/diy-faux-fireplace-part-1/
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karemore55
9 years ago
JC, You have some great ideas here! I like that faux FP, and if you have the skills to build something like this, I say go for it! I really like the distressed mirror she/he did for the back of the hearth. And, yes, candles in hurricanes would be beautiful!

Looking at your slipcovers, and the faux FP idea, I'd say you lean toward a cottage-y look? And there should now be a word for the Pottery Barn look - modern country? Although that doesn't quite capture it...

I can see the unpainted coffee table and sofa table painted white and distressed, for sure. You could maybe treat the end table with a different finish - maybe a distressed black? At least one hit of black will really ground the space.

Cate & Barrel has so e really nice textured pillows right now that look like they would go with your slipcovers nicely. And I think this gets you that look you showed in your inspiration pic.
karemore55
9 years ago
That should have read cj - auto-correct keeps overriding me when I'm not looking lol.

I've loved these faux sheepskin pillows from PB for a long time. I have one, and wish I had more. Anyway, they would look fabulous and cozy on your sofa too.

Do you have plans to paint the walls? And are your floors hardwood or wall-to-wall carpeting?
karemore55
9 years ago
I just realized the pics you show of your sofa, loveseat and chair are BEFORE the slipcovers? They actually look pretty nice as is - or do they need to be re-covered?
cjillings thanked karemore55
cjillings
Original Author
9 years ago
All great ideas! Yes, unfortunately the couches need covers :( They are actually really old couches but super comfortable and in really good shape considering their age. The issue with them is that the material should not get wet. When it does, it leave large water stains. With 2 kids, there was no chance these would stay clean!
karemore55
9 years ago
What color are the slipcovers from overstock?
karemore55
9 years ago
And do they have individual seat covers?
cjillings
Original Author
9 years ago
I was thinking of ordering these in cream for the sofa and loveseat http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Brushed-Twill-Loveseat-Slipcover/4037671/product.html

I'll have to come up with another idea for the oversized chair since the one in this set is too small to cover the chair. According to the reviews, it doesn't stretch either :(
karemore55
9 years ago
Word of warning - those slipcovers will be difficult to keep looking neat and tidy, since the cover over the seats isn't loose. However, I guess you wouldn't be able to find the type with the fitted seat covers, because of the oversize.

I'm not sure if this is worth the time and effort, but you could look into having slipcovers custom sewn. I am in Canada, so I'm not sure what it would cost for you if you are in the US.

I have also heard conflicting stories on how you do the slipcovers. The upholstery store I deal with says that you have to have the original fabric stripped off the sofa, then get a muslin form sewn to out on the sofa. And after that, the slipcovers. So, here in Canada - and done this way - the cost is almost as much as reupholstering.

But another Houzzer, who used to be a seamstress, says that you don't need to strip off the old sofa fabric, and if that's the case, slipcovers might be reasonably priced?

Thought I'd mention it - the overstock slipcovers will be a stop-gap measure until you can buy new, for sure. But you probably won't be able to tolerate them for too long!

Also, I will say that I have a couple of Pottery Barn slipcovered sofas, and if would never go back to upholstered. They not on,y have that casual, inviting look I think you are after, but are so easy to clean. Each seat and back cushion is individually slipcovered, so you can remove whatever gets dirty. Also, the entire "skin" comes off for washing.
cjillings
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks so much for the info on the slip covers. It got me thinking a little more. Might be best just to Craigslist the couches and get some new ones that fit better for this space. Here's what I put together thus far:

Couch: Ikea EKTORP in Blekinge white
Chairs (x2): EKTORP in Blekinge white
Liatorp sideboard
Rekarne Coffee Table (31" x 31") to be painted white and distressed
Threshold rug: Not sure if I should get it in gray for some contrast or tan
Threshold table lamp (available in both tan and gray) - I already have the floor lamp
Electric wood burning stove to fit inside the faux fireplace that I'll build

Thoughts or suggestions (especially on the rug and lamp)?
karemore55
9 years ago
Hi cj, Yes, you can definitely use that dark gray rug - just keep in mind that the combination of stark white and charcoal gray may not give you that cozy feeling you are after, without some very warm taupes to bridge the gap.

Also, using the dark gray rug will mean that you should spread the color - just a little bit - around the room, to give the rug a reason for being gray. This is easy to do by mixing in some gray pillows among your taupe/cream ones. Also, maybe a bit of black in your art, or dark gray tiles on your fireplace surround, and/or black frames on the family pics you plan to display, will bring the whole color scheme together.

The lamp might get a bit lost in all the white and cream - I suggest you look for something in a warm brass to shake things up just a little. The lamp in the collage below is from Crate & Barrel, but you can find something similar at any lighting store - and probably for less!

The sofa I put in the collage is the Ektorp, but the color is Stenasa white - not Bleking - which looks to be a little warmer. The skirt style is a bit different, though - maybe a little more shabby chic or cottagey? - so you might still prefer the Bleking white. Btw, I have an Ektorp slipcovered sofa and it is quite comfy. It should last you 10 years or so. We needed something that would fit down our narrow basement stairway, so bought the Ektorp since it comes disassembled lol.

All the pillows except the bottom one are also from Ikea. I love that Ikea is using down inserts in their pillows, which makes them so much more comfortable than the usual foam core pillow. Also, you can unzip the cover and throw it in the wash. And, their sizes are compatible with pillows from Pottery Barn, so you could buy PB covers and save a lot of money on the inserts by buying from Ikea.
karemore55
9 years ago
Oh, I forgot to mention that if you haven't already had the walls painted, consider going with a very warm white - almost a taupe - in at least the living room. This will go a long way toward keeping that gray/white combo from feeling cold.

The color I used in the collage is Ben Moore Elmira White.