Need help decorating small living room facing lake with door walls

11 years ago

We just moved a year ago to the lake. Two 6 foot door walls on either side of a marble fireplace. The dining room is long and skinny and I'm fine with it but the living room is driving me batty. I bought an expensive 110 inch sofa with a chaise (9.2 ft long) but the TV is off to the right of the sofa. There is only 71 inches between the fireplace hearth and the end of the chaise section. I think rusty meets industrial best describes my style (???) if I have one! Just ordered a canvas picture of white Aspen trees - not arrived yet. The rug in the picture will be going back because it looks like some plum and black which are not my colors at all! I want orange as my accent colors. Please help!!

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decoenthusiaste

11 years ago

Your rug is too small, so it is good that you're returning it. It should ground the sectional by slipping under the first 1/3 of the straight sofa section and be completely under the chaise part with a foot to 18" sticking out on either end of the whole sectional. Use painter's tape on the floor to get a measurement and then go up to the next nearest size if you can't find the exact size of your measurement. Starting with the large doors either side of the FP, remove the 80's vertical blinds in favor of drapes. I'd do traditional draw drapes that stack back right and left of the openings if you have room in the corners of both openings. You can actually remove the vanes and use the clips to attach some sheers for now. This will add some much needed softness. The TV is mounted too high. Is it on a swivel arm? My thought is that you should invest in moving the TV opposite the FP to the present sofa wall. Turn your sofa so it faces the dining area with the FP on the right and TV on the left. The back of the sofa should align with the near wall of the hallway exiting the room. The present TV wall will make a great space for two or three tall bookcases. You may have room for a pair of small armchairs at the dining side of the FP area.

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Comments (16)

acm
11 years ago
You have to be willing to put a second type of seating (loveseat or some chairs) with their back to the dinining room, so that they're facing the TV and give more definition to that space. The fireplace seems like it's just going to be stranded between the two spaces (but warming the whole area and visible from both when running)... Tough!
moics thanked acm
acm
11 years ago
Also, much bigger rug, of whatever color you end up with...
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karemore55
11 years ago
Hi there! It looks like your room is wide enough to be able to just turn that sofa/chaise 90 degrees, so that the sofa is facing the TV. And, whoever gets to sit on the chaise end also gets to cozy up to the fireplace!

If you want orange accents, take a look at Crate & Barrel's collection - this color is featured heavily in all their decor, including sofa pillows.
karemore55
11 years ago
Since you are in a lakefront property, a casual cotton tic,ing stripe might lend itself to the vacation vibe a little better. Here are a few of the many choices from Dash & Albert:
moics
Original Author
11 years ago
I really like your ideas but the couch has the chaise part on the right side of the couch - when you're looking at it. So if I put the sofa on the wall with the present TV, the chaise will stick out into the hallway. The hallway is only 5 feet wide and the chaise is 63 inches long. The chaise is not interchangeable.
decoenthusiaste
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Don't put it on the wall, but align it perpendicular with the end of the wall it is presently on. That way the chaise will be on the TV side of the sofa. Fill the wall where the TV is now with bookcases or a great art gallery.
moics thanked decoenthusiaste
moics
Original Author
11 years ago
karemore55 thanks for your rug suggestions. If I turn the sofa/chaise to face the TV that actually only leaves 21 inches between the hearth and the sofa. I tried that and all it took was one of the dogs to stop in that small space and block traffic! The room dimensions are 131 inches from the "sofa wall" to the fireplace hearth; 192 inches from the "TV wall" to the end of the "sofa wall"; 160 inches from the door wall to the "sofa wall"; 5 feet hallway then the 130 inches on the "sofa wall".
anne dee
11 years ago
Do you use the window to the right of the fireplace.
If not you could move the credenza to this area and set the TV on the credenza surface.
An idea!
moics thanked anne dee
T Smith
11 years ago
Congrats on the move! Your dobbies are awesome by the way!! Would you consider getting a larger rug? it may make it seem more inviting and I think another seating option would be great - you could even move the back side of one of the couches in front of the dinning room, and put a tall table on the back of the couch to sort of delineate it. Another nice option would be to turn the shades into curtains? It would definitely modernize it and get some colorful pillows for the couch to pull the rug colors out (whichever rug you decide on)
moics thanked T Smith
karemore55
11 years ago
Moics, I meant to float the sofa in the room. So, there would not be a wall behind it. You would see the dining room behind it.

The chaise would be parallel to the fireplace.
karemore55
11 years ago
Sorry, I read your response that may have been meant for decoenthusiaste? So, yes, 21" isn't enough passage, whether you have the sofa butted up to the fireplace or the wall opposite.

Back to the drawing board!
karemore55
11 years ago
Moics, to be honest, If it was me, I would sell the sofa/chaise on Craigslist and cut my losses. Then buy a standard length (approximately 7') sofa, and float it in the room facing the TV. This way, you will have lots of space on either side of it - the dog can be blocking one side and you will still have an alternate route!
moics thanked karemore55
everdebz
11 years ago
for patio size? spice or mocha
http://www.jcpenney.com/for-the-home/college-living/furniture/studio-trio-grommet-top-curtain-panel/prod.jump?ppId=17c8421&searchTerm=spice+curtain+orange&catId=SearchResults&_dyncharset=UTF-8&colorizedImg=DP0201201317044763M.tif
moics thanked everdebz
moics
Original Author
11 years ago
I was thinking of convincing the hubby to mount the TV over the fireplace, keep the sofa where it is and getting two chairs under the current TV wall. We are considering going out 10 feet in the spring and moving the fireplace to either the corner of the LR or making the fireplace less wide. So, I'll need more furniture anyways but I really want the lake view to be the focal point, recognizing the TV is used a lot - unfortunately! :)
decoenthusiaste
11 years ago
Don't put the FP in a corner. You'll be jumping from the frying pan into the fire as far as trying to arrange furniture goes!