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kaliel

Help with tall wall

14 years ago
We just recently moved in to a house over twice the size of our old house and have no idea what to do with this TALL wall. We have thought about having someone come in and build some built-ins for us, but didn't know what other ideas are out there. We need design ideas from every aspect. Color, decor, furniture placement... And our mantle on our fireplace needs help decor-wise too. Our kitchen sits right where the pictures are taken.

Comments (25)

  • PRO
    14 years ago
    What a lovely fireplace you have in you new home! Below are ideas for both your huge wall and your fireplace. A large bookcase and entertainment center may be something you need to put on your shopping list. Note how tall accessories have been placed on top of the entertainment center in the photo below to additionally fill a high wall.

    The fireplace issue is somewhat easier. You may want to acquire a large painting for over the mantle. Otherwise, I'd keep accessories on the mantle quite minimal, as shown.

    As for the furniture arrangement, I suggest placing your sofa facing the fireplace, with 10-12' between it and the hearth Place a sofa table behind it and a large coffee table in front of it. Then on the kitchen end of the sofa, put your two most comfortable chairs with a table between them, facing the TV. At the other end of the sofa is where you put 2 chairs that are not as comfortable as the pair facing the TV. Or it could be just one chair on that end, close to the fireplace. Provide a table or tables for these chairs.

    Because you have quite a big hearth, you may want to place a bench in front of it for extra seating. Have fun shopping and enjoy your beautiful new home!
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  • 14 years ago
    I normally would not suggest a huge furniture piece to cover a wall but in this case I would. Look at Hooker Furniture Wall Ent Centers, they are as gorgeous as your other pieces of furniture and have the scale for your space. I would suggest to get some drapery on the windows, panels would work. An area rug will cozy it up and if you can replace the celing fan with a chandelier type ceiling fan, or drop a few pendant light near the focal areas like fireplace or windows. The space is begging for layering and you have a great start.
  • 14 years ago
    WIth so much neutral (rug, walls, stone), some color will give life to this room. The sofa can be neutral (if you have children, one of those fabrics that wears well in a medium or lighter gray with a "blue" tone), but the chairs should have some color -- a pattern to suit your taste.

    The trick is to figure out what you love. Orange? Yellow? Red (far too commonly used with gray)? Lime? Turquoise? Is the cabinet and chair an indication of your style/taste? You can combine a contemporary sofa (preferably not one of those overstuffed monsters with no real shape) with that style, and creates wonderful character to a room.

    I would remove the ceiling fan. Replace it with an impressive chandelier or, if you really must have a fan, one with more style and dropped on a long rod. With this volume of space (the "high ceiling" you are concerned about), you have the opportunity to have a creative lighting fixture that is stunning. NOt something easily or immediately found, but when you do, you'll know it. Houzz has an ideabook about interesting ceiling light that you could access for ideas.
  • 14 years ago
    Love the space and it's a blank canvas! I would pull a color from the stones in the fireplace to paint the large wall that looks like it runs through to the front door, I'm assuming thats the master bedroom. Get a color wheel and sit next to the fireplace looking at colors that jump out, browns, rusty browns, etc. You'll know it when you see it! I would also consider finding a fabric/material that you can make a ceiling to floor window treatment to add texture and soften the windows. You can go with something large over the fireplace, large print picture, large mirror or large metal piece of art. If this is your main TV room a leather sectional with a lounge chair on the end with an area rug. Think different textures and layers
  • 14 years ago
    What a luxury to have so much more space! Hooray!

    Are you hoping to keep any of the furniture that you currently have in the room and use it in the new design? Do you envision large family gatherings here or did you desire it to be a more cozy, intimate space? The existing pieces you plan to keep and the activities for the room are important considerations when planning a new design.
  • 14 years ago
    I like the idea of either built in or a wall unit for your entertainment area. As for the beautiful fireplace, I think it calls for a large peice of art, either in a painting or pottery piece. I don't think the smaller pieces do it any justice, it appears cluttered and ill defined. I do like the idea of a large chandelier, wrought iron. I would add color with accessories, area rug, accent chair. Have fun, such a beautiful room. I see craftsman style influence.
  • 14 years ago
    I definitely am thinking a entertainment center piece of furniture or built-in in necessary as you have all suggested for me. Something needs to cover up some of this blank area so I think that's a good start! I do also agree with the comments that I need to do minimal pieces on the mantle, this was all stuff that we just threw up there when we unpacked a few months ago. Since this was a brand new house, we had no ideas how a previous owner would have decorated to "steal" ideas.
    I will keep in mind changing up the light fixture in here. I don't like the little amount of light this fan puts off, but definitely need a ceiling fan, so I will look at options with that. As far as area rugs, I guess I have always stayed away from them just because I didn't know if it would look good on carpet, but I love rugs.
    I love warm tones, but this color on the wall is the same color in every other room so we will definitely be changing that up. I love oranges and reds and browns!! But talking my husband into color will be a challenge.
    I'm torn on the windows at the moment for window treatments because we have 7 more of those tall windows right in the kitchen/eat-in area and I'm trying to figure out how to make it all work together, which I'm sure will take years to figure out.
    I'm hoping to keep the furniture that we currently have, but not necessarily in the same room. The couch we have in here was originally in a formal living room in our old house and although it is super comfy, it just doesn't give us enough seating and the pattern is a little too hard to work with in my opinion and busy. The piece under the TV we originally bought to put our child's toys in to have them in the main living space but hide them in to a nice piece but still let them be easily accessible for our son. We want it open for him to be able to tear it up with his toys and easy for us to clean up at the end of the night, this is the reason why we have avoided a coffee table in here so he could have more space (even though he has his own play room).
    Thanks all for the help so far! We will need a lot of it in the future since this is pretty much what our entire house looks like, blank canvas!
  • PRO
    14 years ago
    I'm with Carolyn as I have the same thoughts on analysing the place . N Yes the Fireplace is a Stunner .
  • PRO
    14 years ago
    I'm with Carolyn as I have the same thoughts on analysing the place . N Yes the Fireplace is a Stunner .
  • 14 years ago
    2 words! Art Nouveau.
    More masculine than Art Deco. It fits with your chairs and fireplace.Colours like peacock blue& metallics from this era fit with the neutrals.
    As for the large wall use your love of colour in artworks you could repeat the same image or go for the massive piece.
    Have you thought about TV over the fire place? And on one end of the mantel group odd numbers of items in different heights eg Large Vase or urn with smaller trinket boxes, candles in different sizes ect.
    Large patterned rug featuring your different chosen colours would look great with a huge plain and worn looking bulky leather sofa.
    Good Luck I am v jealous of your space it looks amazing.
  • PRO
    14 years ago
    last modified: 14 years ago
    Hire an Interior Designer, it will be the best money you've ever spent!
  • 14 years ago
    Have you considered the purchase of a sectional sofa?

    A sectional sofa has several advantages for your room. It offers a large amount of seating. It will help ground the space, which right now feels large and a little overwhelming. It will help define the space as the living/entertainment room, since right now it is open to other rooms. It is a piece of furniture of a larger scale, which would fit better with the other large scale items in the room - the fireplace, the windows and the (future entertainment center). It will also give seating with a view of the fireplace, windows and (future) entertainment unit - if you place the sofa with the corner of the L where you currently have the bureau and large stuffed chair. Here are some pics to give you a visual of how a sectional sofa could accomplish all of these things in your room.

    [houzz=
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    [houzz= https://www.houzz.com/photos/2011-showcase-hillside-retreat-rustic-living-room-new-york-phvw-vp~375609]

    [houzz=]
  • 14 years ago
    If the purchase of a sectional sofa doesn't fit the budget, you might consider the purchase of a large 3-4 seater sofa and then use the beautiful pair of chairs you have near the fireplace as the "other side" of the L of a sectional sofa as shown in this pic:

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  • 14 years ago
    If your husband is resistant to painting, perhaps you could paint just one wall a different color to provide a focal point. This would bring some color into the room without a huge commitment to repainting everything. It's difficult to advise what wall to paint since we can't see the entirety of the walls and how they connect to other rooms. If you do paint the "tall wall", please do paint the white heating/ac vent the same color as the wall. It's placement is unfortunate and painting it the same color as the wall will help it to disappear and not be so noticeable.

    I don't necessarily recommend the color of the wall in this picture for your space as I think the color you do paint should tie in with the colors in your fireplace, woodflooring, rug, furnishings, etc., but the pic will give you an idea of the concept.

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  • 14 years ago
    By the way, all of these pictures I provided show the television mounted over the fireplace. I think the idea of a large wall unit on the tall wall is a MUCH better idea. Televisions mounted above fireplaces are sometimes at an uncomfortable height for viewing, may have heat issues and can detract from the beauty of a fireplace.
  • 14 years ago
    I used to have my tv over the fireplace and I hated it. Finally got my husband to agree to let me move it to a different wall. I am also going to be doing built ins when we have the money. I agree that the wall where the TV is should have built ins. It would be great if you could have a carpenter come in and build something solid and nice and have it go almost all the way up to the ceiling. I have learned that sometimes that can actually be cheaper than trying to buy a free standing unit. Check into a few carpenters and have them come out and give you quotes. I am attaching a few pics of my fireplace now to show you what we have done. Just a tall mirror and we layered over an old painting that my husbands grandfather had painted. Good luck, looks like a beautiful home!
  • PRO
    14 years ago
    Your TV will need a built in type entertainment unit to surround it and to bring scale to that wall. I am attaching a picture of a clients family room with a similar set up. What you cant see are a set of chairs which she moves when needed to her fireplace.
    You cant have a sofa facing the fireplace if this is not where your TV will be located. It will not be comfortable for you to view the TV at that angle....Good Luck, its a beautiful space.
  • PRO
    14 years ago
    Great space ! Buy a L shape sofa, with a console table behind it on the dining side. For tihis wall, have built ins made on each side and keep the center for a bigger flat screen and a nice chest underneath...then enjoy this great room !
  • 14 years ago
    I love what tropitango suggests for furniture placement and layout. Instead of a coffee table, an upholstered ottoman would be more functional for a kid who loves to play on the floor. :) Perhaps a TV cabinet/console with more storage... like these? http://www.potterybarn.com/products/printers-large-tv-stand-towers-media-suite/?pkey=cmedia
    http://www.crateandbarrel.com/ainsworth-walnut-64-media-center-with-wood-glass-doors-and-2-towers/s675108
  • 14 years ago
    When considering different wall units, think about not only the appearance of the unit and what it will look like in the room, but also what your needs are for the unit.

    You've mentioned that you need to have a place for the television but with regard to other items: how much do you want to store, what do you want to store, what do you want to display? Do you want to a place to store toys? Do you have a collection of pottery, glass or sports memorabilia you want to display?

    How much open and closed storage would you like to have: drawers, doors and open shelving? Here are some pics:

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  • 14 years ago
    Library · More Info

    Create a modern library wall. Put a wonderful lounge chair a reading lamp and boom you've got a nice new area-
  • PRO
    14 years ago
    If you want an easy way to cover up a large section of the wall, consider a canvas wall hanging. They can be as colorful as you'd like, and they're easy to set up and move: http://www.lot26.com/s/Canvas-Wall-Hangings

    If you do go with the idea of an entertainment center, but it doesn't cover the entire space, you can always put other wall decals around the area. Again, very easy to set up and/or move, and they'll brighten up the space: http://www.lot26.com/se/Wall-Decals

    Sounds like you have a lot of great ideas to work with, good luck!
  • PRO
    14 years ago
    If you're considering painting your walls, maybe wall decals can help making your walls look more interesting. You can browse through our wall decal collection at our Etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Decaleco and see if you find the perfect fit. If not, we can do custom design/quote for you in any size and any color (24 colors available). Some ideas of wall decals are attached below. Good luck decorating your home!
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    Hi Kalie, we have a couple art recommendation that you may like.above the fireplace. Everything on our site is made to measure and is available in a range of sizes and materials. If this isn't quite your taste just let us know. We are more then happy to find the right piece for you. Best!

    http://bit.ly/Painted_Autumn

    http://bit.ly/Jason_Hatfield
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