If a sectional would suit your needs better than two separate pieces, I think that would be doable.

What I would suggest, though, is to pull whatever furniture you decide on, away from the walls. You have enough room and it would make the space look cozier and more defined. It will also solve the problem of cutting off the window.

Corner would be great for the TV.

I kinda of like the idea of staying with a sofa and loveseat rather than a sectional because tou would have more options of arranging the furniture. Nice space.

You have a very nice room! If you are undecided, perhaps a possible solution may be a sectional with a chaise? Then you can keep it together as one piece or pull it apart if you so desire. I'll try and find the one that I have in mind that my sister in law has in her home. It has given her so many different layout options. Congrats on finishing the basement too! That will be so nice I'm sure to have a great space for the kids to play!

Here's a small-scale sectional from Potter Barn -- JUST for an example AND for discussion points here .....

Lovely room! And I do think a smaller sectional would work well -- and perhaps add a separate chair and ottoman for the corner that is left of the fireplace .... depending on size of course!

Jan

Here is a link that might be useful: PB -- small sectional

Jan's example was just what I meant. With the sectional pulled away from the walls, the window is no longer an issue and the seating area over the rug becomes more defined.

I know you are changing the furniture, but the problem with your past arrangement was the "wallflower" problem, putting everything against the walls..

The two seating pieces would have formed a better conversation area by placing them across from each other rather than the l shape..in an l shape you always have to turn your head to talk to someone on the other piece of furniture..I think cause you have that partial wall you felt you had to place the sofa there..but that isn't necessary..i do see that you have a set of steps coming down all around which does tend to limit theuse of furniture, but honestly, i think i would put the love seat on the side where the entertainment center is..not necessarily up against the wall but center them by the coffee table...and hang the lcd t v on the partial wall where the love seat is now or sit it on a beautiful console table against that wall, making the t v the center focal on the one side and the fireplace on the other..if the fireplace doesn't get above 90 degrees over it, the t v can be hung over the fireplace..as well. Either way this arrangment of furniture would free up the area where the entertainment center is now for maybe a small drop leaf desk or a little game table and a couple of chairs..and also the wall where the love seat is could be freed up for a lot of storage..beautiful storage..with the t v there if not over the fireplace, if so, move the mirror over a great case piece there and make a beautiful arrangement on top of it..with a beautiful reflection in the mirror.

It looks like you will have an issue with the sofa and loveseat overlapping each other a bit depth-wise if you stick with the same arrangement, because the half wall isn't wide enough to put a loveseat far enough away from the sofa to avoid that overlap. A sectional would solve that problem, and the smaller scaled sectional that was posted could work well.

Then perhaps you could float a chair or two opposte the sectional to create a conversation area.

I understand what people are saying about not putting all furniture against the walls. But try telling my husband that. He thinks moving it away from the wall is wasting space and wonders you do with the space behind the sofas! I have the same hesitations myself.

We actually have a beautiful cherry writing desk that we could us in the space of the entertainment center. My husband thought we would move it to the basement room. but honestly if we do that I dont know where all the toys are going to go! Plus I think it would be nice to leave it upstairs and have it in the family room instead.

I also really like the idea of putting the LCD TV on the 1/2 wall and building some storage there. Does anyone have any pictures I can look at for ideas? My husband likes to do woodworking so I am envisioning some nice maple or cherry shelving and having the TV sitting on top or mounted over it.

The room is 11'8" wide from the wall with the windows to the stairs dropping down into the room. I'm not quite sure that is wide enough to position 2 couches facing each other with the fireplace on one end and future TV on the other. I NEED more than 1 couch. As it is now 3 of us pile on it and the loveseat NEVER gets used. I think loveseats are a bit pointless. Usually only 1 person sits on it at a time. Also, I dont know about having to turn my head to look at the TV. Seems like it would get uncomfortable.

Now I am thinking what may be feasible is to get the sectional, but pull the short side out from the 1/2 wall. Then I could potentially put our writing desk there (if we pull out the couch enough). Put the TV in the corner like we originally planned, and then have room for a chair and maybe automan to the right of the TV.

Thanks everyone for all of the feedback (keep it coming). Its really making me look at things a bit differently.

IF I went ahead with a sectional but pulled it out from the wall, what do you do with the space behind the couches? It seems like a waste.

I agree that aesthetically, the furniture being pulled away from the walls would be the right decision. However that being said, since you have kids, leaving room for little ones to run behind the couch and pull the curtains down may be a potential problem that may or may not make you nuts!

Jan-The sectional you posted was just what I was thinking of. Great job!

Is the area where your current entertainment center is wide enough to hold a sofa angled on a diagonal? If so, you could put a sofa there (angled), another sofa where your current sofa is now (in front of windows), and then the tv on the half-wall. That would let you use the halfwall for tv, while being able to watch tv without turning sideways (i.e. from the angled sofa), and keep the stairway open. Otherwise, I think the sectional is your best bet if you want a couch opposite the tv, and get the amount of seating that you'd get from two couches.

I was also thinking maybe we could do a conversational sofa where the current TV is, then put another sofa where our current sofa is, and put the TV on the 1/2 wall.

I was also thinking of pulling the sectional away from the 1/2 wall. Putting the TV in the corner to the right of the fireplace. We could put shelving or a desk up against the 1/2 wall. This breaks up the room a bit though. Which I am unsure about because it makes it seem smaller?

I like the small PB sectional, but if I got a sectional I would want a larger one because I think the smaller one isnt enough seating, but it takes up enough room to make it hard to put a chair or something next to it without blocking the stairs.

Now we are unsure of the sectional because we dont want to be locked into a particular room layout based on where the sectional will fit. So maybe a better choice would be a new sofa + loveseat. Or 2 sofas with one against the wall (current sofa) and one at an angle (maybe a conversational sofa?) where the current TV is.

I'm not that keen on the TV above the fireplace just because it would be awkward to look up at it. Our fireplace is a gas one and doesnt get very hot and we barely use it. So that is still an option on where to put the TV...

I have a few new pictures where I arranged the couches to mimic a sectional, or you oculd envision a side table in the corner instead.

I guess now I am debating on a setup similar to above with either a small sectional + chair, or sofa + loveseat like shown above. Or 1 sofa in current spot, 1 sofa at angle where TV is, then putting the TV on the 1/2 wall...

myself i would still try the sofa and love seat facing one another, unless you are very large people you need no more than 18 " between the furniture and the seating pieces..sit with your back up against the back of the sofa and see if you can comfortably reach the coffee table, (or put your feet up if you like) if you can't you aren't close enough..

the desk sounds absolutely perfect for where the entertainment center is now..

look at your new pictures..they show a ton of wasted space, i see where your husband would object to that..but if you move the love seat across from the sofa and the secretary behind it..then you have the wall to put your t v on and a console underneath it..you could even tuck in a small stereo system under the tv if you like..or you could use a short entertainment center on that wall..or builtin bookcases around your t v on the wall..think of all the storage you could fit into that area !

if you feel you don't have enough room to face the pieces toward each other, maybe a smaller coffee table would be the answer..but i think yours looks small enough..to fit fine..can we see pictures with the furniture facing each other and the t v on the partial wall..and the desk in the place of the entertainment center???

ronbre - I will definitely try that. But I'll have to wait until we move the items in the entertainment center to the basement so that we can move the entertainment center more easily.

One thing that I am unsure about with that setup is it seems like watching TV would be awkward, with having to turn your head 90 degrees to see the TV.

khal
Nice space to work with -

I didn't read all the replies but what I did read
you want
- Casual living space
- Ability to watch TV
- new seating and possibly arrangement
- new window coverings

I like the furniture pulled into the room more, it just looks more inviting
If you kept it pulled in as shown in last pics you could do a sectional - but that will limit your ability to rearrange the room
- Have you considered a large sofa on longer wall and 2 comfy club chairs w/ottomans or chair/s and 1/2
- This offers more arranging possibilities
- 2 chairs on either side of the fireplace would also be appealing there. I would consider painting the mantle white since trim in the room is white
- a 37" LCD may not be large enough based on size of room and distance to view it - I just purchased a 40" for a very small room my dh watches TV in
- I would consider some nice roman shades in the room - a pretty fabric may tie things in better than blinds

- Have you searched magazines, online found some inspiration pics - that may really be helpful

good luck!

I would put the tv on the wall where the couch is now, mounted between the windows. If you want a sectional, run the longer leg of the "L" with its back to the stairs, opposite the new tv location, and the shorter part facing the fireplace. Think about a sectional style that has a wedge at the corner of the 'L" shape, that would visually echo the wedge section on the stairs.

Then I would think about a pair of chairs and a table over where the ec is now.

Be sure you add some more lighting, and also that you re-position the rug so that the furniture isn't floating on an island. LOL

The other configuration you might consider is two couches opposite one another (with one where the current couch is now between the windows) and the two chairs/table where the current EC is. Then put the tv on the half wall opposite the fireplace, where the loveseat is now.

I think you have a very nice space!

I think you will be very pleased if you rearrange the furniture as Ronbre suggested earlier. It is a great space to have! please post pics as you move along.