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casey3

Need help with small living room set up

17 years ago

We live in a 1920's house with an odd shaped living room/dining room set up. It's one long room w/ a fire place in the middle and the door to the entry way opposite. We have the dining table set up on one side and the would like our living room space to have as much seating as possible without looking too crowded. From the edge of the fireplace it's just about 12' x 10'.

Right now we have this couch but are open to new chairs/loveseat/bench and new area rug. Any advice on layout or furniture that would work best? Thanks in advance.

living room side of the room

view from the living room side to the dining room side

Comments (14)

  • 17 years ago

    I feel your pain! it's really hard to do a space like this as the focal points fire place and window are off centered and there are door ways everywhere. you did not say if a T.V was going in there.

    I love the window and it's a nice space! very pretty!

    To me it don't look like enough room to put the couch in front of the fire place and is the door way to the outside?

    I think you will have to play with this room a lot to find out what works best.

  • 17 years ago

    It really is a lovely room, with beautful windows. They have to be the focal point.
    Just to start the conversation, how about the following. Move your couch over another few inches so that it is centered under the window. Put two smaller scale chairs (do you have some kitchen chairs that you could use temporarily?) somewhere along the wall with the heat register in it. Let the chairs "talk" to the couch and ignore the fireplace for now. Put a larger chair facing the couch on the other side (right about where that blue tape??is). Take a couple pics and let's see what that looks like. On the DR side, would you be open to a banquette, with a couple regular chairs? Will you be putting a leaf in the table or leaving it it's current size?

  • 17 years ago

    Thanks deltabreeze for the suggestions. The dining table does usually have 2 leaves in it and six chairs so it fills that space quite well. We're in the middle of a kitchen remodel so things are a bit in shambles around the house.

    We usually have 2 wicker small chairs facing the couch (on either side) and a small coffee table in the middle. Yes, totally agree that couch should be centered under the window. I like your suggestion of maybe two chairs on the side and a bigger one by the blue tape. I'll try and stage that in the next week when we get the furniture back upstairs.

    What do you think about area rugs or coffee table types?

  • 17 years ago

    Center the sofa under the window, add a square end table and how about adding a loveseat to the register wall?
    Then place a chair on the other window wall, angled towards the sofa.

    An oval coffee table would add some contrast to the straight furniture lines. And I'm thinking a square area rug the width of the sofa might be nice under the coffee table.

    I think it's a nice space that could be made to look cozy and inviting and not crowded.

  • 17 years ago

    If there's space, maybe 2 comfy swivel chairs in a smaller scale could be placed about 3 ft in front of the FP?

  • 17 years ago

    Really like the idea of the oval coffee table monablair. We've always had rectagular or square ones. And and oval one is even better w/ our little kids!

    This couch we've had for 5 years. Would you match a loveseat to the couch? Might be hard to do since our current been exposed to sunlight, wear, etc. Or do people sometimes do coordinating, but not matching loveseats/couches?

  • 17 years ago

    I'd move the sofa in front of the fireplace and try to create the illusion of an entry way. The windows are nice, but they're not a good focal point, esp. at night. I would try hard not to put any furniture up against the walls as that just emphasizes the space.

    Maybe a book case and a reading chair under the long high window and a table that can serve as a "landing strip" in front of the windows on the same wall as the door.

  • 17 years ago

    I LOVE 1920s houses -- had three of them. But they're not always designed for modern living. This may seem like a silly question, but, do you use the front door? I know in two of my houses, the front door was never even used. Everyone came to a back/side door. If that is also the case with you, then you may be able to center a sofa on the fireplace and steal a little more room from the "entryway."

  • 17 years ago

    hmmm - lovely room w/wonderful appointments - yes, long narrow rooms really require some creativity from a decorating/function standpt

    That said -
    I would definately try doing mock ups w/whatever existing furnishings you do have
    I would try -
    2 couches (small) or loveseats facing each other w/fireplace in btwn - that would delineate DR fr. LR A console table could go behind the far couch - cheat the one at far end (not dr end as far back as possible - as to not loose valuable space
    - I have long narrow LR - w/Fireplace in middle - large entryway fr. Foyer then at other side of room 2 sets of French doors to sunroom - I finally bit the bullet and dashed the lovely Stickley coffee table to the attic - A HUGE difference - I hated having to walk around that - I think occasional, end tables, even chest of drawers in LR are far more functional

    - I would also try 2 chairs on either side of Fireplace - put sofa under the longer windows - it seems that it wouldn't block much of the window - then you could consider

    - Perhaps a nice L shaped sectional

    Here is a lovely creative use in narrow LR

    http://www.housebeautiful.com/cm/housebeautiful/images/2-southern-living-room-dec0807_xlg.jpg

    http://www.designnstyle.com/images/set2.jpg

    Monablair said it well - cozy not crowded
    This room has such wonderful potential - I do think you need to think a little outside the box -

    A few ? to help understand direction

    How often is DR used - try putting blue tape to where table/chairs ordinatily are

    - Do you have/ideas for window coverings, rug, accessories etc...

    Here is a link that might be useful: lee industries

  • 17 years ago

    My suggestion was to get a big ottoman as a coffee table. Its great for kids and acts as extra seating in case you ever need it.

  • 17 years ago

    I love all your windows so much and I like the big ottoman as a coffee table idea. I wish I had a home with so many windows for natural light. Since I live in an interior townhouse most of my rooms only have wondows on one wall.

  • 17 years ago

    I have no suggestions, just wanted to say that I covet your gorgeous home, LOL!

  • 17 years ago

    It's a lovely room with lots of light and clean space.. and while it has it's challenges it will make for an interesting room.

    I also have a long narrow room but my fireplace is at the end on the short wall. I don't necessarily want to tell you to abandon your sofa as it looks like it has a lot of life left in it but I think small footprint sectionals are often a good solution for a narrow room. It will optomize seating and give you flexibility for additional seating.

    I usually like the suggestions of two small sofas flanking the fireplace but that will cramp the entryway. I think even two chairs may be difficult in such a narrow room.

    Good luck and have fun with it.

  • 17 years ago

    Gorgeous windows; I'm as green as your trees over all that sunlight.

    Another old-house person here. Assuming the front door is used, your main traffic path is going to be from there to the DR-to-kitchen(?) doorway.

    So I'd ignore the FP to some degree. [Sorry, ole FP.]

    You've gotten some great ideas, and much depends on what view *you* want to face day-to-day. [You're sure spoiled for choice on that!] Now at night you don't have that view until summer, so do you need to keep view in mind or is the goal to have a "conversation pit"?

    For variety's sake I'll take on the latter challenge. If there's no TV to consider, I'd move existing sofa to face front windows to take advantage of the spring view -- float it away from wall/heat register. New loveseat/small sofa opposing that one (e.g. by front window), again with the float. Love the idea of a curved coffee table between....

    Under high window I'd try two smaller-scale chairs.

    So far you've got a "U" shape with easy access from front door and fireplace/kitchen/DR area, yes?

    But now I think you could encroach on the fireplace zone with a comfy chair + ottoman -- this could be turned *towards* the FP if/when you want to curl up in front of it.

    If you have the space to center it between the door and FP walls that'd give two entrances/exits to seating area; otherwise I'd think you pull it back near the top left corner of FP, which basically gives one way in and out of seating area but is certainly do-able.

    Add end tables where necessary and there you (might!) go....