Given your criteria, I would look for a "sofette" (just learned about this word!) to be placed across from the fireplace/tv but allowing the walkway to remain open. Then use 4 smaller scaled, swivel arm chairs to be placed perpendicular on either side. Something like this -

This gives you seating for 6, one place for two to hang or cuddle, 4 individual chairs and room to maneuver as long as you stick with narrower furniture. A coffee table for everyone's drinks would be in the middle because excessive swiveling could lead to party fouls!

Example sofa linked below

Here is a link that might be useful: Sofette-too cute

Thanks for the suggestion. Swivel chairs is not something I had considered. I really like the lines of the chair you pictured! However, I worry about the 6'4 hubby feeling comfortable on a sofette. But we may check it out . Do you think maybe a sofa with chaise on the right side (13.5 foot long side) and one or two swivels on the other side could work?

The living room off the formal dining room will have a baby grand, 4 chairs around a cocktail table and a curved sofa...perhaps a little variety in this room would be better? Although not sure what's really possible...

In a way the room feels bigger as it is off a 16 x16 kitchen (no wall or upper cabinetry separating the two areas) . I lose a good deal of space to the peninsula bar and walkway.. I guess essentially it is a 14 by 13.5 space?

Thank you again for any suggestions.

Oh! I'm acquainted with 6'4" guys and, no, that won't work.

Perhaps the sectional idea, with the long side going down the wall toward the tv and then 2 swivel chairs on the opposite wall. Not sure 6 will fit comfortably, but we all make due in the moment.

It works for my 6ft 3 1/2 guy!! We abandoned the "sofa I can nap on" and went with a love seat and three swivel/rocker/recliners..this way the entire family has a place to sit all at the same time. DH is very comfortable in any of his choices and the room is not swallowed up by a huge piece of furniture that only two people would sit on at any one time anyway!!

I have a similar size living room with fireplace.I put in a small sectional and two very oversized wing back chairs. Hope that helps

Thanks for the feedback so far. Would love to hear more. I mistakenly posted on the kitchen forum last night so I thought I'd post a very kind "barbarav" response. Her suggestion seems a lot like jennybog's room. She wrote:

"What about a sectional with one piece along the 13' wall and the other piece facing the fireplace. A square upholstered ottoman (for comfort or extra seating) would fit nicely. Put a sofa table behind the section facing the FP- that will give you a place to drop your keys coming in from the garage. There's plenty of room on the 10' wall for 2 nice sized chairs w/ a table between, and a table beside the sofa by the FP.
My room is similar in size and shape and I have an 8' sq slipcovered sectional that's great b/c we eat in there and the SCs are easy to launder. "

Could I take the seating further and put one or two pouff/stools under the sofa table or parsons desk?

Arcy, could you please clarify?do you think no more than 2 people would use a sofa or sectional during a gathering? Or do you just mean my husband and I on a daily basis? Also i found your choice of 3 chairs interesting-- Why did you go with only 3? Did you still float the oo essay or is your oo essay up against a wall with a chair floating?

Please keep bringing the ideas. I'm finding each one so helpful. Love the generosity on this site.

This post was edited by iheartgiantschnauzer on Sun, Jul 14, 13 at 8:24

In another attempt to solicit some advice. Would any of these layouts work?

Or

Or

Thank you in advance!

I like the last one....two couches and two small chairs. Second one isn't too bad but think the last picture would be the better one.

We have a similar set-up and your last plan is what two interior designers recommended.

Thank you for weighing in! Is the 3rd more preferable since there is no large barrier ( back of sofa or sectional) when you enter the room?

Yes, it's a pretty classic set-up. Easy in and out, people are in a kind of circle for conversation.
Personally, I really like a couch perpendicular to the tv. When it's just DH and I up in the evening, I like to lay on my back and watch. Having to sit up or lay on my side isn't as comfy.

I'm an Interior Designer and I think the second option is a better option. I think it fosters better conversation and you can watch the tv easier.

So... Have a few questions. Is there a reason to do a sectional over 2 sofas in an L shape? Is the room too small for 2 placed as an L? Ottoman or coffee table? Would it look ok to place a sofa table or parsons desk behind either the sectional or sofa (parrallel to fireplace) and tuck stools under there? Is that going overboard in seating option or creating an overstuffed room?

As always, thanks in advance.

Restate, is there a reason to do 2 sofas in an L shape over a sectional? Yes, a place to set a book, drinks, lamp. :)

I like your earlier #3. As it happens, I picked up a used book the other day about the designers Colfax and Fowler, and thought of this thread because when I came on a picture of a space the size and configuration ays ours. They placed 2 extremely comfy sofas facing each other, with 2 chairs angled in at the ends, plus their de rigeur comfort accoutrements of tables, lamps, etc. The chairs pulled back just a tad toward the walls and angled in--framing a line to the fireplace--rather than straight, with a wonderful effect of funneling attention and people right in. A strong symmetric design, yet very casual, wonderfully inviting and totally charming. (Yes, I like it. :)

Between their sofas was a coffee table, but I'm imagining one with an open bottom the top upholstered in something durable and everyone's feet on it, including your big guy's.

BTW, for the excellent flexibility of function swivel bases offer, they're very underused. They can be retrofitted. Not incidentally, even though the sofas can't swivel, since our necks can (but not to 180), an arrangement like this, or your #1, enables people in both sides of the room to smile, exchange glances, chat with each other.

I have a sectional in the family room, and a couch and love seat in an L (with end table between) in the living room.

In my Mom's house, similar in size, she has a couch, love seat, 2 chairs. For years she had the couch and love seat in an L, with the 2 chairs opposite. One day we decided to mix it up, and put the love seat opposite the couch, with the chairs to one side - similar to OP's #3 above, but no TV, so the chairs are angled toward each other.

No change in the actual furniture, but in the new arrangement, the love seat is the most popular seat in the room, where before it was rarely used (I'm not sure why).

In the OP's room, I think 2 couches opposite each other provide the most flexibility, and keeps the room from feeling too crowded (assuming the couches aren't too big).

Rosie, thanks I played around with angling in our current space and if we go two couches two chairs ( the way I'm leaning but my guy wants the huge sectional) I would definitely angle rather than put them straight on. I am a serial furniture arranger/ room shuffler so I get a bit nervous about one larger sectional. Although I'd have several other rooms in which I could "get my fix". The husband on the other hand would love nothing more than a sectional.

Can we discuss dimensions? How deep is to deep if I choose two couches?

We were thinking about this:

In this color:

Paired with two of these chairs:

The sofas are 85" wide by 41" deep (actual seat depth 22)
The chairs are 30" wide by 35" deep (actual seat depth 21)

Do you think this would work or would the pieces be too deep or are the chairs too wide?

Thanks.

I like the arrangement with the two sofas too. I think you should see if you could keep a sofa table on the back of the sofa. It's more inviting that way.

Are those chairs to scale? They look kind of small there. You might only be able to fit one and a small table.

Thank you all for the feedback. ÃÂ

The sofa I pictured is 85 by 41 by 36
The chairs are 30 by 35 by 38.5. ÃÂ Not as deep but I wouldn't call them small. ÃÂ There is a height difference of 2.5 inches not sure how much that matters?

We also liked these chairs which measure 29.5 by 41 by 36

But would do them in either the same blue leather as the other chairs or a patterned fabric like this or something similar. ÃÂ

Actually upon further discussion we may opt to go skirt less on the sofas

but do these chairs (which swivel) (and have exact same masurements 29.5 by 41 by 36)

Is that too matchy matchy? ÃÂ Should we think about these chairs which measureÃÂ 27 by 36 by 37 instead:

Or stick with the other chairs I love despite the height difference?

I want to hear all opinions, thanks!!

This is probably horribly gauche, but I am bumping in an attempt to see if anyone has thoughts on depth of the furniture scale chair choice etc. Thanks for any and all opinions !

Iheart, I wish I could display the picture. You'd stop worrying that your couches might be too deep. C&F has never done the oversize furniture thing, I'm sure, but the old couches shown are by current styles here definitely "over-stuffed" and also nice and deep--the kind I like to snuggle into with my feet pulled up. The overall effect makes an asset of the smallish dimensions.

My vote on your selections would be to vary the masses and to some degree shapes of sofas versus chairs. You're not copying a picture, of course, but for what it's worth that has two matching skirted sofas; however, between the solid masses of the sofas is a light-scale coffee table, so it doesn't look as if they're packing a cargo container. They used two different chairs angling in. One is a fully upholstered armchair that could hide a swivel base and the other is much lighter scale, with seat and back upholstered, but open at the bottom.

It does make sense that what you put between the sofas might help determine whether to go skirted or open on them.

Wish I could rearrange whenever I want. I didn't break DH in early enough, and he complains when he discovers something's not where it "should be." If I ask him to help, he grumbles and then has to live with it grudgingly for a while before deciding he doesn't really care one way or the other. :)

Thanks Rosie! We want a completed room by our labor day bash... So today we pulled the trigger on two of these :

I like the idea of one cushion. The arms look higher from this angle than they seemed... But with cutout we were easily able to reach the side tables on display. I love the simplicity of the sofas and the husband can lay down comfortably on it! We both felt extremely comfortable in them.

We went with this fabric:

Reminded me of my favorite jeans.it's good for heavy use furniture and seems dog proof ( in case our 2 giant schnauzers decide to couch nap when we're not home). Not quite as bold as the other fabric but I think more versatile through the years and gives us plenty of directions to play with chairs rug etc...

They are a bit shallower too at only 38" deep; I will be placing a sofa table behind one ( have to find that now!) We are leaning towards two upholstered ottomans with trays for a coffee table ...not quite sure yet... And we are back to square one on chairs!

Any thoughts?

Those look wonderful. Distinctive style AND comfort is a win-win. Looking now, I notice all your sofa choices, one way or the other, have gone light on the arms, no to massive ends closing each side, which really seems right for a space like that. Good luck with the chairs.

BTW, I was playing earlier with software with different arrangements here. It'd be fun to get our sofa out of the middle of the floor.

I think a sofa with two chairs opposite, or the middle choice of your three...with one chair in the corner. I'm not sure you have enough space to walk into your seating area, when people are sitting in the chairs. Each view looks a little crowded, to me...but great area to have in your home :)

Lavender- thanks for the thoughts. We will be in the house next week and can play around with other chairs to see if it works. I was (and truth be told still am) concerned we may be trying to squish too much in-- however Id like a cozy "den" by the fire. It may end up being just one chair. And I have options on how to arrange the sofas. Or if all else fails I'll move one into the basement. And start over... But I don't think that will be necessary.

Rosie- Thanks for the words of encouragement! Hope you find a new arrangement for your living room. Sometimes moving furniture around just freshens up a room.