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janeen

Real Design Dilemma!!!

13 years ago
Get your thinking caps on!!
I've got a really small family room 13x 20 opening to the kitchen.

It has a huge window on one side that lets in South/East exposure. (mostly daytime) This is where we "hang out" as a family,where the TV is etc...a few years back we bought a large dark bulky entertainment center which I'm kinda stuck with and we had large bulky black couches when we moved in. (I plan to buy new couches) Sooo...what I want to know is...

for this size living space, how do I make it livable, but cozy and comfortable at the same time?? Is it ok to have such a large entertainment center on the small wall and couches facing each other on the long walls?? or do I go with 1 couch 2 chairs?? And What color scheme do you think would be best with such a room? Im not locked into the gold curtains either. The original colors were gold and burnt red's...I'm over that and I'm open to all suggestions... Pleazzzee????

Comments (17)

  • 13 years ago
    Heres a lighter picture of the room..sorry it came out so dark....
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    last modified: 13 years ago
    I would go with a white leather or mole-skin L shaped sofa and a coffee table that doubles as a stool such as a tufted leather one. Or a glass topped one which would make the space appear larger. I would also suggest putting the television on the wall to give you more room and selling the cabinet or using it elsewhere. To retrieve storage you could get a coffee table that had drawers in it for storage. This will leave you with a lot of wall space. A nice picture grouping would look nice, as in the fourth picture below.

    I would suggest light blocking drapery so that when you are watching the television you won't have glare problems.

    It would be nice to remove the fan light and replace it with can lights around the living room ceiling. It would give you more even lighting around the room and thus more inviting and comfortable.

    For added warmth, try draping a soft throw that is a warm accent color on the couch.

    If white is a bit more maintenance than you would like, below is a room flooded with natural light and gray couch with a nice use of a warm orange color to accent.

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  • 13 years ago
    I think that you need to open the space-put your TV cabinet on a waqll where you have a flowers,and on that place put a sofa,it will be soo nice to open your window.Put some colors that it will give life in a room- you need some nice fotos-whic will be conectid with the color of a walls,somw floral piloys.Red,yellow,green,blue:)regards,than it will be easy to make choise for color of accessories ina room,and change your lights
  • 13 years ago
    ideas
  • 13 years ago
    ooh, yeah you guys are good...great ideas i never even thought of such as the can lights....my hubby wont like selling the cabinet though!!! he doesnt like taking losses but i totally agree. i liked the cabinet for all the components and cords etc.. no one else seems to have those or hides them very well!!
  • 13 years ago
    This is a nice room even though its small. I think your entertainment center is perfect for the space and it is much better to have one large piece there instead of several different things that could cause it to look choppy and busy... So, good job there! You have several options for the furniture layout. The first would be to leave the sofa in front of the window, put a loveseat or 2 club chairs against the back wall and replace the existing loveseat with a single chair. That arrangement would open up the space a little. You could also do the same basic layout using a nice comfortable sectional sofa instead of sofa/loveseat. To lighten the room, go with new furniture that is neutral and easy to keep ( maybe a linen or microfiber). Lighter colored upholstered pieces will make a big difference! I suggest that you remove the artificial plants and install artwork with impact on the back wall. Your drapes look fine to me but if you want a little change add a contrasting braid or trim. Get that furniture and "Let The Fun Begin)! Here are some ideas showing the effect of lighter upholstery. I also included a photo of a red ottoman which could be a fun touch for your coffee table!
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    As far as the cords go...they make wireless speakers now. Nice to have 4 of them around the room for surround sound.
  • 13 years ago
    I feel your pain - but if you have to live with the ginormous entertainment center, then you have to make the best of it. By moving it to better suit the space, and then concentrating on the other elements that you can change, you can certainly make the room feel much more open and cozy as well.

    The problems? First, there is entirely too much furniture - and other "stuff" - in the room. Second, the furniture is not the right scale for the room (including of course the entertainment center). Third, the configuration of the sofas cuts the room off and makes it feel even smaller than it is.

    Some solutions: I always suggest putting the largest piece of furniture the farthest distance from the entrance to the room - in this case, on the far wall. It looks like the entertainment center will take up the entire wall, but that's okay, - nothing else is needed. Next, everything else should go except for the rug (pretty!) - sofas, tables, lamps, faux plants & flowers. Then, when everything is out of the room, I would paint all the walls the same color as the far wall - it's a much warmer tone, and you're going for cozy, so that will help. Plus the one blue wall looks out of place. Then, place a lighter colored, smaller scale L-shaped upholstered sectional sofa along the long wall with the short part of the L parallel to the entertainment center, but not going past the half-way mark of the width of the room. A rectangular or oval coffee table - perhaps leather, but for sure something that you can put your feet up on while watching TV, goes in front. Again, be careful with scale! Then, on the other side of the room I think two smaller scale chairs upholstered in a fun, contrasting fabric - a stripe or Ikat fabric? - would be useful as then you could move them around for TV viewing, conversation, games, etc. You can tuck a floor lamp behind the sectional for reading. Other people have suggested putting in recessed lights, which is a great idea, especially if you ever sell your house, but that can get to be expensive. The problem with the fan is that the ceiling is low already, and the fan emphasizes it. So unless you are really in love with it - I know they can be great in the summer! - then perhaps a new semi-flush mount fixture instead would update the room. There are SO many great light fixtures out there right now! I would definitely trade out the drapes and sheers too. Something less voluminous will go a long way toward making the room feel more spacious and up-to-date. It's hard to tell how large the window is, but some sort of shade that you could pull down for privacy or TV viewing, along with grommet-topped curtain panels on either side would look nice. Plantation shutters offer great light control and they look crisp and clean. To add texture and a nice, warm feel, then go with woven wood shades.

    I hope this gives you some ideas, and I would suggest Crate and Barrel or West Elm for sofas and chairs. Shades of Light is a fun online lighting source.
  • 13 years ago
    Cjohnson's... That is a great illustration !!
  • 13 years ago
    Those are some very doable solutions to my problem...and some well needed advice from people that obviously know design more than I ever will!! I'm going to talk to my husband tonight..... Love the last illustration..although I think it would be a little dark for my room
  • 13 years ago
    Noooooo. Janeen! Take a chance. You have the perfect room for this if its something you really like. Don't be afraid of the dark color because you have a large window just like this that will let lots of light come through. The color is the thing that makes the furniture pop.
  • 13 years ago
    Yes, Keitha but I have the opposite kind of armoire thing...mines totally dark and dreary, the one above is light and airy..cottage like.. I'm thinking a taupe color of some sort too but not as dark as that. Thank you soo much for your input!!
  • 13 years ago
    Janeen - if you're handy and have some patience and time you can paint your entertainment center a lighter color. I've done that with a lot of pieces and it looks really good. You could do an off-white /ivory if you want to achieve the look that cjohnston posted. I think that's a beautiful look and how nice to look out the window more than looking at a wall with an entertainment center. Go for it! And I love the darker wall color...I think it would be really pretty. Good luck!
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    I agree - I'd move the big TV unit on the far wall, and then place furnishings (new sofa) where the media unit is now, with two chairs and round table by the window. Great use of the space, and very inviting to walk into. If I had my druthers, I sell the big tv unit, and get a long low media unit that stretches from corner to corner - maximize the space, make the room feel bigger. Good Luck!
  • 13 years ago
    I understand that you've gotta do what's comfortable for you... But lots of great ideas to ponder. Good luck!
  • 13 years ago
    A sofa and two chairs seats 5 at the most. Why not buy 6 chairs? Put the media piece on the short wall. Put two chairs in front of the window, two chairs coming in from the hall and two chairs on the inside wall. Each pair gets a table between and then have a round ottoman or coffee table in the middle of the room.
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