I think you are crowding everything on the rug and blocking the fireplace. I would put the furniture on the rug with the front legs on the rug only. Lovely room.

All of your rooms are lovely! In my 1939 Cape in Maine, my front to back living room is 10' x 25'! The back overlooks a small river that forms my property line, and I have an antique table there with chairs to relax and have lunch, if I want to stop and enjoy the view.

Do you feel that you need more seating in the room? I wonder if you'd like to put a narrow table under the front window, perhaps with a lamp on each end, and maybe some of your wonderful decor items at the bottom? It could could very welcoming through the lace at night, and a place to put seasonal decor.

I got his beauty a year ago from Craigslist in NH, (pic is from the ad) and picture something like this there. If it wasn't something too precious, would grand kids enjoying playing games there?

If you typically enter through the front door, you might have a small tray or basket that could hold keys or mail on a table. Whatever you do, I know it will be wonderful.

The area with the fireplace, TV on a large chest and seating seems somewhat congested and does not seem like there would be an optimal viewing distance. A wall-mounted TV, assuming you've decided to keep one here, without any furniture underneath would open this area up a lot more and would make the fireplace to focus of attention, which yours deserves to be. If you need the chest perhaps it could to the right of the window in the last picture.

Another beautiful room! You have done a wonderful job with your home! I agree with trying to pull the chairs and sofa slightly back with at least all seating front feet placed on rug. But it really is pretty just as is and I wonder if you removed your TV if the room would rarely be used. I keep a tv in my larger living room and use my smaller sunroom for reading and quieter activity for I fear my largest room in my house would go unused if it did not house our main TV...

I pulled the chairs off the rug.

My son said, "The chairs need to be close enough to put your feet up on the coffee table."

I glared at him.

He then said, "Sock feet, not shoes!"

Gotta love 'em! :-)

I can't pull the sofa back because it's already edging over the doorway to the sunroom,

The TV crowds the room. I've not sat in the living room to watch since i got the kitchen lounge set up.

I have a sunroom for "quiet" space. Lots of places to sit in this house.

I found a treasure of a console table at a local consignment shop yesterday, reduced down to $335 because it's been there a long time. Very French lines and weathered. I've been trying to decide if it would work under the front window.

It's 70 inches long and 19" deep. I love that it's in the aqua range. Underneath, I couldn't detect nails, just pegs. I couldn't get a good photo due to the crowded store.

I mentioned it to my son, but he thought it was a long table without center support.

Since I have a vestibule entry with a bombé chest, corner chair, coat rack, umbrella stand and basket for shoes, I don't need to stage an entry in the living room.

Ooooh! Love what I can see of the table. Mine is 6 feet long, so very close in size. How wide is the window that it would go in front of? It could be a stunning piece if the size works. I love your taste in ....everything! I wonder if the shop would let you bring it home on approval to try?

The window with trim, is 42" wide.

My sofa is "apartment sized" and only 63" wide. The TV console is 63" wide, too. So, the console would be the longest thing in the room. I'm concerned it's out of proportion. And, there's no other wall in the house that could handle it.

Can't get it on approval since it's been marked down so much. It's half what it had been. The store is moving this week to another space. They'll be at the new place tomorrow, so the old shop is closed today.

Lovely room. While you've already got the artwork hanging, have you thought about turning the pie chest? My thought is placing on the window wall instead of door wall to mix it up a bit and it's seen from inside the room. If you could turn the secretary/desk w/o getting in the room entrance I would turn it instead (but looks like it would encroach on the walkway).

I think the aqua table is pretty but will be too long.

I measured that far end of the room again and the window isn't centered.

• window, including trim is 43" wide
• wall to the right of it is 50" wide
• wall to the left is 52" wide

The pie safe/bookcase is 37" wide and 53.5" tall (7.5" on either side if on the 52" wall)

The secretary is 37" wide and 54" tall (6.5" on either side if on the 50" wall)

I think that would crowd future drapes because I'd want the stack back off the glass.

This was the living room before I bought the house. Staged by the seller. The tall bookcases weren't built-in and they're different sizes. One is now in master closet and the other is storage in my basement. My TV is 55", console is 63" and won't fit as shown by the seller.

I'm not very talented at furniture arrangement but just wanted to say you have a very pretty home! I love the soft blue accents and white paneling.

My3dogs - I have a very similar antique pine console table. It was a lucky CL find years ago.

tnfarmhouse, I went to NH to pick up a farm table that I had searched for for many years, and since they were emptying the house, they told me if I'd take the console table, I could have it for $75. YES, sold!

dyhgarden, while your home now looks totally different, I can see why you bought it. It was warm and welcoming before, and you've made it over to another version of beautiful cozy home. I bought my little cape in 1986 - my first house, and I'm so content, I know it'll be my only one. No need to downsize, which is nice. :-)

I appreciate the feedback and the compliments.

We tried so hard to refinish those walls, but the wood was dried and dead. In fact, I ordered the sofa and chairs (took 16+ weeks to make) in off-white, thinking the paneling could be refinished. By the time the furniture arrived, I had the walls painted.

My cabinetmaker told me that if I ever have a house fire, to get out as quickly as possible because that dry wood is fuel! Those are pet urine stains on the floors, so we sanded the floors down. I wanted to use a light stain to brighten up the space, but had to go with dark walnut because of the past pets.

My3dogs - I love your console and that aqua console you posted. If only I could find one on that scale. Since I also have a collection of ironstone, I love that vignette, too. Your cape must be lovely.

This isn't my sofa, but I saved this off as an inspiration of what I'd like if I place my sofa where the TV is located.

I moved the bookcase and secretary. I need to tweak the decor and fill the bookcase. Moving these by myself and both were too heavy to lift up for sliders.

1. Better?
2. Should I leave the floor lamp beside the fireplace, but change the shade to a flax linen?
3. Should I paint the inside back of the bookcase to brighten it up?
4. If I flipped the chairs to the far side and sofa to the front, would that be too many small pieces at the back?

Thanks.

Moving the furniture in the back is a great improvement! The room instantly looks more furnished. In that respect, when you have drapes that will also add a great deal to make this room even more beautiful and comfortable-looking. If the floor lamp is where you need it I would leave it but the shade is a bit off, color-wise. However, sometimes having a piece that doesn't "go" can be a good thing. I hate to do this to you, but I wonder if the side table near the couch isn't just a bit too large. I know you can't move the couch very far away from it, but I think even 2 inches would help. I love the idea of the couch (in this case I want to say "settee") being against the wall with a gallery of picture above it. That would also solve the problem of the lamp table being too large and having to be pushed so close to the couch and the mantel.

Yes, the side table beside the settee is absolutely too large and I knew this when I placed it. I have no other table right now and I don't want to buy a new one until I settle the TV wall issue. Actually--I was going to ask if mirrored furniture is out because I feel the room has nothing shiny going on.

I wrangled a rustic bench down from the upstairs office. I put two Yves de Lorme ISOS French pillows on it, even though they're not the color scheme. The bench helps camouflage the floor vent beneath the window. After I purchase drapes, I'll remove the bench. It can't be seen from the front entrance to the room.

I love both pieces placed on the outside wall! I'd leave the sofa where it is for the very reason you mentioned - too many small pieces at the back. I like the idea of painting the back of the bookcase. Have you considered a painted end table next to the sofa? Perhaps a color similar to the piece of pottery on the mantel might work for the table.

I'm glad you decided to try the pieces turned to the outside wall. When I suggested, I meant for only one to be turned. The bookcase/pie safe was my first choice. I think the secretary placed back where it was would be an interesting nook, especially when you're sitting there. Your back won't be to the room, anyone in the room or block the entrance. Can you use the upholstered chair when at the desk, or is it too low? I like the floor lamp by the FP. What about using the bench in front of the other window (where the aqua table was going)?

I had the secretary the other way because I can see out the sunroom, the front of the living room and the back. There's a leather/horn stool that I use at the secretary. It keeps me straight when working. The upholstered chair is too low.

The bench isn't anything I'd planned to put anywhere important. I just didn't want to see the large 30x10" floor air return.

I like the bench with the pillows and feel they actually look good together, and the combo gives a more relaxed look to that end of the room. If you decide to remove the TV and the console, you could put the mirror that's on the floor on that wall.

When I walked through the living room to the sunroom this morning, the new setup felt better. It seemed cozier, as well as defining the traffic pattern, if that makes any sense. My poodle jumped up on the bench to look out the window! She loves to perch wherever there are windows.

I've had these silk drapes in my mind for months now. I have a sample of the porcelain blue and it is a closer color to the pale aqua in my rug and ceiling than what appears in the photo.

My main concern is the dust issue. The end of my living room, where I've temporarily placed the bench beneath the window, there is a 30x10 floor air return. It pulls air into the return, so I'm concerned that the hems will catch the dust on the way into the return. In 1939, they didn't put the air returns in the walls. I can't close it off. The building inspector was adamant about keeping the air returns free to operate. There's another one in the dining room.

I was late getting back to this thread and it looks like you've solved your problem. I like the two pieces on the back wall, facing into the room. I have a similarly-dimensioned living room, and found my solution somewhat by happenstance.

I had an old wooden trestle table that I had used as my desk in my last house, but it didn't have a home in the new house. When we moved in, I "stuck it" by the front window. Initially it was placed against the back of the sofa, as a large sofa table. But it didn't seem to make sense that way, with a narrow passage along the front window (pushing the whole thing back would have the sofa too far from the center of the living room). It wound up working out well once I put some other orphan pieces near it (the chair, the costumer), turned it all to face the window, and left a perfect corner for the Christmas tree (where the red cabinet is now, which gets smushed against the wall to make room for the Christmas tree).

The front door is just to the left of the costumer. It's a bit unorthodox, but it works for us. If I have someone visiting who needs laptop work space, I move the pottery and rug so the table can be used as a desk. (Yes, pics include TV remotes, kleenex, etc. -- it's how we live!)

Thank you, jakabedy! You're inspiring me with your layout and decor.

I tweaked the top of the bookcase, using the third original painting of Duke Gardens. I added a small lamp so I can still have light in that corner when looking for books. I've found myself sitting in the chair and on the temporary bench while looking at reference material for my writing.

I moved the "frog" pottery vase to the mantel because it has frogs and gold in the color--to see if it ties in better with the gold lamp shade on the floor lamp and the gold medallion embroidery on the lumbar pillows on the chairs.

BTW - my rooms aren't this bright. I adjusted the exposure so that you can better see the room. That's a poodle head on the sunroom daybed...looking through the window and wondering why I'm disrupting her morning snooze.

This is great! The room looks much larger and more warm and inviting. Turning the furniture in the back to face the room even helps to minimize the size of the table by the fireplace because in at least one view it's minimized by the bulk of the secretary behind it. I see now that the lamp shade on that table also has a more ecru shade and together they give a little warmth and depth to all the white you have in that area.

If you're concerned about dust for the drapes, I'd definitely pick some that are washable. Also, rather than blue, which may make the room feel cold, I would pick a "shock" color such as a soft green from the painting or yellow or gold, and then accentuate with pillows and accessories to unify the whole. The room will look much more interesting and less predictable. It doesn't seem as though there is much room for stacking the drapes outside the windows in some of these pictures.

There isn't much room for stacking drapes. Perhaps I'll look into plantation shutters with a 4" wide slat. I want to see how the light is during the spring and summer.

Beautiful!!!!

I appreciate the feedback. It's such a simple room and it's beginning to feel "right" since my rug is now down. I'm starting to question removing the TV because last night, I wanted to watch the Downton Abbey finale on the big screen!

I forgot to mention that the beautiful vase on the mantel and the pillow definitely do help to integrate the lampshade into a coherent color scheme. The lighter areas in the paintings also lead the eye down to the table lamp which has a similar color. The third painting on top of the bookcase is a very nice touch and further pulls the room together.

Looks beautiful!

There's a lot of dark wood --artifacts of keeping tables from previous homes. I'll live with it for awhile and then decide whether to replace side tables/coffee table with glass or lighter painted pieces. I need to let it settle for now.

What a stunning room now, I would leave the t.v. so you can enjoy your new surroundings. Love it.

My online auction wins from a local auction company. I'm amazed at the opportunities to buy original art curated by local collectors. Proceeds go to a local art museum. I bid on another pottery piece by this same artist, and got an email saying I was the high bidder....but, someone slipped it on the final half minute!

$85 for the pottery and $55 for the ink/watercolor!

Nice! Congrats on your winning bids.

I hate going to auctions in person, so online bidding from a reputable company is so nice. I'll drive over there tomorrow to pick up my items.

I've gotten some nice pieces on e-bay, a beautiful but dark watercolor of a post-war German town with a luminous river in the fore- and middle ground, a 19th century French landscape and a beautiful abstract watercolor from a 60's artist. None of them were inexpensive but neither were they outrageous considering the quality. Art is forever, as is porcelain or ceramics, and when you consider what it costs to eat a nice dinner out for four people, these things that give you enduring joy which someone with talent has handcrafted, begin to seem much less like a luxury.

I'm sick (thank you GD) this weekend, so with low energy between 3 hour naps, I played around with the bookcase top decor. This is an antique mezzotint that I had over the bookcase when it was in the kitchen of my previous home (held cookbooks). Not sure about the green mat, but it would have to go to a professional to redo since it's such a fragile piece.

Propped the painting on the secretary.

I like the green matting, especially against your white walls. I hope you can find a nice place for it. Sorry about your illness; hope you feel better soon.

What does the space you originally wondered about look like now? I am late to this party, and my initial thought was move one of the pieces to that end of the room, you would have a proper space for sitting on the other end and the room would be balanced on that outside wall. This is working..but you have a blank wall? Did you hang that mirror? What became of that corner?

There's still nothing in the blank space. I've not hung the mirror. I've been bouncing between the dining room, vestibule (where those art pieces went), the sunroom and the living room. I'm making small purchases, but can't do anything big until I get my landscape and driveway repaired since the renovations have ended. (And, pay my taxes! Ouch---the IRS rule is I no longer qualify for the widow status and must pay single rate.)

I also like the green mat and wouldn't change.