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Need SO MUCH help with our narrow living room!

Angie
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
We need so much help finding the right design for our awkward living room. The room is 20 feet long, 10 feet deep. There are two windows on either short wall, front door leads into the room. On the longest wall there is a long brick fireplace (which we like) --- plans have already been made to mount our tv on the fireplace. We have plans to properly remove the the opposite wall as it separates the living room and dining room in a weird way. We are also painting the room white and installing hardwood floors. The ceilings are low. Then there are a closet and stairs to the second floor that we need to compete with. How can we create a fluid and smart layout for this awkward design? We want to be able to live in the room and not have any wasted space! Any help and suggestions welcome!!!!

Comments (9)

  • Kevin Retired Decorator
    10 years ago
    Once the wall is down you may be able to place your sofa where the wall was. Then use a L shape
    arrangement by adding 2 chairs in the short end of the L shape in front of the fire place. I would mount a TV above where your console is now. on a pivot mount for good TV viewing, A rug 5x7 or larger will anchor the seating area on your new wood floors. You may want to consider painting or staining your fireplace brick white and using a beige on the walls though out the space. To make your white trim pop and have some contrast with your painted woodwork. They sell concrete stain in many colors that looks better than paint to update your fireplace brick. I would over drape the back wall window going 1' out with a rod to make that window feel bigger and use opaque fabric drapes to the floor and to the ceiling to visually make the ceilings look taller. By placing larger taller accessories around the room that will give height to the room too. For example use the vase of flowers on the floor next to the TV on the sofa table. also use taller larger lamps. By using less and larger accessories for your decor the room will feel larger and grander. The fireplace could use One large mirror or picture that could lean on the mantle ledge and add just a couple of larger things to finish it out. These are all ideas to make the room feel taller and larger. Of course it would also update the room.
  • Angie
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    These are great tips!!! Thanks so much! I love the idea of the curtains and the less and larger accessories, they will work perfectly.
  • decoenthusiaste
    10 years ago
    You say ceilings are low. Do you mean less than 8 feet? While you're emptying the room to install and demo and paint, pack up your items by season - warm and cool. That way you won't clutter up the space when you move back in. If it is not a sentimental keepsake and is over five years old, consider finding it a new home.
  • PRO
    Purcell Quality, Inc.
    10 years ago
    Yes, I agree once the wall is down I would place the sofa parallel to the wall that is leaving, not as far back though. Then I would place a chair on each side flanking the fireplace. I would include a sofa back table, so it doesn't seem strange as if you are just looking at the back of the sofa. I think removing the wall will make the space appear much larger!

    A good thing to remember is that your sofa doesn't always need to be pushed up against the wall, as it seems it should be.

    Good luck!
  • PRO
    Virtus Design
    10 years ago
    Let the wall removal be the basis of how you plan the rest of the floor layout. Once the wall is down you will have a better understanding of how to use the space
  • Angie
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago
    @decoenthusiaste - Yes... ceilings are absurdly low. Just over 7 feet I believe. I really have never seen anything like it but the house worked for us. We're short people anyway.

    @Purcell Quailty, Inc & Virtus Design - I have been working on these ideas presented here and, based on the floor plan of this house and assuming we take down that small wall (which is inevitable), I roughly designed this. I tried to combine all the ideas suggested to me from everyone here. The room and all furniture is to scale (we measured everything). We also changed the closet door to a bi-fold door to alleviate the need for space to open and close it. Is this what everyone was thinking? I think this set up could actually work and aids in elongating the space? We also measured the space between the couch and where the tv would hang above the fireplace and everything is within the suggested viewing distance for the size tv we have (phew!). I added two bookshelves on either side of the fireplace (assuming they are floor to ceiling in an effort to have the ceilings appear higher?) and I placed our coat rack near the door. Those lamps flanking the fireplace are just ideas, probably won't keep them like that.

    (Side note - I chose the dark floors because I like them; I know they will make the space feel smaller, but i also feel like dark floors make spaces look warmer. I've seen them in small homes before and they worked - so I'm sticking with it!)
  • PRO
    Purcell Quality, Inc.
    10 years ago
    Exactly what I was thinking! Nice work!
  • PRO
    Virtus Design
    10 years ago
    Great!
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