Ok - I woke up early this AM inspired and moved furniture around. Much to the horror of Joe and various cats. Lol. I will attempt to post some photos and a semi accurate drawing.

I put my sad lumpy 3 legged 6' couch on the porch. And dragged my 4'6" baby bed inside (made by my papa). Immediate improvement. I also moved some chairs upstairs. So the photos are somewhat decluttered (if you can imagine that). Art on the wall looks funny because I moved stuff around. That I can adjust after I am surer of what is what. And just in general this house is a work in progress. My painted floor needs re painting. Ok enough apologizing.

My house is 20'x24' with the 20' sides facing North and South. There is an 8'ish foot porch along the whole west side. I enter from the porch.

And in the someday (a note of frustration here) there will be three large drawers and a shelf in the weird space under the stairs. It was part of a trade with a family friend - three years ago. Partially made and sitting in his shop. Grrrrr...

And my attempt to draw out my space - accurate to within an inch or so... I didn't go into detail in the bathroom or the space that jogs off the kitchen area.

So while I am unlikely although tempted to toss everything out - I am willing to consider almost anything. Suggest away...

I am not good at placing furniture using drawings, but I just want to say that I like your house. It's warm and cozy and comfortable looking. Any house with plants and animals is a good house for me!! Very nice.

Finally there is this tiny
little space that I am not utilizing well...

Is this the part by the wood stove and closet?

Murraysmom - Thank you! Where in Ohio are you from? I have extended family there still. My grandmother was from Ohio. Athens and somewhere that was once called College Hill.

Yes it is.... Now storing cobwebs and a box of expired canned goods.

agmiss15 there was a darling little dog needing a home listed on our animal rescue site. He was 2 years ish old looked just like your little Joe Bear. I seriousy considered it to but so hard to travel with more than one dog and I want to do a little traveling. And he was a small guy and I just finished fencing my yard in wire he could get through.

WOW you really did all we asked for now to decide how it might make it better. I crack up on the 3 legged couch. Had one like that at City hall and I have tried to get them to give it to me. The fourth leg is a paint can. But it is so cool with the thin curved wood arms

OK I would NOT toss everything out because you have some lovely pieces. Have you tried using paper cut outs to match your lay out and pushed them around to see what would fit where?

Also the little sofa bench you have is darling but does not look comfortable. Have you considered re-purpose it to maybe a plant stand in another spot. The getting a smaller couch or love seat ? I took the base of my tallllllll gun cabinet and set it in front of my window as a plant stand.It used to be TV stand. No more.

I need to look at this more. I love plants as you do and found great hanging hooks for many of mine to get them in a good window spot with out taking up real estate on tables. The two windows with blinds drawn. do you usually have them open? I can not tell what you have under them. Tables? Those windows are west facing right? They would get good light maybe too much? I guess what I was getting at is maybe grouping your plants around the entry door corner making more room for a living room space across from your kitchen.

One time I made a Faux wall using a cabinet kind of like you have at the end of your stairs. Put it out from the wall with narrow end against the wall. Then a table and mirror on the back side of it. Not that you need to I was just posting this for ideas on re-purposing furniture. I LOVE to do that.

I also love the dog kennel under the table. I did that for my old Tillie when she was a pup and for many years until she no longer needed a crate.

love the dog crate camouflage too. And your knickknacks on the shelf. And the china cabinet. I really love the little white bed. If you get a new/different couch would it be a good coffee table height, or under a window as a plant stand (well protected)? Or make a back for it, a sort of wall mounted headboard to lean a cushion against and slide the bed beneath it to give it more of a chair seat depth.

and oh do I sympathize with the three year wait on the under the stairs storage! I can relate to that.

Move furniture around and live with it for a week or two, then move it again and live with it, until you find the right layout. I know the cats will hate it. It took me several years to find the best arrangement in my place, since then I haven't had an urge to shuffle things around.

BTW my couch in the picture above was a garage sale find, falling apart, stained and scuffed and dirty, nasty cushions, one arm missing, one broken and the base held together with rope. I found a guy who rebuilt it for me and made new arms based on the one broken piece. It took him nearly a year, but he only charged $50, I was budgeting about $500, it sure looks it now. So if you love your three legged couch, it may not be past saving. JoAnn fabrics has nice upholstery fabric and frequent sales. The black blobby flower fabric was $18/yard. Back and bench cushions, also on sale came to less than $100. There is velcro on the backs of the covers, so I'll be able to take them in for drycleaning when they need it.

My main room is a bit larger than yours about 11 x 28, but it is also divided by a ladder. I ended up treating it as two separate rooms. One half is the dining 'room' and parlor, the other is my den with sofa and club chair and tv and a corner set up as a music room. My desk and tv stand are back to back in the middle underneath the open ladder. I can see through the middle stair area, so I keep the colors complementary.

I take it you use your wood stove? I had a spot for one, on a raised brick hearth (and broke my little toe on the corner of it way to many times). As soon as I could I removed the hearth and chimney, that's where the desk and tv now are. I gained lots of good space there, but I dislike wood heat and would never have used one.

Lol! My fourth leg is a brick. I will give myself a few days - then offer up the couch complete with brick.

The bed/couch isn't super comfy. It has a thin futon on it that I um trimmed to fit. (There was fluff everywhere) I wanted to see whether a shorter 'sofa' would work. I have debated getting a much thicker cushion on it to improve comfort. Though it would never be a squishy overstuffed curl up and read couch. Repurposing the bed/couch as a plant table isn't a bad idea.

The east and west windows have insulated blinds - they are often closed after November and always open in Summer. This ash table was made by my dad. And isn't best utilized as a printer stand.

Oh wood heat is the default here in Maine. I am not sure where you are but it gets quite cold here. I have a propane heater too - but my main heat is wood. It is dirty, a lot of work but much more comfortable, beautiful to look at....

Though you are right - it takes up a chunk of valuable floor space...

As you can see my sofa is in no way as lovely as yours. If it was or super comfortable or both - I would work around the fact that it is too big.

The ash table is really pretty. Especially nice your Dad made it. Is it attached to the wall under the window?

So you kind of need a little bit of a home office. Is the little space tucked behind/beside the wood stove too hot for the printer to go on the lower shelf where the canned goods that need to go away are? It looks like you tried to do some sort of filing with the cute boxes on the upper shelves with your animal figures , which I also love by the way. It looks like you tried to make it an office with the pencil holder. It might be too hot to sit there. I have a secretary in the living room I NEVER EVER sit at but it holds my letters and cards and some office kind of things but my REAL office is in my sewing room tucked in a corner. If your printer is WIFI then it can go anywhere. Maybe you do not need an office area. I was just trying to get like things together in your spaces.

Then that corner would not really work for your plants unless you did open them in the day light hours only. And if Dad's table can move some where else.

I am a virgo and we look at things differently than some might. I would like to see the two little desk like tables with drawers together under each of the windows. and Dad's table under the shelf on the wall by wood stove. Only if the heat from the wood stove would not do damage to it.

Do you also use the drop leaf table to eat at?

My brain is tired tonight. I really do think most of your pieces go nicely together. They just need to be arranged a little better. And one more question. You do want to keep your living room area close to your kitchen as you have it now or are you open to changing that?

I would love to do the little paper cut outs on graph paper if I knew what each piece measured. I can see you are limited by the stairway in the middle. But I am sure this can be done. Like Stringweaver I too move things around until I finally find the right fit then they usually stay put for awhile. I like to change things up around here.

Agmss, I live in Cincinnati. Athens is about an hour away, I think. There is a neighborhood in Cincinnati called College Hill, but I don't know if that would be where your family might be from. I have been to Athens a few times. Ohio University is there. It's quite a beautiful area and getting there is along the Ohio River. Very scenic.

You've gotten some good ideas here. It is difficult to see how it all comes together without moving everything around, isn't it? I know these girls will get you squared away!! :)

More moving to come. And I will try to make some furniture/paper dolls to move around on my drawing.

Inspired by someone's lovely rescue couch I did decide to spend some time and energy on that chair sitting in the corner. It is rock maple, smaller scale, solid and semi comfy. The pillows are random and the springs underneath need some work. I have looked into better pillows and balked at the price. But comparing it to a new chair no comparison. It had been living near my bed under a stack of laundry. Tempted to paint it but imagine my wood loving family wincing in horror.

I was going to start making paper furniture

last night but I came home from the shop and working on cutting out lots of utensils. Producing lots of sawdust, noise and a huge headache. Tea, supper and bed. I need to work on the dust collection system near one of the sanders.

My sister and I have a small business making wood utensils, spoons, cutting boards, peels..... And we made very ambitious 2017 goals with much

less time. We will either get much more efficient or we won't. Lol.

OH My your utensils are Gorgeous. WOW.

Wow, yes, those are some beautiful utensils. How are you selling them now?

Thank you. We mostly sell locally. We have just ventured onto Etsy. https://www.etsy.com/people/sprigwoodwork1

So I hope I am not being too annoying with this thread. I am essentially thinking out loud and trying to 'shop' from my belongings before I go spend $$s. I find the comments so helpful.

So here is more tweaking.....

I moved the huge plant shelf. I need to work on the porch where I have been dumping everything. The chair is the one I need to refurbish.

And I talked to a neighbor about looking and letting me know whether it is worth rewebbing this chair. She and her hubby make great chairs, stools and benches with shaker webbing. Unlike most of my dad's woodworking friends I find their stuff unintimidating and useful.

Apologies for the litter box. Dealing with an injured kitty.

agmss NEVER annoying to me. Can not speak for any one else but I do think this board is for problem solving.

Hahaha you made me go look for the litter box. with 5 kitties a litter box in my house or any one else house goes unnoticed.

The chair you want /need re-furbished is a GREAT chair. It reminds me of the chair I did last fall. I cheated and did not re-do the seat other then to tack the webbing back into place where it had come loose. The fabric on the chair was awful looking but in very good shape so I just painted it. Hahahah That is right PAINTED the fabric. Then I took a thick piece of foam from a couch cushion and made a quick cover for it and made the same for a pillow for the back and called it good. At the time hubby was sick and my play time was short so I hope to re-do the covers when the right fabric comes along. For now it is fine as is. Very comfortable to sit in too.

Your friends chair is also lovely.

I think it looks better with out the tall plant stand in the window. Can you do another picture including the chair around towards the kitchen. There is a table beside the chair. I do not remember being there before. the chair is the same one with blue cover on it in the corner?

It looks like you moved the drawer table. Was it the same one beside the door or did you take the other one from the wood stove corner? Where did the printer go?when I needed to change my whole living room around I only left the pieces in the room that could NOT go any other place. Well in my mind at that time anyway.

Then I put back pieces a few at a time. Adding in my work bench where it had to sit because no other place for it. Then grouping my chair side table and second chair in front of my work bench. Felt the need to slightly hide the work table because it will not usually be a neat tidy space. Then I put other pieces in where they would fit and YES I know I also have way too much stuff in this room but I am good with it.

I know it is a whole lot of work to totally start over but it opened up ideas to me I had never thought of until I started with a mostly blank slate.

Having said all of this I do think your plant wall looks good. Now I see the second drawer table. And the printer. Maybe get a picture of this one wall too standing back from it if you can so we can see clear to the corner where the chair used to sit. did you use the wood stove cubby as your office storage space and if not could your bike sit tucked in there or maybe not room??

Please do not think you are a pain on coming back over and over. I personally love to make spaces work for me with all my old funky furniture. Rarely buy some thing new. And I am sorry I am such a pain asking for more and more pictures. I really think you are getting closer.

Here is my chair. I just had those ties pinned on and did not like them and it really did not need the ties so they are gone. First is the chair in painting the fabric process. Then done and YES I like wild colors. It is an old bed spread I dyed. I would like better fabric but this was free and on hand. I also like to shop the house.

Whew! Clark (of Lewis and...) got beat up in a fight a few days ago. I took him to the vets for antibiotics and a shave. He managed to escape for an adventure today. I was concerned/annoyed today tipping over into really worried. He finally came home for dinner.

Ok - the south wall - I tried a panorama but it was too distorted.

The webbed chair isn't my neighbor's work - it was my grandmothers - but since they make their own I asked her for advice. Here are some things of theirs. I covet their stools chairs benches - simple elegant colorful functional well made..... expensive..

Oh and I love the pink chair a lot. I like color too... But I tend to like cooler watery colors. I almost bought paint today.

The chairs look very much like Punjabi weaving. Very pretty. I did a stool in it one time. It was so fun. Only I know theirs are made from webbing. Not rope.

And Dang Clark of Lewis and........... I always worry about my porch kitties when they do not show up for their meals instantly. I HATE they are outside but too wild to bring in. Believe me I tried and it was a disaster. Glad he came home to dinner.

I guess you can not get far enough away to get most of that wall in corner to corner. Some rooms are so hard to photo. And my pink chair was supposed to be more purple but the dark pink bed spread did not accept the purple dye as I had hoped it would. We all have our favorite colors. Mine are purple and turquoise. Then greens.

I do like the matching drawer tables under the windows. Not liking the exercise bike in front of the middle plant stand but I also know they are hard to place in a room and have them look good. What did you put next to your Fathers table? Bike might make a good coat rack. LOL Sorry it is a joke. Every one says their exercise bikes get things hung on them and rarely used. I finally moved mine out of the house to the garage and never use it. Did not use it in the house. I used to use one all the time. Now they hurt me to sit on them.

Going to have to go back and re-read some of this. What you have not looks better but still not working as I think it could.

Yup the bike is usually on the porch. It came in as part of my New Years resolution - being semi followed at this time. If I keep using it I can ask for help to move it upstairs. If not back to the porch to hang grocery bags off of.... Lol. If I put it by the wood stove I can't open the closet door.

More work tomorrow. More photos..

I would say before you move another thing measure your furniture pieces and do the paper doll cut outs of them. Post measurements here. I would love to play with this and do my own set.

I think it is a good idea on the bike so we will just pretend for now we can not see it knowing it will be going upstairs at some point. :)

Is the closet actually built in at this point? I can see the edges of coats hanging there no doors or is it just pegs on the wall or?

I was kind of wondering,your going to hate me, what the tall plant stand would look like in the center window plants on top slelf. Instead of plants on the bottom shelf use it to store a lot of the things you have sitting around to reduce the clutter some what. Maybe even add another shelf to hold stuff.

ORRRRRR If you do not have a built in closet maybe turn the tall plant stand into a closet if it is strong enough.

Can your ash bucket live in that cubby under the stairs? Not sure what is in other container behind it. Both are plugging up your closet walk way.

agmss I tried to message you and can not find how to do it. If you can message me with your phone number. Might be easier to answer some of my questions. I am nutty as a loon but harmless.

It looks like you're making progress. I really like that pink chair, and your friends' work.

I have a friend who has just gotten a treadmill and that has prompted to me to take the laundry off my rowing machine and move it into the living room where I will use it, and start using it. Fortunately it takes up little space when put away and looks kind of sculptural.

I'm planning to plot on a map our daily progress and some day, in the likely distant future, we'll meet, virtually, somewhere in the middle of the country. hm, I must do that this weekend!

I am not sure how to message anyone from Gardenweb. I think it was possible in earlier GW incarnations. Are you on FB? You can message me @ sprigwoodwork on FB.

I will try to make my paper doll furniture tonight. I need to work on my porch before I upend anymore inside. And my upstairs - which is my bedroom/work space. And now there are piles of stuff from downstairs in both places being knocked over by annoyed incarcerated cats.

Aw poor disgrunteled kitties. I will try on FB I am Chris Tucker Pyle

I found you there on FB But it will not let me message you??? See if you can find me and message me there.

I always make the biggest mess trying to clean up a mess. But in the end it is all worth it.

Facebook

Ok I think I friended you....

Just a thought. If you really want to maximize your seating and make the space seem less cluttered, get a sectional. There are a lot of small sectionals available, including this one with storage. Featured at this link in a350sf apartment.

You would have to remove the numerous small chairs and maybe some of the tables. But that's a mistake I see a lot- people pick small furniture for small spaces, but then have too many pieces of it. Better to have one larger piece.

also, don't be afraid to float the furniture into the room even if the room is small. I would put a sofa table with the plants in front of the long wall with windows, the float the sectional in front of it.

My main room/living room/dining room/kitchen looks to be smaller than your space but I have an apartment size sofa long enough to stretch out on plus two comfy chairs. You have the space for a good size sofa or sectional if you want it.

Thanks for the input and the link. I agree that that lots of little furniture is a problem. And I had never heard of Home Reserve. Looks interesting.

agmss I kind of floated your black chairs in front of your plant stand like sloedjinn suggested. I moved your drop leaf table down a foot and a half into the door way area of your kitchen opening. Not sure if that upsets some thing on the other side out of view or not.

Moving the table down a bit even though the back edge of it is not against the wall gives so much more room in the corner for your large chair.

Thanks again Shades - I will spend some time with this project tomorrow. Intrigued by the inexpensive loveseats from the link Sloejinn recommended.

I spent the day milling wood to make pizza peels - I came home with a head full of sawdust - achoo. I got home after dark and couldn't get my car up the drive - too icy. Then I needed to bring in firewood. I will deal with the drive tomorrow when it's light out. I am pooped.

i also liked those sectionals and the ones with narrower arms and storage were great. Got my mind to going too and saved the link if I ever have some $$ I do not know where to spend. I also noticed one of the fabrics were pet friendly.

the fabrics were pet friendly.

that made me think, that if I recovered my sofa in a print of dog hair, slobber and paw prints, it'd naturally 'refresh' itself - continually!

My dog is a fairly civilized, non shedding, eager to please creature. My cats on the other hand are imperious, elegant, shedding, claw sharpening, royalty.

Progress report!

I moved furniture around again on my sketch and in reality. Using your suggestions - Thanks!

I went fabric and cushion shopping - I didn't find exactly what I want. But I went ahead anyway. I covered new cushions and recovered old ones. Already an improvement in looks and comfort. I recovered the futon really poorly. But it looks neater. And I covered 6 pillows with the meander fabric. I didn't do the best with pattern placement on the pillows.

I haven't bought any paint yet. I hate using oil paint inside in the winter but I think it is longer lasting than latex. Or maybe I will strip and refinish wood. But I am imagining a gray/blue or gray/green color.

Also I visited my neighbor who webs chairs. She is in the middle of an order but will either consider rewebbing my chair or help me reweb in a few weeks. And she has the tape and supplies.

And my mom will lend me a painting for my 'big' wall. I hope we can find an older one in a frame - when I was a child she made very geometric paintings.

And most exciting of all - my cabinet maker teacher/friend/procrastinating trader called me about finishing my understairs drawers - which will completely change my kitchen area.

Shades asked off forum to 'see' this area. The east wall of my kitchen... (again excuse the clutter) I think the corner cabinet can go over here if/when the I have drawers under the stairs. Which will have 3 36" wide x30" deep drawers and a small shelf above.

Alright I am long-winded today.

Note one of my favorite things is the shelf under the window. Just big enough for tea boxes and mason jars.

Loving the cushion covers. I like your arrangement better too. Laptop on stool in corner works. I used to try to hide my electronics. Still can if I am going to have company which I rarely have. Now a days they are way more acceptable in the living rooms and if it bothers some one else then oh well. LOL

I never realized that little cabinet was a corner cabinet. DOH on me. Makes it even more interesting. They are hard to get to fit in some times. Your far kitchen wall is interesting. I also have my microwave out of the main kitchen space sitting on a little table instead of taller shelf. Your set up is very close to what I have.

It's looking good. Open and airy and bright. I like your fabric choice too. Very nice.

This is coming right along! It looks bigger now and the new cushions really brighten things up.

and yay, for the potential progress on the under stairs drawers.

Wow agmss15, your spoons are terrific. Do you make them with hand tools or machine? I hope you do really well with your business. I hope you are still selling on etsy when I am settled and flush again.

I'd always had couches, and enjoyed stretching them out and taking naps. Then my fiance moved in. My existing couch needed to be replaced, so we went furniture shopping. He was 6 six feet 3, and I'm 4 feet ll. A couch that was comfortable for both of us, so we two recliners.

They were both very comfortable, and I can even nap on them. Fiance didn't work out, but I moved to a small space where a couch wouldn't work. It's perfect for two recliners, though.

Progress report.... not a lot.

But my couch has moved from my living space > porch > my nephew's house. Whew!

I have been wandering around furniture stores plopping down on various chairs and loveseats. Lots of huge big ugly chairs that are super comfy. And trim clean-lined smaller pieces that aren't very comfy. Maybe a small lounge chair?

Visited my carpenter today. He had recently taken rough brown ash boards to finish my understairs project. He had milled the wood - lovely lovely grain for drawer fronts. The drawers are installed. They are huge! I am very excited! I have to buy drawer pulls. I hope he will really get them finished. It has been a wait..

And I am currently obsessing about building some photo ledges or shaker peg and rail shelves. I haven't gotten beyond the design/dream stage yet.

I built a drying rack to fit into my stairwell opening. And I started but haven't completely worked out a wall mount drying rack. I have a washer but no dryer. I want to be able to dry several loads simultaneously in winter months.

This is the one I have. Not sure it is this brand.You can probably find one or make one for less. I bought mine at a thrift store 25 or more years ago. Always used it and still am. Love it. Amazing it could last so long with such hard use. Wall clothes dryer

Wayfair, Overstock and Walmart's websites all have beautiful chairs Under $200! I have one accent chair found on all three and it was only $80 some! :) Check there!

I think something like this would be SO lovely! I found this on Pinterest.

Also I wanted to add how lovely your home is! It looks so open and airy! I love your kitchen, also! I think a big painting would be awesome. I love the fabric choices. Major improvements already! I hope you find some compfy chairs, ASAP! :)