Need advice

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

I am a first-time home owner and a 42-year-old life-long bachelor. I own a 2500 square foot house and I want to begin by furnishing one of the two living rooms. I have almost no furniture except a spinet piano, a lazy boy chair, a 6-foot desk, a 55” flat screen TV, and my king size bed. I also possess thousands of books (I am a college professor).
I do not wish to make a structural changes flooring changes, paint or anything like that at this time, just furnishings. Something to make the living room functional and an awesome place in which I can entertain. I am more of a minimalist and like lots of open space, but I do see the need for some furniture. I do not host cocktail parties or reading groups. When I have anyone over it is usually one or two people at a time.
I would like recommendations on what kind of professional I should be hiring for this job. Is it an interior decorator? An interior designer? I am also looking for someone to help me one room at a time –the first room is this room. The room is roughly 23 feet by 13 feet with entrances into the front foyer and the kitchen.
I have set aside about $3000 to get started, but I am happy to allocate more (though not much more). I really have no idea how much this sort of thing will cost. I have been to furniture stores and have seen a wide range of prices and pieces…but I have no idea where to begin.
So, wise readers, how would you proceed?

Featured Answer

shirlpp

9 years ago

What are you going to use this room for? It looks like a dining room/living room combination? Is the piano staying in this room? Are you putting your TV in this room?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

apple_pie_order
9 years ago
For $3000, you can easily furnish three rooms with new Ikea or Target furniture. https://www.myfirstapartment.com/2013/11/dollar-for-dollar-furnishing-your-apartment-at-ikea-vs-target-vs-pottery-barn/

You might enjoy reading this article on popular Ikea choices since I see you already have one of the items mentioned "The 18 IKEA Products Found In Every First Apartment"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2016/07/18/ikea-products-every-first-apartment_n_5530458.html

If you want to take a slower approach and spend more per item, that will probably work out well for you. Your current budget will enable you to work with a store designer, but not to hire an independent designer (in my area) You could look for a design student willing to work for a small fee to develop a portfolio.

Since you have a Lazy Boy recliner, start by shopping for a comfortable sofa at Lazy Boy. You'll see what you get in their lowest price sofas and work your way on up.
Related Professionals
Tyler Interior Designers & Decorators · Danville Interior Designers & Decorators · South Sioux City Interior Designers & Decorators · Bennington Interior Designers & Decorators · Longview Interior Designers & Decorators · Decatur Architects & Building Designers · Lake City Architects & Building Designers · Emporia Architects & Building Designers · Winston-Salem Architects & Building Designers · Lawton Architects & Building Designers · Norfolk Architects & Building Designers · Roanoke Architects & Building Designers · Flint Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Carlsbad Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Butte Kitchen & Bathroom Designers
Kim
9 years ago
Can you provide more photos? Maybe showing the view from the wall with the artwork leaning against it and another from the piano toward the chandelier.
Geisler Will
Original Author
9 years ago
This is from the wall with the artwork.
Geisler Will
Original Author
9 years ago
This room would be mostly for entertainment and to show off my library and other travel items obtained around the world.
Janie Gibbs-BRING SOPHIE BACK
9 years ago
How high are your ceilings?
Geisler Will
Original Author
9 years ago
25 feet or so.
Kim
9 years ago
My first thought was to replace your upright with a baby grand and put it in the dining area under a new chandelier facing toward the open space, but that might taker your whole budget. : )

Is the $3000 for just this room or the whole house? What type of design interests you...traditional, modern, industrial, etc? What colors do you like or not like? You can add photos to your ideabook on Houzz to help us understand what vibe you want to give your home. If you want to hire a professional, I think an interior decorator is what you are looking for, since you are not interested in structural changes.

If you're not planning to put a dining table under the chandelier, I think that area would make a cozy reading nook and would allow you to free up the rest of the room for bookshelves and places to highlight your travel items. You probably want to get new curtains, something simple like cotton or linen.

So, here's a minimalist corner sectional for under the chandelier or you could put a small table with a couple of chairs there...

You could have a wall of bookshelves with a ladder for your high ceilings and just a simple leather chair or a sofa, ottoman and rug or you could just throw a few floor pillows in front of the bookshelves...

I really like this chair from World Market. I've sat in it and it's super comfortable and bouncy. : )
shirlpp
9 years ago
You do not have anything in your ideabook, so guessing:

Newport Beach Residence · More Info
katinparadise
9 years ago
Your space is very similar to mine with an L shaped dining/living room as mentioned. $3000 is a start and if you shop smartly, you can cover a lot of your basic needs with it. If you don't plan to use your dining area for dining, you can turn that into a library of sorts and use the front of the space for sofa, t.v. entertainment center and chairs. Do you have a floor plan or can you draw one up and upload it?