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alox45

60's Corner Fireplace is Throwing off Room Layout - NEED HELP PLEASE!

7 years ago

My significant other and I recently moved into a home built in 1962. We love the 60's charm, but have found it difficult to combine our existing living and dining furniture into one room. Accommodating a TV, TV stand, sofa, love seat, dining table, and floor lamp in a small room is made even more difficult by the location of the corner fireplace (with wooden mantle), sliding glass door, and window.


We've hit a HUGE mental road block trying to figure out a layout that:


1. Will accommodate our furniture (drawn to scale on the attached image)

2. Will alleviate the feeling of being overwhelmed in a relatively smaller room


Marrying the two might be difficult, but looking forward to hearing any layout/furniture suggestions.




Comments (33)

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    Much better, and yet one more reason not to buy love seats! I'd trade that one for two chairs : )

    alox45 thanked JAN MOYER
  • PRO
    7 years ago

    I agree 2 chairs would be a better otion I often just pretend those stupid corner fireplaces just don’t exist , if its gas use it for heat and forget it. I would like to see actual pics of the space though

    alox45 thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
  • 7 years ago

    Hi everyone,

    Thank you for the initial feedback for both layout and furniture.

    Please see the following images of the space. I took a panoramic shot from each corner of the room in order to provide the most accurate point of view.

    Would love to continue to hear your thoughts and opinions.




  • 7 years ago

    Why oh why do architects do that? Makes no sense.


    Do you use the fireplace? I think I would close it up, remove the brick and drywall it.

  • 7 years ago

    In an ideal world someone would add on to make the room larger so the fireplace is in the middle of the wall, not crammed into the corner. Unfortunately, this world is not ideal.

    I'd pretend the fireplace does not exist and make the TV the focal point of the room. It's not your fault whoever put that fireplace where it is was a blithering idiot.

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    That is one awkward fireplace. I thought the same as cyn427 before seeing her comment.

    If removing it is not on option, turn the dining table so it's parallel to the wall. That empty wall will be a great place for a picture gallery. I would paint the fireplace including that long brick thing next to it the same color as the walls to make it disappear as much as possible. If the room is wide enough I'd put the couch or love seat about 4 feet in front of the sliding door so that you can still comfortably go outside and then place the other sofa perpendicular to it, with its back to the dining area. That will visually separate the two areas. Find an area carpet for the living room that is as large as possible for that space. That will visually actually make it appear larger, and also more cozy. I would suggest a colorful pattern since the couches are neutral.

    For the window next to the fireplace hang curtains that are close to the color of the wall. That area is then free for a comfortable chair that has good light for reading. I would use similar drapes for the sliding door that begin well to either side of it so it doesn't obstruct the light. The pole you have there now is not long enough. That way you'll never have to push them up out of the way as they are now.

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Your room is too small for all the things you want to put in it. Not only furniture, but also a traffic path to the sliding doors. I assume your table will have chairs all around it, not just 2 chairs.

    Something has to go and I'd vote for the fireplace. Remove all the stone and the mantle, and re-drywall that wall. If the next buyer really wants a fireplace, removal of the drywall is straightforward.

    My sister removed the fireplace in her main floor family and also the one in her basement family room. The rooms function so much better.

    Otherwise, this is one option.


  • 7 years ago

    Thanks for the continued feedback everyone.

    I agree Partim, the space is too small to accommodate everything we currently have in the room. We're planning on eventually removing the love seat and replacing it with a chair(s) in order to free up some space.

    Good suggestions Ingrid. I like the idea of separating the living and dining spaces. Unfortunately the room is only 13' wide, so not a lot of room to place the sofa in front of the sliding glass door.

    Also, removing the fireplace is not an option, so still not sure what part of the room to place the television stand/television.

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Will you be adding more than 2 chairs to the table?

  • 7 years ago

    Yes. We'll have a total of 4 chairs.

  • 7 years ago

    I disagree that the fireplace is awkward or needs to be plastered over. Why not use the tiny space in front of the FP to read and have a cup of tea. Just put a very small barrel chair and a tiny end table directly in front of the FP and voila! a cozy spot to read. Then design the rest of the room the way you want and forget about the fireplace? It's taken care of. It doesn't need any more consideration. If you don't want to place a seat of some kind in front of it, don't and just allow it to be. It doesn't need to be emphasized or focused on at all.


  • 7 years ago

    So the table can't be against a wall?

  • 7 years ago

    I've been playing around with it and can't see an option that accommodates the table and 4 chairs, unless the table goes by the window. The other arrangement above (diagonal etc) only have 2 chairs at the table, which makes quite a big difference. You can rotate the table, but I can't get your furniture to fit any other way, although it isn't as convenient to the kitchen and you have to walk in front of the TV to reach it.


  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Maybe with 2 chairs on one side of the table? This is like Rawket Girl's earlier suggestions, just adding 2 more chairs.

    Because I think this one looks a bit tight for the pathway between the living and dining areas. You'd have to try it out and see how it feels.

  • 7 years ago

    Thanks Partim for the suggested layouts. I'm going to try a few of these options to get a feel for the layout. Will follow up once I'm done playing Tetris with the furniture.

  • 7 years ago

    Idk! what if you eliminated seating at the ends [as said: push table against wall]... moved loveseat to end instead... as extension of the table? [course allowing a few feet behind for use of door]

  • 7 years ago

    Be bold. Consider putting your dining room table near the fireplace and your living room furnishings on the other end of the room near the cased opening.

    The loveseat would be your room divider as you put your sofa on the wall at the end of the room. Your tv would go on the wall beside the cased opening -- as far away from the heat of the fireplace as possible.

    If you can open up the inside wall of this living room to create a pass through bar from it to the kitchen, consider that.

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Allen Construction: "This plaster is very sturdy, basically cement in this case. There are additives you can include in the plaster mix to make it even stronger, including fly ash, fiberglass, etc. We did not do that to this finish and it has held up very well. We plastered over dry wall...The plaster product is Antico, color is Grey Cloud, 25% darker. Purchased at Surface FX."

    [https://www.houzz.com/photos/las-canoas-remodel-bifold-doors-open-contemporary-living-room-santa-barbara-phvw-vp~857918[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/las-canoas-remodel-bifold-doors-open-contemporary-living-room-santa-barbara-phvw-vp~857918)

  • 7 years ago

    I think Rawket Grl's second rendering is your best option.

  • 7 years ago

    Yes, Rawket Grls 2nd layout looks the most reasonable

  • 7 years ago

    My first thought before reading the comments was to put the dining table down by the fireplace similar to partim's suggestion but with the long side parallel to the window. Place the t.v. stand on the wall where the lamp is now. Have the sofa face the t.v. and put the love seat in an L to the sofa facing the wall with the sliding glass door.

  • 7 years ago

    Even if you get 2 chairs instead of a love seat, the 2 chairs would just replace the love seat. Let us see it as you move things around. (LOL at your "tetris" comment.)

  • PRO
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Partim had it above...... embellished below

    You decorate/arrange for MOST of the time....... four chairs will easiiy go around the table. Float and forget the rest. Go get a big pouf cocktail table, or a round glass top to fight all the rectangles in the room. Get an inexpensive 5 x 7 rug, or a great faux hide rug!

    Snug the table to the wall...... add a great big piece of art or even a mirror !It is what it is. When you can lose the loveseat? Lose it.! And you will lose a " visual wall" : ) You can angle those for conversation and walk right through. Doesn't matter...this is what you have now. And it fits. Just make it work .

    If it is two of you dining MOST of the time......you don't worry on the rest of the time where you might want six. This is why god invented "buffet style". Bottom line is you are both "over " and under furnished. For the moment. lol

  • 7 years ago

    What I dont like about the placement of the FP is that people couldnt really gather around it. And maybe functionality is impaired - half of the heat hits the wall on the left. I would either rebuild it to be a true corner fire place so its facing the center of the room - or replace it with one of those small european contemporary pellet stove - a round one - to fit in the corner and vent into the existing chimney.

  • 7 years ago

    Thanks for the input Jan. Some really good suggestions. Would exactly do you mean by "float and forget the rest" ?

    Here are some images of the layout placing the table parallel to the far wall, sofa and love seat perpendicular to each other, and TV perpendicular to the fireplace.

    Thoughts?



  • 7 years ago

    IMO, the t.v. covers too much of the fireplace and looks awkward. I really do feel the room would function better if you switched the dining and living areas.

  • 7 years ago

    The space next to the fireplace is too small for the TV. Try moving the TV to the opposite corner of the fireplace, under the window. Angle the couch and loveseat, with the couch facing the TV and the loveseat to the right side of the couch. I don't know if this will give your table enough room, though.

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    Get rid of the tv STAND. Get stone off the window wall. Mount the tv over the fire and use a swing out/tilt bracket.At least the room will function......

    You can't take all the upholstery weight to the entry point of the room........unless you STORE OR DITCH the loveseat. In which case you can

  • 7 years ago

    Get a lower tv stand and put it under with window with wide-slat blind/plantation shutter. I don think you have room for a sofa AND a love seat. Keep one, and get a chair.

    that stone column to the left of the fireplace just looks odd. How hard is it to remove?

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Is your camera in panoramic mode? If so, please switch it off. It makes everything look curved, and hard to see proportions.

    That TV is very large for that wall. I like Jan's idea of putting it on an articulating arm. But really everything looks squashed in this arrangement, including the sofa in that barely-big-enough space.

    I'd like to see the other arrangement, with the table by the window. My fireplace is close to my kitchen table and it's very pleasant to eat at the table with the fire on, or sit and read the paper. You'll also have lovely light at the table from the window. Do give it a try.

    Then you will also be able to put curtains around the window. With the sofa there, it is in the way of curtains. And curtains on either side of the sliders. Also you have the TV on a larger wall, and even keep the TV stand if you need it for equipment.