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hjbxvc

How to work around La-Z-Boy recliners and a fire place?

7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago



I have these two recliners that I need to style around. I think I'd like to hang floating shelves where the blue tape is to display photographs, but I cannot figure out how work around these two recliners.

Our style has morphed into a kind of the worn feeling of farm house, but clean, straight lines of mid-century modern. Less is more feel. Browns, blacks, whites, greys, wood, metals, and green plants.

Do these recliners get end tables? What kind? leggy? chunky? stools? color? Another solution?

I need some light in the room? How do I work in light? lamps? or floor lamps? or sconces?

There will be a sideboard under the bay window.

This is the best set up for our living room. We can still see the TV from the couch (La-Z-Boy leather tan/brown), and when we have people over, we can still talk.


And I also don't know what to do for the couch either. End tables? stools? how to work lighting in?


Comments (39)

  • 7 years ago


    Mirrors on both sides of the fireplace would help reflect the light from the window to bring more light in the space. Choose an accent color that you like and bring that in with pillows, drapes and perhaps a brighter rug. Metal tables should be used instead of wood to lighten up the brown furniture. Does the sofa recline? You could add a fun faux fur ottoman in front of the sofa. Will the recliners fit one under the window and one to the right of the sofa?

    hjbxvc thanked Kim KP
  • 7 years ago

    Thanks. I like the idea of lightening up the dark furniture with metal pieces.

    We've turned the room so the couch is along the wall and the two chairs in the bay window area. It's not at all comfortable to watch tv. And while we don't watch TV every night, when we did watch it, it was painful to have our heads cranked to one side.
    We like the alabaster walls. We actually just painted it in December.
    And I really want some family photos on the wall. If I put mirrors there, it'd make it brighter, but it'd eat up a lot of wall space.

    Both recliners and two of the 3 seats on the couch recline, so an ottoman is absolute.

  • 7 years ago

    What would I do with the speakers if I were to put mirrors there? Where do I display family pictures?

  • 7 years ago

    Speakers can go on shefl horizontally pointing up with plant in front of them...also can spray paint speakers to match wall.....would you consider the tv on the wall opposite the window and then sofa opposite it with chairs on either side of TV and floor to ceiling bookshelves and a dramatic picture over the fireplace...it would add color, you could also paint the inside of the book cases in a color from the picture and add throw pillows and lamps with colored lamp shades.....the cable company can rewire the tv onto another wall!

  • 7 years ago

    Could you try putting the sofa on the wall opposite the tv and putting the 2 recliners in front of the fireplace with a table in the middle. I am thinking the recliners are the preferred place to watch tv.

  • 7 years ago

    Can you post pics of the wall opposite the window and another one looking the other way from the fireplace? It helps people here give better advice to see all four walls of the room.

  • 7 years ago

    Some people like to display family photos in the living areas, some prefer to keep them in private areas of the house like hallways and bedrooms. I don’t have any in the living room.

  • 7 years ago

    Here’s a few ideas for your family photos. Do you have another wall in the house you could do something like these on?





  • 7 years ago

    Speakers can go on shefl horizontally pointing up with plant in front of them...also can spray paint speakers to match wall.....would you consider the tv on the wall opposite the window and then sofa opposite it with chairs on either side of TV and floor to ceiling bookshelves and a dramatic picture over the fireplace...it would add color, you could also paint the inside of the book cases in a color from the picture and add throw pillows and lamps with colored lamp shades.....the cable company can rewire the tv onto another wall!

  • 7 years ago

    In this room, there is a table by both chairs. It appears that you have more room for accessories.


    hjbxvc thanked JustDoIt
  • 7 years ago

    That end table will go, it’s just what we have currently.

  • 7 years ago

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  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    This won’t be a formal living room. We have two small babies, so we need floor space. And I definitely want our pictures displayed in public. And the couch reclines so we get best of both worlds. It’s nice having the couch as the main seating as it’s easier to snuggle as a family.

  • 7 years ago

  • 7 years ago

    I like all the suggestions so far. The only thing I would caution is the height of the floating shelves if you do them. Make sure you can easily reach the top shelf for dusting.


  • 7 years ago

    I would like the pictures on the wall where the white table is now, no shelves. Move that recliner forward as someone else suggested. You cannot see the TV from where it is now, anyway. If you make a more cohesive group in the middle you have the room around it for chests beside the fireplace. You have many options to think about now thanks to all the experienced decorators above!



  • 7 years ago

    With the babies in the house you’re not going to want anything with glass so here are examples of metal accent tables. Yes, move the recliners out more and find small tables you like. Your short wall to the right is perfect for a gallery wall of your favorite family photos like the ones I posted earlier.



    hjbxvc thanked Kim KP
  • 7 years ago

    Have you tried putting both recliners together under the window?

  • 7 years ago

    I like these white accents with the brown leather


  • 7 years ago

    Here’s an option for your floating shelves. The trick is to only do one side so it doesn’t seem cluttered Put a piece of art on the other side

    hjbxvc thanked Kim KP
  • 7 years ago

    Yes, the sofa has to stay there. Try a couple of things. One recliner each side of the sofa, pulled in to make a grouping. Or the two recliners facing the window. Can you use that wooden bench in the corner as a coffee table for now. See which set up looks best.

  • 7 years ago

    When I see your picture, all I can think of is, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner."

    I think the issue is the chairs are crammed back too far. Pull them into the "conversational cluster" which is usually 12 to 16 foot square so people can actually converse. That will also give more room for the recliner part to work.

    Then you can put built-ins to the floor if you wish, or maybe some small chests or tables with art above and so on.


  • 7 years ago

    Annie said it better than I was about to. Move those recliners into the room. :)

  • 7 years ago


  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Nice room! I'd rather see some big decorative pieces or art on your walls rather than floating shelves or gallery walls. It is really hard to pull off combining a group of small things so they have a cohesive, attractive impact. Especially in a large, blank space.

    In all the years I have seen pictures of home owner done floating shelves and gallery walls on this site, only a few have been well done. Large items are much more forgiving.

    And I agree about moving the recliners away from the walls. When you pull out the recliners, you will have room on the small wall to put a console table or low long bookshelf. I would display the family photos on the table or book shelf. You can add more art or a large family photo above the table.

  • 7 years ago

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  • 7 years ago

  • 7 years ago

    I like the first best and the last 2 are good as well. What do you think?

  • 7 years ago

    I like #2 because you could get 2 end tables that would serve both ends of sofa and the 2 recliners.

  • 7 years ago

    Agree - 1st and last two are best.

  • 7 years ago

    The first probably best. The last two seem really, really heavy on one side. They don't leave much room to walk on either side. Thanks for the help.

    So if i put cabinet/chest there, do the chairs get end tables?


  • 7 years ago

    You could put end tables with lamps on the outsides of the chairs leaving the view of the fireplace exposed.

  • 7 years ago

    1st is a good conversation set up, but cant see tv from chairs. Number 4, but angle chairs more to tv, if you want to see tv from the chairs. My you have been busy. lol

  • 7 years ago

    I would put your sofa forward of the window wall with a console behind it. Place your TV on the opposite wall. I think your TV is a bit too high above the fireplace for comfortable viewing. Place your two recliners where the sofa is now with an end table between them. Flank the fireplace with two lower cabinets in scale with the space (closed doors) and hang family pictures above them without shelves. It's nice in a primary sitting room to hang art and photos lower.

  • 7 years ago

    The other thing about the placement in the first photo is it looks like it might help shield the corners of the hearth from the little one...