Here are the existing rooms in my house. I love these and don't need to change them. Just want you to get a feel of what I like.

I don't have any suggestions (sorry!) but wanted to say I love your walls of windows - amazing!!!

And also feel your pain -- we have two teens here and have always been flexible about using the various spaces in our house, and it is hard to find places where everyone can watch their own shows / hang out, etc. Our dining room used to be a playroom, and now its got the dining table back in it (but without all its leaves, so its a round table more sized for games), and we stuffed a couch in there - which could go straight to the gong show, design-wise, but totally works in that there's nearly always a kid on that couch. Good luck!

Is this the only tv?

No we have one in the big den also!

You don’t Love the dining set, the kids need a hang out spot and you have a big dining table in the kitchen. So I’d just make this room into a tv room for the kids. Seems like the house and your current life has already decided for you!

Thank you H B!!!! We do love our room with the windows! I would love to see how you put a couch and table in your dining room.

I know auntthelma! You are right I should just do that. I am not sure why I am having trouble pulling the trigger. I think that I also want a table for homework that is the only thing holding me back. That and the fact that I have 12 brothers and sisters and loads of young nieces and nephews that I love to have over!!

You could put a desk on the side in the room instead of a big table.

Love that idea!! I would love if anyone could put pictures up that would help me!

maybe you can push a table against a wall? that is how our kitchen is set up, we pull a couch over from the other wall to put at the table for more seating

https://www.decorpad.com/photo.htm?photoId=140957

It's a shame to lose that pretty dining space, but families do need to create spaces that work best for them. To that end, I would focus on turning this room into a living area by considering the following:

• Hang the TV above the fireplace. I know, I know - some will balk at this idea, but it's a big TV that's taking up floor space and you simply don't have a lot of room to work with. (Some say it's too much neck or eye strain to look up to the TV. Personally, I don't buy this.)
• Add a couple of small sofas or sectional in front of the fireplace (not placed along any of the walls though, but parallel to the windows).
• Remove the dining table and chairs and add a smaller round or rectangular (whichever works best space-wise) table and chairs in the corner near the window. This would go basically behind the seating/TV viewing area, and would become an area to play games or work puzzles.
• Add a small desk and chair to the left of the fireplace where the TV currently resides for doing homework.

You definitely have a number of options.

Yes!!! That is exactly what I was thinking and add chairs in front of it facing the fireplace/TV. I was wondering if anyone could show me a picture with a table against the window (not my table) and chairs in front of it. The backs of the chairs to the table!

I agree with auntthelma. Convert the space into what you use it as, a teen hang-out/homework room. Maybe store the long dining table in the garage for holidays??

OR

Get a long square dining table and put it along the window wall, so it looks more like a desk. Mount the TV over the fireplace on an articulating arm. Then, a narrow couch toward the TV/fireplace.

Just some ideas...

Hope these help!

Yes this helps a ton!! I am going to look for a long narrow table first and put it against the wall then look for a narrow couch. Any ideas of where I might find these?

Following.....

I would definitely turn the room into a lounge. But,would not put the TV above fireplace or in front of the window if any other solution is possible. Can you post a simple sketch of the room or pics of all walls? I am wondering if you can't do low swivel chairs and a small,maybe modular sofa.

Also,just to keep the creative juices flowing.....https://resourcefurniture.com/product-category/transforming-tables-transforming-furniture/ 

I feel like the windows are amazing and the light from the windows should match the vibe of the room. You could lighten this room up, brighten it up! I would love to see a lighter shade of hardwood, and maybe tie in the kitchen with the dining room table

https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/70419264/

https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/S79046038/

https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/S29280972/

I would use the current kitchen table as your formal table as well as it seems quite large (perhaps get a bigger one in the future if the need arises) and completely turn that blue room into the kids area. You can spruce up that space by adding some soft seating and perhaps a nice entertainment stand/center where the TV could go to tie in the room and make it feel warm.

I would do a search for "low profile couches" or "modern couches" (since these tend to have a more narrow profile). Before purchasing anything I would measure the pieces out in the room so you get scale and space planning nailed. That way you aren't left in regret or stuck (again).

....Also, I wouldn't normally suggest putting the TV in front of the window but since you have a room full of windows elsewhere it doesn't feel like a huge loss.

I like what idaclaire said and I would add, the idea of putting a narrow table against the window that have leaves that can make it into a long table for big family dinners. Then you can move the sofa that’s in front of the fireplace/tv set up aside and voila you have an instant dinning room for those special meals. The trick is to find a narrow dinning table with enough leaves to transform it as needed. Of course change you’re lighting, remove the chandelier in favor of a fixture that people will not bump into.

I am on a mission to find a narrow dining table. I think I can do a 30 inch wide one and it would still be fine to eat on. I think that is where I need to start and then definitely move the chandelier!!! I am also on the hunt for a rug and sofa!

How wide are your current tables? 30" is not all that narrow. Have you done an actual furniture plan with walkways and exact measurements? Would some sort of drop leaf or a hidden leaf function better?

Sorry to post twice in your thread,but it sounds like you are going on your table-finding mission without a firm plan. As we see here everyday, that seldom works.

u could put the table across the other way instead of the long way. and then split the room that way with a sofa and a shag rug facing the TV

Hollybar you are right! I am just trying to make a quick fix and it won't work. My current table is 40 inches wide so I just assumed a 30 inch would be a good bit smaller. How narrow do you all think I could go and still be able to seat people if I needed to? I think my Dad could make one for me.

rkrumchak -- I am not brave enough to post a photo out here.... its ugly but functions for us. Couch juts into room awkwardly and is placed in front of a built in buffet (that we don't use, but displays a huge number of built lego models on top of)... the kids lounge on the couch all the time; they sit at the table to work on homework (or more legos)...it works. Also have small format piano in there, and a sideboard.

We have a dining table ... in the family room. Its much easier to extend and we use that when we do sit-down dinners. Also have one lounge chair in there (small footprint) and side storage cabinets that are low with seating on top....we kind of frankensteined our house, LOL. I'd rather the rooms be used, so we have changed it up as our needs shifted. Most of our furniture is MCM-ish, so its easy to move.

Good luck with yours...I'd be sitting in that wonderful room with all the windows!!!

HB you just made me laugh!! I love that you have things pushed all of and covered with legos! That used to be what my house was decorated in and I wish that was what was going on over here some days!! I need to stop over thinking and just make the leap and get a couch. Believe me we do live in the room with the windows all of the time. I think that is what is holding me back from putting a couch out there, I think if I do then we will be always in two separate rooms and I don't love that! They will be off in college so soon that I want us to enjoy all of our time with them instead of pushing them into another room!

I agree with lounge room/sitting room.

Take the leaves out of the table and put it in a corner with just 3-4 chairs.

Arrange living room furniture around the fireplace with a coffee table.

Derek Hurd

Gravitas, Inc.

112 E 33rd St.

Garden City, ID 83714

208.367.1184

www.gravitaslc.com

I found a rug that I Love! I also got the ottomans and a print. I have moved some things around and pulled a sofa in from my office. I am going to put that back but I needed to figure out size wise what to do. Let me know your thoughts! Also I am not opposed to painting anything if I need to like the table or chest that the tv is on.

So, you decided against a teen lounge? Upgrading the room to a formal sitting room is a good choice, but what are you doing about the kids? I can't imagine them and their friends being comfortable in the formal room that this one is.

I don't consider this really formal. They do have the whole den they can hang out in when their friends come over. That's where the xbox is anyway. I was thinking my husband and I could hang out here when the kids have friends over. I don't really have anything formal around or maybe my furniture is but we aren't!

looks good.

It looks great and cozy. Good choices.

Looking good! I would put the ottomans in front of the fireplace for more sitting room, the sofa is a good size. If you can replace the antique chair with a chair that will match or coordinate the sofa/loveseat you’re going to get that would look nice (maybe a charcoal grey). Are you going to paint the walls? Once you get your sofa and chair, to make it cozy, ( the style of the one you have is lovely) you could add a basket for books and some contrasting throws and pillows. But as a base to start you are on a good roll!

a side note..I think the chest is lovely as is, and the buffet and hutch, if there was a way that a finishing carpenter could remove the very top centre crown piece, that would make modernize it and it would fit in nicely.

I think I have it! I I moved some rugs around to get it right. The reason I put the sofa this way is that I don’t want to put the tv on the wall that can be seen from the street. I would have liked to put a very narrow table on the wall but I first of all don’t have one but not sure if it would look too crowded. I put the coffee table there so If the kids want to sit in there and do homework they can. Would you paint that table???