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Help me marry my modern gray sofa to my transitional-ish living room

5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago

I let my husband convince me that a 10-foot-long contemporary charcoal sofa is just the thing we need for our living room. Now that it's here, something seems ... off. Husband took one look at the room,

and is now conspicuously absent, which confirms my impression that something is off. Returning is not an option, so I am hoping I could get some advice on how to get the sofa to play a little better with the other furniture in my room - including my particular concerns:

1. The sofa seems very long. Would a large rectangular coffee table help with the proportions? And if so, do you think I can get away with using the same style as the side table? I love that style, and really hope I don't have to go with something more contemporary, but not sure if it goes with the gray sofa.

2. Until I find a couple of club chairs, I am going to hold on to the ivory love seat you see in the photos. What can I do to integrate the sofa and love seat better a little bit? Right now, they seem to really clash.

3. Be honest - is that sofa way too large for the room, and should I just sell on craigslist and start anew? The room itself is pretty long - 27 x 13 or so.

Any other ideas? Thoughts? Suggestions?







Comments (50)

  • 5 years ago

    We need to see the entire room. Post pictures here in the comments section of the other walls in the room. Also a floor plan with dimensions and where the windows and doorways are located.


    I would decide on a rug before purchasing anymore furniture. The rug should be at least 2 feet longer than the width of the soda. So you should probably look at 9x12 rugs

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Hi... good the window is long... and how much is it longer than the sofa? Room seems nice style: branchy curtains and outdoor art. Straight lines also in end table, yesz?

  • 5 years ago

    Quick grab of table that adds interest with its 3 sections -

    Modern Basics Rectangular Cocktail Table by Hammary, Textured Bronze · More Info

    https://www.houzz.com/products/modern-basics-rectangular-cocktail-table-by-hammary-textured-bronze-prvw-vr~91160839

  • 5 years ago

    Wood with interest, and nice over a rug. Driftwood-greyish for your chair, etc... paint color is?

    W 63" / D 35.5" / H 17.75" / 267 lbs.


    Blue Stone Coffee Table · More Info



    40" Square Teak Coffee Table · More Info



    Eleanor Woolsey thanked everdebz
  • PRO
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I personally love what you have going on here- the sofas elevate your look. I would like to see an area rug to ground the sofas. Maybe a woven w gray & white pattern. Coffee tables- what if you used 2 round tables, not necessarily matching. Maybe a marble & metal w a washed wood.

    Eleanor Woolsey thanked Color Zen
  • 5 years ago

    Here are some more pics of the room. There is only one door, two windows on each short side of the rectangle, and one large bay on the long side. The bay window is about 130 inches long. The room is 27x13. There is a TV stand across the bay (we eventually need to find something a little jazzier than the one we have now)







  • 5 years ago

    The RH outlet near me currently has a coffee table matching the side table I already have. Would it be overkill to use it? It's 67" by 43" or so. Or does that style not go with the sofa?


  • 5 years ago

    following

    Eleanor Woolsey thanked njmomma
  • 5 years ago

    following

  • 5 years ago

    I really like your sofa as well and don't think it is too long.

    Eleanor Woolsey thanked Jeanne Seefus
  • 5 years ago

    I like it too. Fortunately your room is large enough to carry it off.

    I think you're off to a great start.

    Eleanor Woolsey thanked User
  • PRO
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I like the all the furniture….different, not matchy matchy. The room will have a personality of its own.

    Pull the sofa out of the bay window. It will give room for a sofa table and lamps behind it.

    Move the piano to the opposite wall (it and the console/tv are too much for one wall to carry).

    Bring the chairs up to seating area, facing and lined up with the love seat.

    You want coffee table(s) to served all the pieces. Easy way is to do two rectangular tables.



    Rug…sized so at least all front feet of furniture are on it.

    You need fuller and more distinctive draperies with all the colors. I particularly like the horizontal stripe as it is a flexible look when trying to marry different styles.

    Rug and drapes fro Pottery Barn…I like the rug with the floor, too.





    Eleanor Woolsey thanked JudyG Designs
  • 5 years ago

    I think you’ve got the beginnings of a beautiful room there. Others have mentioned a rug; you seem (I dare say) overly concerned about the right coffee table—almost anything, whether it match your existing end table (which is rather neutral) or not will be fine. I’d love to see fuller drapes or at least fluff out what you’ve got. I’d also put a small, round table between the two chairs at the end (like a library setting). And legs under the IKEA tv cabinet will class it up instantly.

    Eleanor Woolsey thanked jpp221
  • 5 years ago

    Looks super to me.

    Eleanor Woolsey thanked Yayagal
  • 5 years ago

    Pretty room! If you’re stuck with the smaller sofa for now, what about adding some throw pillows with gray & cream to tie them together? Look for a rug w/ the same colors & maybe add a blue (from your art) as an accent color. I think you should add a table between the chairs (or just move the one at the end of your long sofa) & pull them closer to the conversation area.

    Eleanor Woolsey thanked PN _Bos
  • 5 years ago

    I agree with all the comments above - just want to add that you need to consider the seat height of the sofa when purchasing a coffee table. Since the sofa is low, you need the coffee table to be fairly low also.

    Eleanor Woolsey thanked calidesign
  • 5 years ago

    Yay! Love all of these ideas! So it sounds like the gray sofa is a keeper; and I’ll play around with some other stuff. I’ll update with some pics.

  • 5 years ago

    I really like your room. Will probably echo what others have said but I like the love seat and couch together....get two or three pillows to tie them together colorwise and a throw. I like your curtains but they should be fuller and put some on the sides of the bay window also. Striaghten out your two chairs on the end wall and put a table and lamp between them...maybe a few inches out from the wall. A coffee table matching your end table would look good but as long as it is the same color of wood, I think you will be fine. I would not put two coffee tables there...unless they are small square ones and then two would be fine. You need another lamp and table between the couches and then look for a rug if you want one. Your wood floors are beautiful. Eventually a longer, lower TV console would be perfect.

    Eleanor Woolsey thanked erinsean
  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Eleanor, the chairs look like dining room chairs, imo. I would get a couple of chairs to go with the couch.

    Eleanor Woolsey thanked ashtonchic
  • 5 years ago

    Pull 2 chairs out also, and include them in the converation group - could the end table have a good scale between them? after all, the "sofa wall" is long already?! then coffee table take care of others. Lumbar pillow on chair?

    Nikki Chu by Jaipur Living Chareau Black/Pink Geometric Poly Throw Pillow 16x24" · More Info

    https://www.houzz.com/product/94494842-nikki-chu-by-jaipur-living-chareau-black-pink-geometric-poly-throw-pillow-16x24

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    An idea for regular size of pillow, but with texture... sea color? contemporary too?

    Ruffle Square Pillow CW-050 - 18" x 18" · More Info




    https://www.houzz.com/products/ruffle-square-pillow-cw-050-18-x-18-prvw-vr~19518771

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Irregular pattern? nice neutrals that might bridge sofa and ivory -

    Kaleen Global Inspirations Collection Rug, 9'x12' · More Info


    https://www.houzz.com/products/kaleen-global-inspirations-collection-rug-9x12-prvw-vr~23993675

  • 5 years ago


    "Pastel Julep II" Floating Frame Canvas Art, 26"x38"x1.75" · More Info


  • 5 years ago

    Your piano would be a lot easier to play if you put it here....


  • PRO
    5 years ago

    shwshw, unfortunately, the piano in a room impacts furniture arrangement. It can’t be exposed to sunlight, or be nears heat vents and windows.

  • 5 years ago

    Thank Judy. Clearly I know nothing about pianos, lol. To me it just looks like a big box.

  • PRO
    5 years ago

    I like the 10' sofa for this room.......yep it's unusual, but it fits and it's a showstopper.


    Turns out your sofa is a warm gray and so many gray rugs are not complementary. Combine that with the yellowish tone of the loveseat and that creates another hurdle to get over in selecting a rug. Rugs with too much white don't seem to work as well.





    I am very fond of this rug above with the tribal pattern and interesting color combinations for this room.

    Eleanor Woolsey thanked BeverlyFLADeziner
  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Enough lines are long: room itself, sofa, that I'd try this -- loveseat at other end of sofa and either a desk or slatted table. Making more lines going the other way - to see the positioning:

    My Houzz: Modern and Moody Nostalgia in Salt Lake City · More Info


  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Vary the straight lines throughout the room with this - not with very patterned rug. When you put 2 together [see their photo] there'd be interesting flow/ almost curves.

    Riverside Furniture Lyric Hexagon Cocktail Table · More Info


    https://www.houzz.com/product/56709840-riverside-furniture-lyric-hexagon-cocktail-table

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Couple small updates per everyone’s suggestions: added a couple cream pillows, a coffee table (which is so massive it totally makes the sofa look proportional) and brought in a chair that matches the loveseat (and ditched the two chairs that had been in the corners). i think it’s a huge improvement. Thanks for your suggestions everybody!





  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Nice. Seems the coffee table like the end table, which you had considered.

    Mohawk Home Huxley 8'x10' Rug, Adobe · More Info


    https://www.houzz.com/products/adobe-multi-rug-8x10-prvw-vr~54718705

  • 5 years ago

    This introduces blue -https://www.houzz.com/products/cool-abstraction-multi-rug-5x8-prvw-vr~54718248

    Cool Abstraction Multi Rug, 5'x8' · More Info


    Eleanor Woolsey thanked everdebz
  • 5 years ago

    Lookin good! Drapes? A couple more pillows?

    Eleanor Woolsey thanked ashtonchic
  • 5 years ago

    Great additions. I would put a floor lamp on one side of the sofa and a table lamp on the end table. Lighting is very important to warm up the room. You can try your pottery on the coffee table instead, with a shorter green plant.

    Eleanor Woolsey thanked calidesign
  • PRO
    5 years ago

    Lovely looking room. I like coffee table, good size!

    Chappel rug is from Wayfair and Amazon




  • PRO
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago



    Kavitha rug is from Overstock



  • PRO
    Eleanor Woolsey thanked Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Calidesign, I’m actually thinking of making the pottery into a table lamp. Apparently there are kits to do this!

  • 5 years ago

    Everdebz, thanks for the idea to put another chair opposite the loveseat. Really balances out that room!

  • 5 years ago

    Celerygirl, love that last rug!

  • 5 years ago

    Looks good! Has your husband come back ? Lol

  • 5 years ago

    I would definitely still add an area rug but not curtains as others have suggested. That's a beautiful bay window and unless you have privacy issues, which it seems like you don't based on the greenery in the back, curtains would really take away from the window.

  • 5 years ago

    I'm pretty sure the real reason (as opposed to it just being about my superior tastes, lol) that the mister defers questions on all decor and furnishing matters to me, is so he won't have to disappear for an undetermined length of time like the OP's husband. ;)

    The rug thing has always been a bit confusing to me when the house has what looks like lovely hardwood flooring - rugs cover that up! Unless it's a basement, in which case I totally get wanting to be able to use the space during the winter and not freezing in the process, therefore a rug if not carpet is needed. I can't tell if the curtains are sheers? Honestly I'm more of a 'put blinds up' for windows kind of gal, if the windows require covering for privacy (don't want to give the neighbors a show or anything, lol). Window coverings also help protect darker upholstery from fading due to sun exposure, and to a lesser extent the same goes for noticeable fade and discoloration of lighter colors. Everyone loves a room with lots of big windows providing natural light, all I can think of is what their utility bills during the summer must be like and that they probably don't have a sapphire blue velvet sofa they're anxious to keep from fading and vacuum religiously despite the utilization of a throw blanket strategy to win the war against dog fur.

  • 5 years ago

    You guys are cracking me up! ** No husbands were harmed during the making of this living room.

  • 5 years ago

    ...I dunno, I feel like maybe we should ask for 'proof of life' in terms of OP's husband. Although I suppose she could provide that even if she's relegated him to living in a shed out in the backyard until he properly repents of his home decor/furnishing meddling sin. ;)

  • PRO
    5 years ago

    The last Cardiff rug is from Room and board


    Eleanor Woolsey thanked Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
  • 5 years ago

    Lol! If I didn’t kill my husband when he said my decorating style reminds him of a dorm room, I think I can handle a little meddling ;)