Our media cabinet is 30” tall and the tv is a few inches higher with the feet. We are happy with the height.

My intention was--and is--to choose the sofa and the chairs at the same time. At the beginning of the summer, I was finally tired of going without shades and an area rug. I thought--or hoped--I could choose neutral enough that it wouldn't interfere with choosing the furniture. After I looked at shades and saw that there was not a soft white, I realized I needed to choose the furniture first.

So...order of operations is basically furniture and area rug, then shades. However, I want to consider the color of rug at the same as the furniture, too. In a photo I found and shared here rather recently, I really like the area rug. I'm going to look at broadloom to see if I can find something similar. I'll try to find that photo and post here.

Bottom line is that this isn't one step at a time for me.

I've decided against adding casings to the windows.

I may be able to buy the media cabinet/bookcases first. I'm trying to figure out how wide the bookcases on each end should be, proportionately.

Our tv sits on a sofa table and it is 30 inches too. So that seems to be a good height. 😉

Good decision on casings to windows. It wouldn’t work well. If you want to have a chance at getting these rooms set up by Thanksgiving better make some decisions fast. Hoping deciding on sofa will help move you forward.

Sorry, Flo. I think the sofa takes 13-15 weeks, once ordered. As has been the case all along, I'm not in a hurry. The furniture I have is still in very good condition, so it doesn't matter. I just don't like the sofa, and none of you like my black leather chairs. 😆

I thought you were going to hang the TV on the wall with two art pieces staggered next to it like in the inspiration pics and AI? If keeping it on the cabinet, ours too is 30" and TV is fine.

dsimber, I like your black leather chairs. Just think one is better than two in your space. I still like your living room as shown in this pic. And I won't hound you about window trim but I do think small architectural details add a lot to a room - like this:

maybe just ordering your couch is the first step.....

I like your black leather chairs…but like Lisa, I like the combo of one as accent, and two swivels.

Yes, I agree, Lisalane and Lia. I really like one black leather chair with the two swivels. I was joking, but there were a few people [Lola 😆] who wanted me to replace them. I finally decided I like the idea of swivel chairs! Flo had recommended them almost as soon as I moved here in '21.

Lisalane, I will think about your suggestion regarding trim. But I can't risk buying a sofa, then not finding another shade of that color for my chairs. When designer was here with 15 or more fabrics, there were only two that worked together. Then someone here brought to my attention that the pattern fabric for the chairs was 51% viscose! Back to the drawing board. We have not yet looked at fabrics outside of Sherrill or Wesley Hall, and I was told they have many. When I see a subtle geometric fabric for chairs, we can try it with neutral sofa fabrics until we get the right colors. I've waited this long, and I'm not giving up on that! At least not yet. 😉

I know I could get green or blue fabric for the chairs and find the right undertones in a beige or taupe fabric for the sofa. They would work together in the same room, but that's not what I want. Especially now that I want to keep a black chair in the room, I don't want to introduce another color. It's just not me.

Kcooz, you're right about my plan to hang the tv on the wall with two smaller pieces of art stacked next to it. This was my inspiration for it, and I have not changed my mind.

Edited: As someone pointed out the art on the right is lower than the tv. The question is how high the tv should be (to help determine the height of the cabinet.)

A guide:

Eye level. The old tv in 70's were lower.

Yes, Happy, as shown in that guide, it should be eye level which is the usual recommendation for art, as well. Deciding on height of tv also depends on the tv size, the distance between the tv and the seating [which varies due to placement of furniture in the room] and the resolution of the screen. Not to mention the different heights of people in the family. Kinda crazy thinking about all these variables.

It finally hit me that my choice of stacked art from the inspo pic will not work unless I want a really low cabinet. That seems too modern (MCM) for the decor style want.

With a taller cabinet, my art will need to align with the bottom of the tv. Or it can lean, as in the image below.

I actually like arrangement of this cabinet and bookcase. These shelves do not look cluttered. Notice, too, the empty wall space on each end. It looks proportional to me. Still thinking about where to have the bookcase(s) and how long this cabinet really needs to be. I'd like to order it when I make that stop on my way back to Iowa City tomorrow.

Agree that does not look cluttered because it is almost all books. I like that.

If you order the 84” credenza, will there be room for the Christmas tree in the corner? What was the measurement you taped out on the floor? I would go with that. Or split the difference. After all, it’s custom built.

I like that design. Checks several boxes! Winner and you can make it any total length you want.

Nice design…is this option available? Open shelves add cozy factor and feel lighter.

Thank you, all...Kcooz, Glassy, Flo and Lia! I appreciate the feedback and am happy that there seems to be consensus on the design! I don't know that I can have shelves and doors in one unit; if not, then two it will be. There are times that I prefer asymmetry, and it feels better to me in this case.

Glassy, thank you for mentioning the Christmas tree! I'd not been thinking of that! I need to check the diameter of the one I bought for smaller spaces.

I thought the distance I marked with blue tape was 72", but that can't be right, can it? The console in the photo is 65". I think I added 12" on each end. The wall is 172". Something is not right. I need to re-measure, but I'm not home. 😞

I have an appointment with designer on Monday afternoon. Eager to look at more fabrics!

I think there’s a way you can digitally measure that distance but I’m not sure.

Dsimber, I like the asymmetry of that cabinet as well. Nice that it is not divided into equal thirds with shelves and cabinets. Makes it more interesting and makes the asymmetry work.
Seems you would be fine with anything between six and seven feet. Exciting to be ordering something!

I have measurements of your room. I will check but off hand I think that wall is 14’ long. So even with. 84” cabinet you will have around 3’ at end near window. I am sure you can find a slim tree with width at the base that fits. But let me double check. Bbl

Ok. Here are the numbers. Your wall length is 14’-4”. With an 84” long credenza that leaves about 88”. Divide by 2 and you have 45” open on each side assuming centering the credenza. HOWEVER, the limiting factor is the distance from window corner to the edge of fireplace which is approx 54”. (23.5+29). Your tree last year for there and as I recall it was around 40” at base? So I think you can go 84 if you wish. The “slimmer” trees are from 30”-44” wide at base. I haven’t had my latte yet so recheck my math! lol

Depending on which side you are hanging TV, you can always slide console to the left a bit for the few weeks the tree will be up if needed.

Agree with KC. Christmas only comes for a short time each year (well, except for Flo…!) and you may not want a big gap at the end of the console for the rest of the year. Seems smart to think about the size of that gap and if it would bug you not being filled with something. Don’t know. Just throwing that out for thought…

Good timing as I approach the furniture store! Thanks so much to all!

I'm trying to come down from Alice's thread...

I asked AI to fit the console to your taped out image (with your black/glass cabinet). Just a rough idea of different configurations. A lot might depend on your art and how you hang it. And also whether you hang the TV or not.

closed cabinet:

symmetry with two closed cabinets:

asymmetry with two closed cabinets:

asymmetry with three closed cabinets:

Seeing these photos leads me to want to paint that register cover the wall color. It would help it visually disappear. Great art will help redirect the eye lower too. Dsimber. Who did your day go?

Flo, I was thinking the same. The register just wants to be part of it all…..

How did your day go. Not Who! What’s up with auto correct?

I had an alarm that the trunk was open, but I closed it repeatedly yet couldn’t get it to stop. I called Toyota but service was closed. I was given a couple of suggestions, but nothing worked. The alarm drove me crazy so I drove to Des Moines to get help from OS. The GPS ate up my phone battery and it died, so I couldn’t call him for help or let him know I was coming. He solved the problem immediately but by then it was too late to drive back to the furniture store. Early closing on Saturday. And it’s closed on Sunday! A disastrous day. Very disappointing.

Btw—when I said I was approaching the furniture store, I was traveling in the direction but still hours away! I listened to constant beeping—on-off every second—and it was loud! I changed route to get to Des Moines, but it was four hours of driving with that alarm!

The cover on the cold air return will be painted when the walls are painted.

That is disappointing! And of course it had to happen on a day when you couldn't simply go the next day.

Just a friendly suggestion-next time you are traveling alone like that, make sure you have a phone charger in the car.

Thank you, Lisalane, for showing options for the tv wall cabinet! I think I like the last two best!
Narrow shelves look very nice! I also like the wider version but with only two shelves so more books can stand. Decision to make.

Also, I like your suggestion to move the cabinet to the left in December if more space is needed for the tree. Thanks!

What a bummer dsimber. Amazing you could drive so many hours with the alarm sounding. Major headache…. How did your son fix it?

Dsimber! I don’t know how you did that!!! Tip for the future, take a rechargeable pack with proper cable to charge phone without car hook up with you on any trip over an hour.

So sorry. Seems the universe is trying to tell you something!

Dsimber to help you on the decision of the shelves, do you already have items that are going to go in there and perhaps adding some more in the future? You could measure the height of those it may give you an idea of how you want your shelves spaced in height.

That sounds disastrous. Sometimes if you Google that you can get answers to your question, but you need to be pretty specific. “My Toyota of year XYZ is continuously beeping when it is not. How do I change that?” The suggestion of travelling with a charger is a good one. I have problems with my iPhone losing charge as it’s old. I should get that together as I often travel alone.

Books that are tall can be laid on their side. I like the look of three shelves myself, but if you have specific display items you might want to measure them.

Thanks for suggestions. I thought the built-in magnetic charger kept the phone charged. I didn’t realize my GPS ran through the phone!. This was the longest trip I’d taken since buying the car last year. In the past, I kept a backup battery and charging cord with me. Lesson learned.

I would have pulled off at the first exit to look for a charging card! 🤣

Molly, I would have turned around and gone home because I could never have put up with a car beeping at me for four hours. You must have nerves of steel, Dsimber…

I can’t believe it, either! I think I just wanted to get to the furniture store!

Lisalane, I’m embarrassed to admit what the solution was. I’d assumed I’d unintentionally unlocked the trunk. It was actually the hood. Fortunately, it has a double lock. I must say that I’m worried about my brain. What has happened to my problem-solving skills?

Dsimber i’m glad that it has a double lock on it and that nothing happened. New cars have gotten exponentially more complicated. With all the beeps and signals and then the little tiny icons lighting up that personally I can’t make any sense out of apparently because I can’t even see them clearly…🤪🤦‍♀️

So I don’t think it’s your problem-solving skills… I think it’s the level of complexity that is now over the top.