I’m not a pro but this house needs some color. Consider that when looking at couches, chairs and console tables.

Thank you. The color is from a paint app so it definitely looks dull/gray. The color of the walls will be smokestack by Behr. We plan to add different shades of green/sage throughout with wood details.

Big ping pong table in the middle of the room!

Thank you for your suggestion

We need a floorplan that shows how this room relates to the other rooms surrounding it, where doorways and windows are and dimensions. Then post 4 pictures - one from each side of the room.

The next thing we need to understand is what is missing. What needs are not being met in your current setup. Do you need a place to build puzzles, sew, work on crafts, do you need the separate dining area? Do you need a music room or library or office. Do you need two rooms where you can watch TV - one for the kids, one for adults. This room may not be the perfect space for an office or craft room, but may be able to be used as the dining room and the dining area could become the room that fixes your home, but if we don't know what is missing, what functionality you need, we can't really help you.

Thank you, I did post two photos and added where everything was at in the description. I also added what the surrounding rooms were used for in the description. Next post I’ll be sure to add more photos from all angles. The house is kind of in shambles right now which is why I didn’t add more photos. I’m not sure exactly what I want to use this space for but leaning towards a living room with the fire place being the focal point. The other living space is on the other side of the open fire place. Having a tv in both spaces will clash with the open floor plan.

I know you wrote everything in the description, but a 2d floorplan is what we need to really understand the dimensions and traffic flow.

Please don't start a new post. Just add the photos to this post in the comments.

Okay. Working on it now 😁

Here are a couple of more photos. We are having our floors done (I edited them into the photo). They are more warm than showing in the edited photo. We are having the interior painted. We are replacing all the doors, floor boards and framing. I’m open to all ideas

The furniture is not staying. I pulled out old furniture I had in my garage to play with the layout.

These are from the other side of the fire place. This is what you see when you walk in the front door. Our master bedroom is off to the left of the photo, along with our laundry room and garage

And this is the view when I am standing to the left of the fire place.

I would probably switch the two living spaces and make the one by the kitchen the TV family room and then have the one near the front door a living dining room combo.

Thank you. Any suggestions for the layout of both rooms?

No suggestions for layout but the dark beams paired with the floors are too many stripes for me.

I would paint the beams the white of the ceiling. Get a large light colored rug to diminish the impact of the floors.

Here is a very rough sketch of my concept but I think the room seems much brighter and less busy.

Thank you so much. I do feel like a large area rug will brighten up the space.

What are you looking for in terms of function? Do you need two living areas? I could make suggestions that would be aesthetically pleasing but it needs to work for you and your family.

I second the idea of flipping the living spaces (If you decide to keep both) personally I would prefer having my family room off the kitchen. I prefer walking in to a more formal space with all the mess of the lived in family room at the back of the house., not the first thing guests see when entering.

Let us know more of what you want to get out of this. Maybe even post some pictures of spaces you like. It’s a nice large space and has lots of potential. You will get there.

Hi, we are a large family, six kids and two adults. The kids are getting older, preteen and teenage years so we do not need a play room. The teenagers are mostly in their bedrooms or out with friends. Dinner is when we all come together. I cook pretty much daily and we sit around the table and have dinner together. I had turned the space in front of the kitchen into a big open dining room but it was too much waisted space.
I am open to all ideas. We have used both spaces as living rooms before. When we had two living rooms we did have the formal living room by the front door and the family room by the kitchen.
I’m really looking for the space to feel comfortable, warm and inviting. Other than that I’m lost as to what direction I want to go in.

The only thing we are set on is our flooring. The paint we want taupes and greens but not set on an exact color. The doors and base boards will be replaced also. We do love the beans so those will stay but we could change the color.

To really help you we still need to know measurements of the rooms. The photos are at odd angles, which makes guessing sizes and placement of windows and doors really difficult.

I am guessing that you don't know how to draw a floorplan, so I have tried to get this drawn by looking at the pictures. Please post the measurements A through T drawn below and I can adjust the drawing for you.

No I don’t know how to draw a floor plan. I’m just an average person asking for advice on furniture placement. I don’t work in design or construction.

The floor plan looks great. The rooms are the same length. You can see the back door from the front door. Everything else looks spot on. Thanks for creating it for me.
I will try to take measurements when I get home from work. My measuring tape does not go the full length of the room, but I’ll do my best to work it out.

@Melissa Wade - not to worry - none of us were born knowing how to do these things. We live and learn.

Oh I’m learning a lot 🤣. The painter is supposed to be here soon. I’ll take measurements after he leaves.

Okay I got the measurements to the best of my abilities.

You’re not asking, but the flooring looks like a very bossy patchwork, and I think it will be very hard to work with. Do you want your floors to be the “star”? They seem to command attention- but perhaps that’s intentional. I’m not a pro.

I love the flooring we choose. I like dimension and contrast. I work for a travertine paver company and see different material all day. I don’t want something that will feel flat.

Can you verify the two measurements in red. I think I have something pretty close to accurate:

You are amazing Jennifer. Thank you so much for this. Yea I will verify when I get off of work.

Jennifer I have checked the measurements. I measured the fire place wall instead of at the base originally. The base is 4ft, it has a little brick ledge that’s wider than the chimney. Hopefully that makes sense

And the fire place is 7ft long

We were originally going to paint the fire place green. Now I am considering doing the doors and cabinets. Thoughts?
The house will be a light taupe color. We have found our perfect shades yet.

I updated your floorplan and had an idea of what I might do with the space. . .

WIth your furniture

Blank - no furniture

Idea on what I might do if it were my home:

I really don't care for the sofa being stuck in the window opening (Recognize that it probably needed to get shoved into the window opening to give enough clearance in front of the fireplace.)

I would want a sitting area in front of the fireplace that was more the formal meet and greet space or quiet reading in front of the fireplace.

You can set the tone for the entire home with this space

I would want to get a 4 seat sofa with chaise for in front of the TV and two barrel swivel chairs as additional seating.

I would move the dining room to the space by the kitchen and add some storage along the wall.

Not just a row of cabinets, but something with some interest. Lower cabinets or drawers for storage and open shelving above with different heights and widths. Maybe some taller cabinets depending on your storage needs.

I would remove at least one of the counter stools, maybe two. I like to have one counter stool in case I am doing prep work and want to sit or if I have someone who is talking to me while I cook.

I have recently come across this website and like that they share hundreds of design photos that can provide you with ideas.

https://www.designcafe.com/interior-design/

Thank you so much. These are great ideas. I’m so appreciative of all of this I know it takes a lot of time to do.

I love the way you used the space by the fire place for the couch. I never would have thought of that.

When I build a color pallet for a home I start with what must stay (flooring, kitchen cabinets, countertops, anything that the owner does not want to change or can't afford to change.)

The second thing I search for is the colors that make the owner's heart sing.

Below are some colors that can expain this:

The top row are colors I love

The middle row are colors my sister loves and

The 3rd row are colors my sister in law loves.

The colors that work in my home with the things I am likely to buy (art, décor, blankets, bedding, upholstered furniture) would not look good with the same wall color as the things either my sister or sister in law are likely to buy.

Once I have the things that must stay and the colors that the owner loves we can find a neutral for the space that works with the things that must stay and will be a beautiful backdrop for the colors that will be added.

Your flooring would work best with my colors, but can work with my sister-in-laws colors. It would be hard to get that flooring to work with the fall golds and greens and orange reds that my sister loves.

Your flooring would be great with many greens, blues, purples and reds, not so much with yellow, orange or yellow greens.

I do need to know the color families we will be working with before picking flooring, counters, cabinets, furniture and area rugs so we are within the planned palette, but I don't pick our the wall color until I have the other decisions made because the colors you can get are limited. If you pick a green for the walls and can't find an area rug to match you are in trouble. If you pick the area rug first you can have the wall color matched to the area rug.

I am drawn to different shades of greens, and taupes. I do like blue also but prefer more of a green blue. I have held up green paint samples to my flooring and loved the combo. I also love taupe and creams with the flooring.

These types of colors are colors I’ve always been drawn to.

Not sure what is going on with Houzz - I can't see the posts that I know were here earlier - only posts by me or the OP are showing.

@Melissa Wade - I am not a designer and there are better people on the Houzz board for ideas on furniture placement that may want to chime in now that we have the room dimensions.

@BeverlyFLADeziner

@Patricia Colwell Consulting

@Diana Bier Interiors, LLC

@JAN MOYER

Oh that would be great. I would be so appreciative of all and any advise.

*advice