Room layout challenge.

last month

My main living room is long and narrow with a fireplace feature right in the center. There are two entrances to this room and no matter what I do I can’t seem to lay it out so that I can enjoy the fireplace and have a TV at the same time. There was no room above the fireplace with the TV because of the low ceiling height being only 7’5”. I will be painting the bay window white to match the other one. So I would love any input and ideas on laying out the room to achieve not having the TV in front of a window as well as perhaps painting the wall above the fireplace a darker color to help eliminate the squatty feel of the room because of the wide expanse of brick. I am open to painting the brick white, but it’s that clinker brick so it’s really lumpy and I’m not sure if that’ll make for a bad aesthetic. I am open to any and all suggestions! The real challenge is the room layout. Thanks so much!

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PRO

Design Interior South

last month

last modified: last month

The sectional is not right for the room.

But first is there wood under that carpeting? For a home that age there should be and if there is and its salvagable I would pull the carpet.

The natural place for the TV is to the right of the fireplace on the built in cabinet. Pull out the shelving and mount the tv on the wall above the lower cabinets on an articulating arm so it can be angled when viewing.

As far as floor planning I would do the following.

A standard sofa which you can center towards the FP or place slightly off center towards the now placed TV . A pair of smaller scale swivel chairs with a small scale pedestal table between. Think game or puzzle place. Or occasional seating at opposite end of TV. Near TV a nice comfy swivel that you can turn to your conversation area or towards the TV. You have space to put in a console or sofa table on the wall with a mirror and lamps. The mirror will help create some depth on the narrow room. Additionally place a mirror above the fireplace for the same reason. Fill in your large expanse of wall between the doorways with art work. Large scale or a great place for a gallery wall full of interesting art. Dress all windows with drapery panels mounted outside to bring the unproportioned length of the room in. This space is screaming cottage and I would choose the pieces based off this. It would be charming.

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Comments (8)

Bellgirl
Original Author
last month
I’m looking at the post and it seems to have loaded weird. I’m hoping all the pictures come over but I will post more right here just in case.
Kendrah
last month
- How many people live here and do you want to seat in this room?

- "Enjoy the fireplace." Do you use the fireplace or by enjoy do you mean just being able to look at it?

- Are able to purchase new furniture or are you limited to the particular sofa?

I'd put the TV hung on the stair wall, at eye level, with no cabinet beneath it. The current set up is making your short ceilings appear even lower. Hang it on an articulating arm so you can angle it towards the sofa if desired.

Float two swivel chairs in the room. (You could also float a medium sized sofa here instead.)

Create a secondary space at the bay window side of the room. This could be a separate area for reading. Or maybe you add a table here for working, hobbies, extra place to eat.

I have a living room your same size with a number of limitations. Floating furniture and making two spaces really helps.

If you can't afford new furniture, consider looking on Facebook market place or craiglists for a sofa that will work better than your current one.
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Lyn Nielson
last month
I agree with painting above the fireplace a dark color to unify the brick on the fireplace.

I would paint the hutch the same dark color, and put your TV on the hutch cabinet, and get rid of the cabinet it is sitting on now.

SW Polished Mahogany or a color in the bricks you love

I would paint the whole room, including the trim, a lighter version of your carpet.

I know you aren't going to give up your sectional, so minimize the contrasts in the room so it appears less crowded. Spin it to face the Fireplace and TV.
Renee
last month
Alternate plan: great room becomes combo living room/dining room with a small TV, turn dining room into a TV room with the giant TV.
Bellgirl
Original Author
last month
Thank you for the great ideas! The furniture is definetly all going to go including the large tv. Also I will be pulling out the carpeting and if there’s not hardwood floor underneath, I will be putting hardwood floor down . I should’ve mentioned that in the post.

Anyone think the faux beams should be taken down too? I’m not sure if they give the illusion of a taller room what if it exaggerates the army low height?
Bellgirl
Original Author
last month
if it exaggerates the already low*
wsea
last month
I like renees idea of turning that room into a dining room with a small seating area but id keep no tv there and use the dining rom as the tv room.