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sjgranholm

Narrow Long Room Help

last month
last modified: last month

I’m completely stuck on how to make this room work for entertaining. I want the layout to feel comfortable and social with plenty of seating, but I’m not sure how to pull it together. The room is really long and narrow. Photo for reference - it shows some built ins on the top but that hasn't been put in yet and I'm not sure whether it should.

Hi everyone — thanks for your patience, I’m still new to this. I’m attaching an updated sketch based on the actual measurements I took when I got home from work. The earlier rendering wasn’t accurate because the opening to the kitchen had to be narrower due to plumbing.

My goal is to turn this room into a living room. A TV would be nice to have, but the space will primarily be used for entertaining guests. For reference, the front entrance to the room comes in from the foyer, and the larger opening connects to the kitchen.



Comments (15)

  • PRO
    last month

    ??

    It's eleven something by 20 SOMETHING and the dimensions can not be discerned without a microscope.

    The " Built in " end is off the kitchen? The other off a foyer? It's part of a reno, and not a new build?

    " I want plenty of seating......."

    For dining? For HOW MANY? A sitting area? For how many?

    See? Not enough context, post the dimensions boldly,each solid wall, and window sizes separately for this area. Add more information and come back. Show the whole to include the kitchen and all other: )

    Sahar Granholm thanked JAN MOYER
  • PRO
    last month

    The room isn't even 12 ft wide.

    With this arrangement you could change out the sofa and chair to sofa/chaise.



  • PRO
    last month
    last modified: last month

    I need actual measurements how can you hope to get help without measurements and a lot more info Entertain who , how , seating with TV, dining ???? I see no benefit to going sofa with chaise together but who knows

    Sahar Granholm thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
  • last month

    Sorry Patricia - I'm new to this but I just uploaded a new sketch of measurements that I took. Goal is to make it into a living room, no need for dining in this space

  • last month

    Beverly - do I have enough clearance to float furniture in your rendering without impacting the path of travel....I feel like its too narrow to do that

  • PRO
    last month
    last modified: last month

    I used an 8x10 rug and left about 3 feet of walking space. Keep in mind all the furnishings should be scaled for an apartment with no sofa deeper then 36" and no bulky arms, but there are some suppliers out there that offer chic furnishings which are scaled for smaller living.

    I don't see any way else to set up the furnishings. If you place them against the wall they don't work with the fireplace. Are you planning on adding a TV to the room?

  • PRO
    last month
    last modified: last month

    I often find those long spaces are best when you think 2 seating areas that have pieces that can move easily when you have a crowd So I would do a sifa facing the TV in one space with a couple of chairs that swivel to face eithe space then the other space 2 sofas facing eachother with a nice coffee table in btween and no sectional ever IMO 25' is a long space to fill I would rather have more seating than having all the furniture in the center of the space and wasted space all aound. My last LR was 15 x25 and had 2 smaller scaled sofas and 4 chairs and a bench that was used to sepeate the 2 seating areas .We often had 12 for dinner so all those seats got used but when we aere just 2 of us the space still worked We did not have aTV but we did have ahuge FP this is the same space just set up diffeently The pieces we had allowed me to change up the layout anytime



  • PRO
  • last month

    Tricky space. This is one where I would lay cardboard out or is painters tape to put things on the ground and visualize it. Also you’ve shared more than one dimension for width and depth so that concerns me too.

  • PRO
    last month
    last modified: last month

    The "off" dimensions of 2" in depth matter little, ( yup it's narrow ) even the length 25" vs 24.5 matter not much, and the passage to kitchen is either 72" or it is the 54" inches as her sketch: )

    Point is, narrow 36" foyer entry to kitchen is a cut THROUGH to kitchen entry, and thus a traffic path. We aren't seeing the whole of the remodel, an entire living floor. Is there another route, as it would change the opportunities, perhaps,

    As is, I'm not one for wasting miles of tape. ....but

    if it's hard to visualize 2 dimensions.... certainly go ahead and tape away. It's all still flat on the floor.





  • last month

    Then don’t waste tape Jan. Some people need to visually see things in the space to get a sense of it. Nothing wrong with an additional idea on how to make sure you get/use furniture that works well for the space.

  • last month

    This set up is very common in old city row houses. You will find a lot of inspiration if you google narrow brownstone living rooms in Brooklyn, Philly, and South End. There are a lot of options but it depends on:


    1. Whether you want one seating area or two. What do you want?


    2. Are you cool with ignoring the fireplace as a gathering point?


    No to the built-ins. That is a sold wall against which you could place seating. Don't limit yourself more than you already have.


    Here is one suggestion for TV at the far end of the room. You can then have a smaller seating area in the front.






  • last month
    last modified: last month

    @Kendrah’s suggestion to look at row houses for ideas and inspiration is a good one. Also, her suggestion for a sofa/seating arrangement on that far side of the room is also a nice idea.


    You could alternatively - or additionally - place a sofa on the other side of the room, facing the fireplace. I would for sure put the sofa on the wall, versus floating. From a Feng Shui perspective, I am overall not a fan of floating sofas... Plus, I really do not think that floating sofas is feasible for your tight space. I noticed that you expressed a concern about this upthread, and imo you are absolutely correct.


    I borrowed Kendrah’s mockup to insert the additional idea - and my addition is not as neatly done as hers- but you get the idea. The yellow circles are chairs.



    And I also included a tv over the fireplace option. If you prefer to use a sofa on just one side of the room, you could alternatively use the other side for another type of seating arrangement - such as 4 club and/or swivel chairs- with a center coffee table/ottoman.


  • last month

    You can also use various boxes on the floor to mimic the potential furniture sizes. Sometimes tape isn’t enough if you’re not great at seeing things that aren’t really there (like new furniture).

    I had a similar room in my last house. We chose a smaller couch and more chairs to gain enough seating for when we had company. One end of the room had an antique table and 2 chairs in front of a bay window. It becomes an inviting place to sit and drink coffee. Or you can take a corner as a reading nook and get a super comfortable wingback chair and table.

    Think about different areas of the room as smaller activity places. My close friend has a huge narrow living room, with a baby grand piano at one end. She’s still working on the other section, which is where they sit to watch tv.

    These dimensions are definitely challenging.