Your room is charming in any case. The sofa has circled around and will return to its original position? That's even funny. It happens to me too, haha!

If you feel more comfortable going back to your original layout, place the end table by the door with a lamp (shoes under this table) and a floor lamp at the other end making the wall look less crowded.

Always useful to try new arrangements. That’s what makes your post fun! Thanks for sharing your space. One last thought. Would a narrow bench with shoe storage under work against the wall under your bay window? I also like the idea of a floor lamp on the fireplace side of the couch with a small end table on the door side - like lisedv’s rendering above.

RedRyder: I think that's right, the sofa facing the fireplace, with a walkway behind did overwhelm the space, and felt cramped overall. And, I just love sitting on the sofa and looking out the kitchen door at my little back space - especially in a small, darkish city rowhome, being able to take full advantage of the outdoors - even if I'm just looking out a door at my neighbor's wall...

Tachch: I'm so glad you find it funny! I kind of do, too, and this isn't the first time the sofa (not this one, but...) has made these rounds.

lisedv: Thank you soooo much for your renderings. They're so, so helpful! Question about the door side endtable: I currently have two endtables, 12x30 and 18x30. My shoe shelf fits perfectly under either. Which one (or should I get another table/shoe storage method) do you think makes the most sense there?

Lisalane: If I do use a 30" side table on the door side of the sofa, the shoe shelf fits under it perfectly, so, unless there's a good reason not to have a 30" side table there, it does double duty and I don't need to have the shoes anywhere super visible.

@Earthly Delights

Can you send good pictures of both table?

Lisedv - here you go!

Another thought: what do you think of, instead of a floor lamp near the fireplace, a small table just big enough for a table lamp? Maybe 12 x 12 square, or a similarly little sized round table?

You had a table & lamp before and to me that made the small corner look crowded. The mobile also contributes to making the corner look busy, can you relocate it somewhere else in your home?

Thank you, lisedv. I was thinking a smaller table - one just big enough for a lamp could solve the issue (and save me money) but maybe that's not right. I'll think about a place to move the mobile. I kind of like it there... maybe it could be moved further back, closer to the wall near the fireplace? Or maybe directly in front of the fireplace?

Lisedv - which table do you think is best on the door side?

Would you be open to painting? right now you have splotches of terra cotta and yellow walls scattered around the space, contributing to the busyness i believe. one wall color throughout could calm that down as well.

wsea - funny, my walls used to be all the same color, and I hired an interior designer for a consult and she suggested the terra cotta (she picked out the color and suggested where to add it!) to tie in the fireplace to the rest of the space - said that as it was, the fireplace was a jarring color to the eye since it didn't fit in with the rest of the space.

Although I'm not fond of the colour, the narrow gray table is a better size to give the wall a more open,and breathable look. You can paint the table in a muted olive colour to coordinate with your decor. With a floor lamp a the other end perhaps you'd be able to leave a few inches between the table and the sofa, it looks squished against the sofa.

I know the end table holds shoes but do you need end tables since you have a coffee table? Just one floor lamp on FP side with no end tables might help things look less crowded. Upstream, I suggested a narrow shoe bench under the bay window to replace the shoe end tables- but maybe there isn’t room for that.

Lisedv: that little table is actually blue, but that might not be any better. And yes, I can move the sofa closer to the fireplace creating a little bit of breathing room. I could also just leave the shoe rack where it is, but without a table covering it.

I don’t technically need end tables. Here is something I run into, since my sofa is essentially my office as well. These are all items I need to generally have on hand: tissues(I have a chronically runny nose), laptop, calendar, a pen, a notebook, coaster/glass of water, cellphone and chargers. Without any end tables, shelves, or drawers, all of that stuff ends up piled onto the coffee table.

Interesting on the designer. i do think the terra cotto color works with the fireplace . I can see how maybe the yellow didn't so maybe it was born out of that. on my monitor the yellow is a bit pale , but the terra cotto also seems a bit off for the upholstery color. could be monitors, I'm sure its different in real life. either way highlighting the different planes of walls does make it busier in my mind.

I like the little gray table there too. Just repaint it. I agree that if you DON'T have end tables you put all your stuff somewhere else that looks worse.

What do you think of one of these floor lampS for the fireplace-nook-side of the sofa?

I would opt more for something like this (Amazon) in the same finish as your table lamp.

Or this model (Amazon) but check the dimensions, not sure if it's too big or not for your space.

I never liked the brushed nickel lamp. Current lamp is light blue ceramic. Similar color to blue table.

I have watched your posting since day one and find your home very cozy and charming. I am not a designer, but one of the things I have wondered about since the sofa is back on the window wall, if using two wall lamps above the sofa would make things simpler. You like to read, so having swing lamps with adjustable light may work for you. Then find a table for near the door (next to the sofa or by the coats) to hold your keys, and shoes.

Motupeg - thank you! I think wall lamps could work... though the sofa isn't and can't really be places symmetrically on the wall, and wall lamps could draw attention to that and end up looking awkward - that and the expense of an electrician.

There coats are kept in the basement stairwell - there's just no space for a coat rack by the sofa/in the living room.

ED, I like the first lamp you chose. It is straight so won't hang over the sofa (and possibly become a potential head bump) but it is close enough to provide satisfying light. Plus, it is quite attractive.

Earthly Delights Thank you for your response. I respect your decision here. I did want to clarify that the swing lamps are screwed into the wall, which I have done, and I used a cord cover to go straight down the wall. Maybe you only have one outlet on the wall which you would have to use a split electrical cord (I did that in my office behind a sofa). I will cheer for you as you figure this out. Best. Peg

I'll repeat my suggestion again: install a black metal shelving unit with wooden shelves in the niche. Attach an adjustable clip-on light to it. This way, you'll have enough space to organize your things and convenient lighting in a logical location.

A lamp with a standard plug-in socket. No electrician required.
I like floor lamps, but I don't like clutter on the floor in a cramped space.

Thank you, Tachch. I've wondered about that, and my main concern (other than *finding* that shelving unit, in the right size, without spending huge amounts of $) is that several people have mentioned that the 30x12" end table makes things look crowded. Would a shelving unit look *less* crowded than a small end table?

A shelving unit is the perfect place for a wide variety of things. And even if there are a lot of things (on the shelves closest to the sofa), that's still fine.

And if you're stressed out by the potential chaos, you can put some things in boxes and put them away after work. This will make it easy to maintain perfect order, and everything you need will always be within reach, out of the way the rest of the time.

Essentially, you'll get your own mini-workshop, while also solving the problem of filling a niche. Sounds pretty good to me.

And I already told you – you don't need a shelving unit that fits the niche exactly. It can be narrower or lower. It's more important, in my opinion, to have the lower shelves at a comfortable height relative to the sofa, so they're easy to use while sitting on the sofa.

And one of the most important factors is the depth of the shelving unit. It's important to leave enough space between the shelving unit and the sofa so you can easily access the bottom shelves.

Place decorative items on the upper shelves. If the shelves aren't high enough for the niche, you can simply place a large painting on them. A built-in shelf is optional. A wooden shelf would also work. However, I would prefer a darker color (frame) and a lighter color for the shelves.

Here's a shelving unit, for example. I don't think it would be hard to find something similar.

I'm less fond of the low shelving idea, but it would also be quite handy.

Above the low shelving unit, the entire wall of the niche will need to be filled with paintings and/or photographs.

If I have some free time and you could provide me with links to stores where you'd like to buy a shelving unit (and your budget), we'll find a specific model. Please also reiterate the dimensions of the niche (height/width/depth) and the height of the sofa armrests.

Regarding "clutter," you need sufficient filling/clutter in this niche to balance the entire area/wall with the fireplace. If you're considering reducing the visual weight of the niche, consider only the niche to the right of the fireplace—in case you suddenly want to make that part of the wall lighter.

The original table and lamp made the corner next ot the fireplace look crowded so I'd be concerned about placing a shelving unit in that corner it you want the area to fee more spacious (for me, that's the idea...). As to the lamp, if you don't like the silver finish you can go for the same style I suggested in black.

The feeling of cramped space created by the table in the alcove and the lamp right next to the sofa was precisely because it wasn't the optimal combination for this situation. The situation is different with the shelving unit. Even when placed right next to the shelving unit, the sofa creates a completely different feeling. Plus, open shelving helps preserve spatial volume.

Ideally, visualization would be the best way to understand it. If I can find the time, I'll try it out in Photoshop.

A big yes to lisedv's suggestion of a floor lamp with a small shade for the corner next to the fireplace, it really does open the space up, not looking so crowded, and is attractive as well. Lisedv as usual has very good suggestions.

You already have the bookcase on the right side which you cannot match. I'm showing here what adding shelves on the left side could look like.

Option 1) I must point out that I tricked the shelving unit (model suggested by Tachch) so that the height would be close to the height of the bookcase on the other side. Not sure if this can be achieved.

Option 2 Floating shelves

Personally, I still prefer the floor lamp option since both sides cannot be the same model of shelves.

Thank you, lisedv! Of the two above, I definitely prefer the floating shelves. Really appreciate that!

If you're willing, I'd love to see one of the floor lamps you suggest from the same angle.

It's difficult for me to show the exact same model and proper angle but here are both lamps. I'm showing them in 2 finishes, black and brass which also seems nice with your decor.

following along

Thank you, Lisedv! Of the two styles you posted, I prefer the one with less of a long arc. I might prefer a bronze or brass that was brushed. The black looks very dark, and I don't want bright gold.

You are giving me so much to think about!

Better to think about it than rush into a decision and then regret it!

Given my indecisiveness, I decided to stop at the thrift shop - I bought this lamp for $15.99 (plus tax.) I can always give it away…

I see there really isn't much space for anything but a floor lamp in that corner so the size if fine. At that price, you can't go wrong and one day you'll come across one you really like!

I’ve had both a 12 x 30, and an 18 x 30 side table in that space. I do like the functionality of the end table, but I understand that it makes the space look cramped.

New(ish) topic: color!
One or two of you mentioned that the different wall colors add to the feeling of… Too much in my living room.

I may have mentioned that my living room used to be painted only the soft yellow, and that I hired an interior decorator for a consultation, and she picked out the terra-cotta to tie in my fireplace with the rest of the space, and suggested the locations.

I do tend to like warm color on my walls. I’m thinking about painting the fireplace trim the same white as the rest of the trim in my house. Would you do that? And what would you do with the terra-cotta colored wall spaces?

You say trim... the trim on terracotta painted walls (matte finish) should be in the same terracotta colour (satin finish) not off-white (or what ever your all over colour is). I like the darker fireplace wall colour, it does make the fireplace blend-in. However I would paint the bay window and narrow wall next to the kitchen in the same off-white as the rest of that wall.

Lisedv - The specific "trim" I'm reffering to are the pieces of vertical wood on either side of the fireplace, and the horizontal strip of wood at the top of it. The trim at the base of the terra cotta walls, the bay window trim, and the trim in the rest of the living room is white.

You're saying that I should leave those pieces terra cotta? The rest of the living room wall color is light yellow (SW 'banana cream'.)

Not a pro ... I love the terra cotta color in your home. To me it makes your space interesting, cozy, and blends in perfectly. I like it the way it is, adding white trim to the fireplace I think I would find too choppy. There is a lot going on already but looking nice however, I would leave well enough alone.

Doods - So, you think I should leave the fireplace trim terra cotta, (and the rest of the trim white) it sounds like!

I don't know what you mean by trim but if you mean the baseboards they should be painted in terracotta like the wall.

Sorry. I am referring to the wood pieces on the sides of and top of the fireplace.

Im one of tye people who suggested painting all one color. if you paint the trim on the fireplace all you are doing is ading more busyness.

i suggest one color throughout. pick either the tera cotta or another color and paint each wall the sme. If you absolutely want to keep the fireplace wall different then the others walls, i could see it only if you remove contrast on the other walls. you have terra alternating little walls of yellow and terra cotta on the other side which is visually very distracting. your eye bounces all over the place.

Exactly what I said, keep the fireplace wall all terracotta colour including top trim and baseboards. Paint terracotta areas in the bay window and vertical section of wall near the kitchen in the off-white/yellow colour or the room.

I've been following along here and there. I love your cute home! I lived in a row house many years ago and enjoyed it.

I'm thinking in the corner left of the fireplace with the floor lamp, if you remove those two art pieces from the wall and leave just he mobil and floor lamp, I think that would help relieve some clutter look in that corner.

re: the things you need for a couch desk. I also use a couch as my desk with my laptop. I have a bag that I put everything in when I'm done and slide between my couch and side table out of the way. Why can't you have something, box or basket maybe, that you can keep all your stuff in when the work day is over, instead of having another squished table just for that? Use your coffe table and other half of couch during the day, then put away when done.