Post a picture with only the items you want to keep in the living room. Post dimensions of the room.

Dimensions are 11’4x12 ft. 12ft from the fireplace not where the bookshelves are. The clutter on the door can be removed and will be. This is what I have left after I got rid of a few things.

Not sure how high the ceilings are. Will measure in a few hours

Dimensions of the shibori are 9’4x 6’8 ft

I was thinking a 6ft long leather bean bag chair instead of the couch. Thoughts? I was going to get sheepskin bean bag to sit opposite the leather one or around the coffee table

Also yes that is the front door to the house and the sofa is rather comfortable

I think the sofa looks good. But it all depends on the style you are going for. I think the Shibori wall hanging would be fine, even if it took up the entire wall.

This is not your wall hanging and I like yours better. I thought a chartreuse chair could be interesting ( but not if it’s blocking the entryway, of course.)

Is there room to float the sofa facing the window, with a sofa table behind it? And put a chair on window side. This way you would not be sitting on sofa with back to window and back to entry. Could also possibly make the space feel and look more expansive.

No room to float the sofa unfortunately :( the space is tiny. I would love to do that though. I like the idea of the chair placement. What size rug would you recommend?

I didn’t think the way the chair is placed in my visual is a good placement. It seems to be right in the entryway there. Although, it would be easy enough to walk around the chair... And actually, having the chair in that “entry hall” could create sort of a foyer feel there - plus leave open space in the room so that actually might work.

Probably the same size as your previous rug.

On I see. Maybe where my leather chair used to be?

Yes. That chair placement was good. But you could always try to place it the other way, too, and see how it works and how it feels. I think if you had one chair in that entry space as sort of the “entry chair” and another chair where your leather chair formerly was- that might actually work- and also provide you with additional seating.

Although, I wouldn’t rush out and get two chairs for that arrangement, until you really see how feasible it would be. It’s good to keep walkways clear and the space is tight.

One option is to place the TV over the fireplace and use the bracket that allows you to lower the TV as needed.

Another option is to place the TV on the big wall with a cabinet beneath it. You could only consider a very small scale sofa with chaise feature.

I actually don’t own a tv. I’m mostly an internet girly so watch all my movies on a laptop. I have thought about placing a tv in the room though and mounting it about the fireplace.

Many people who post here want to know “where do I put the TV”. I have to say that in the decade+ that I have been a contributor here, I have become a veritable tv placement expert. Personally, I have not owned a tv in over 20 years.

If you do put a tv over the fireplace, install a mount such as Mantelmount.com (as suggested).

For anyone following this Design Dilemma, it's a perfect example of not giving Commentors the big picture right away: PHOTOS OF ALL FOUR SIDES OF ENTIRE SPACE & DIMENSIONS.

@housegal200 …… lol, exactly what I was thinking, ”don’t even THINK about a bean bag anything” …. omg!

I agree with Beverly on this furniture arrangement. But scoot the sofa closer to the fireplace. Forget the coffee table. I love yours but it's not right for this arrangement. Instead, use end tables, especially ones that look good all around and can store things to keep down clutter. Wait before getting the console to make sure there's enough room and you can put it behind the sofa or on the wall, but only if doesn't look cramped. I agree with you about the TV. They aren't necessary if you live alone.
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Alternatively, keep the coffee table and ditch the sofa. Instead get four matching club chairs and arrange them around the table in an X. You don't seem to use your fireplace, so make the room strictly for conversation, puzzles, or games. This would give you room for a console on the wall across from the fireplace.
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Do you have enough light at night? Have you considered moving the shelves to flank the opening to the next room or to a completely different room? They are creating a bit of a monolith feeling next to the fireplace.

@housegal200 @K Laurence still haven't seen the FP wall straight on.

The shelf units seem to be taking up valuable space

What are thw indow treatments on those 2 windows?

This is the wall with the fireplace

@Jessica Rellstab thank you for that last photo. Now I see why you put this bookshelves where you did. Since you have done such a great job clearing out the room, would it be possible to turn the sofa 90 degrees to face the fireplace, and push it close to the fireplace so it's back lines up with the door and creates a little hallway? Center it in front of the fireplace. Slide the coffee table out of the room for this. Remove pillows and throws for this. Take some photos at different angles to share with us: view from the front door, view straight at the fireplace wall again, view from the other room. Borrow a chair from the dining room and put it in the corner angled towards the sofa. Borrow another for the other corner so you have a small chair by each bookshelf. Then tell us what you think. Does this arrangement work for you? If not, tell us why, please. Does it just feel unfamiliar? Or is the sofa just too long? Are the chairs not even necessary? I don't recall what this room is for except it's your living room, a place to relax, use your laptop, sleep an overnight guest. What would you like to be able to do here. Do you ever host more than one friend or family member? If so, how much seating would you really need? Maybe you could get by with no chairs in here, or one comfy chair in the corner by the front porch window and borrow one from the dining room for a "crowd".

You're probably wondering why everyone is asking for a million details when you just asked about a hanging. Design minded people take in the whole space. Now that we see the fireplace wall, that should be dealt with next after your remove all the bits and pieces on the wall and figure out the best configuration for couch.

Here are some possibilities:

--Floating white shelves to the height of the mantel, instead of the messy bookcases you have now. Art work (not TV like this) on the mantel. Or floating shelves on one side and an attractive thrifted cabinet on the other side

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Clean editing of mantel and firebox:

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Here are some updated images. I feel like the space to walk through might be too small and the couch is too long. Would a 72” sofa work better? I’m looking at one. As far as the space, it basically just may get away. I have one or two guests over at a time so not too many. I would love to throw a party someday though.

following .... you have some good advice here! And good for you moving stuff around...it's a lot of work.

I'm wondering if 3 chairs in a semi circle in front of the FP may be better than the sofa?? Maybe someone with better spatial sense than me will chime in on the possibilty

That sofa placement doesn’t work. You are basically now sitting right on top of the fireplace, so a much less expansive feel; plus, you not only have your back totally to the entry you are basically just about in the entryway. A different sized sofa will not make this placement better,

Also nothing wrong with your art nor the “ bits and pieces” on your door . The door sort of looked like a living mosaic to me. This is not a hotel, it is your home. The generic art that was suggested here is ridiculous ( as always),

And btw the lights in front of the fireplace windows are lovely.

I was thinking the same thing. Thank you for your kind words! The lights are actually potters from Amazon! I’m looking at a few smaller chairs right now. These so far have stuck out to me as possibilities in my price range. I’m leaning towards the one from ikea because it can accommodate larger guests I think.

All very nice chair selections. You have good taste. And thanks for info about the lights... those potters are beautiful; I love Amazon. :)

These are some pictures of what it looks like from the dining room. I plan on getting curtains from the dining room instead of the tapestry.

Beautiful.

You have a nice home with some interesting ethnic pieces. The bitty ones like the dreamcatchers, though, detract from the impact of the big hangings. If you have one great hanging, you don't need two. And since you specified "sleek" nothing baggy or saggy--not curtains, not hangings. I'd take down the black and white one and make a tablecloth out of it or sofa pillows out of that hanging. Check out society6.com for complementary sofa pillows.

I like the painted front door without all the stuff on it. Less is more.

Here's something to try: For now, remove the black and white hanging and move the other one to the wall facing the window. You'll get a nice sweeping space where the eye can travel all the way to the living room.. Alternatively, get two thrifted night tables for each side of the door once hangings are removed and paint them turquoise like your front door to link the two rooms.

Window treatments--rattan shades like the one you already have for all the windows with plain white, light curtains on each side will finish both rooms. It's not expensive.

Down the road, a console/sideboard that fits the left wall in the dining room would be useful and attractive.

Great, @housegal200. I look forward to seeing you do that in your own home. Btw, it is “complementary” not “complimentary”...

Also, OP posted about the living room, not the dining room. She basically showed pics of the dining room to give a sense of the view of the sofa from there. I think you have already given “advice” for the living room.

Maybe swap the dining room and living room?

@ freedomeplace1: I changed complimentary to complementary even before you drew my attention to my typo.

With all due respect, creating a harmonious flow between two rooms adjacent and open to each other is pretty common practice and visually enlarges and connects both spaces. Read Pattern Language about how the brain creates a visual picture of everything in view. A color, a shape, a finish repeated from room to room is somthing many people respond to but your mileage may vary. In any case, the suggestions are quite modest and affordable for both spaces. OP seems fond of her front door, which really pops out so picking up that color in a couple usesful pieces in the dining area might work.

You have a large sofa, so if you get chairs, keep them small proportioned and -up on legs like your first example--nothing too bulky. Check out lines for "apartment size" furniture. Of course, you can entertain in a small space. Your dining chairs look very comfortable and can be moved around during a patty.

Maybe an arrangement like this could work? This image uses your original sofa, chair, rug, and coffee table, plus another leather chair, and strips out all decor so you can see a blank slate. (The chair in the corner by the fireplace should be smaller than shown. The coffee table, on the other hand, should be bigger, and especially taller than it is IRL. Could chunky legs be added to it?)

Once you have a workable arrangement, you can have fun adding (or substituting) the touches that make it your own. (Here the shibori is shown on the wall facing the fireplace--but consider how the two different blues, shibori and door, will look together.)

Will suggest that you move everything out of the room and then begin anew with moving the larger furniture piece (like the sofa) back into the room. Once you have the basics in place you can determine your color scheme and can then begin accessorizing.

It’s a lovely room. The thing that jumps out to me is your sofa is simply too large.

Shop for a smaller, sleeker sofa, maybe even a loveseat instead of a sofa. Get two similar sleek armchairs. Place the three pieces like simplynatural’s furniture placement sketch just above my post.

Love your wall hanging, and you’ve done a great job paring down all the extra items you had here.

I love your bohemian, eclectic tastes! Are you in the market for a new sofa? If so, I agree that something smaller in scale and on legs would feel lighter and more airy in the room. Then a smaller scale chair wouldn't feel out of proportion. You'd be amazed at how different the space could feel with a sofa with slender arms that's not as deep or long can make. You mentioned you were looking at a 72" sofa. Would you mind posting a picture?

Would you consider cabinets with closed storage for either side of the fireplace to reduce the visual clutter? It will let your other pieces shine more.

As to your original question regarding the shibori-absolutely hang it! It would make a lovely statement. I like the way they show it hung with dowels. It could be hung really inexpensively with a couple of long dowels cut to the correct length and tacked to the wall with leather straps. You can buy a 1" diameter dowel that's 96" long at Home Depot for $12.55. You can even have the store cut it in half for you for free. A 1" wide leather strap that's about 70" long can be purchased for about $7.00. This would let it hang nicely without drooping.

A textured blind in the dining room that matches the one in the living room is plenty. You have pretty window moldings and there's no need to cover them with curtains unless you really want to.

MY LR is small too and no TV I got these pieces from Wayfair they are comfy but not huge

The chairs are a bit wide but fit okay even with a table between them I like sleek and minimal so worked for me .

So these are two of the sofas I was looking at from poly and bark. They are both 72 inch. Would maybe work better in the room. Thoughts? Also thank you for all the compliments!

The goal with the bookshelves by the fireplace is to eventually have built in ones. Can’t afford that right now, but that is the goal.

Love the ideas suggested so far. Here is one other thing to consider. Have you thought about flipping the dining room and living room? I love to have a table by a fireplace and depending on the walls we can't see in dining room, your sofa and chair might work better in there.

I have a 70" sofa and it's perfectly comfortable for 2 people. I had my eye on that second Poly & Bark sofa for quite a while. It's a good copycat of the Sven sofa from Article. I think it fits the vibe of the room better and seems like it would feel lighter in a small space. Even though they're the same length, the first sofa feels heavy for the space. The taller arms, to me, aren't very comfortable to put your arm up on unless you don't mind your arm being at shoulder height. How deep is each sofa? If I were to want to lay down to prop up my feet, I'd rather do it on the second sofa.

I agree the second sofa seems to fit your vibe better and looks more comfortable.

Regarding the two sofas, I prefer to avoid tufting. I've seen too many tufted sofas collecting dust in each tuft. But if you would be heartbroken without a tufted sofa, at least it's leather and not fabric. I love the cleanliness of leather. I saw this picture and thought of you, not that I'm suggesting you go for it. I thought about your comment of wanting parties and how much fun it would be to entertain in an exotic room like this. But I sense your home is more traditional.

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As far as built-ins on either side of the fireplace, you could easily achieve that with cabinets. Built-ins for a small space like that aren't necessary unless you would really rather have them. I'm sure you could find some fairly inexpensive cabinets, unless you'd rather wait to do custom built-ins. As for a new side chair, I would be sure to get something with arms. It's more comfortable for guests to sit and chat, especially if they're holding a drink.

I like the second sofa from Poly & Bark. I’ve never purchased anything from them but I’ve heard good things. Agree with Katinparadise, the lower arms are more comfortable for me also.