How about a layout like this? colors are off a bit...

another, again, don't mind pics on wall or colors, just thinking chair placement...thinking one of those ethanol fireplaces along window wall.

kudos @gerst001

ty...if I did something like this, there are two issues, one, the sofa can't be centered on the rug and that round back chair will be very close to the kitchen table chairs. Can someone lend me like 5 more feet?

Interesting. Now, how did You do that? Is that a neighbor's place with identical layout or ?
Don't love the fireplace though (it is so subordinate to the windows and off center in full wall) Have to love the Eames chair, like the lighting/table config. Instead of the rounded gray, what about two lightweight chairs, backing the dining and facing the windows? By lightweight I'm thinking of "nice" director styled chairs. Or something closer to a Breuer chair? These are open enough to not create "bulk" but with a pair, create a divide, and if push comes to shove, can alternate in the dining group. They are very comfortable too for such a slim profile.

Google Chrome has a app called Autodesk Homestyler. Pretty neat! Let me play around some more later tonight based on what you said! I will post some pics.. With the software, furniture options are limited though.

This option

Very cool app!
When I was living in a much smaller spaces, we had director's chairs for our dining space, also "shared" like your is, with a living room. When we were through "dining" it was easy to just flip them into the "living" area when we had company.
Looking forward to your visualizations!

What do you think. Concerned about the space behind that red chair. Keep in mind, that black chair (not the chair I would get), would have to be in a fixed position.

other chair options. If I do this layout, I am thinking a leather mid century chair, such as the one from crate and barrel above or the Roosevelt chair above (not leather), then a round back chair, something on the smaller side by the dining table. Thoughts?

Why a round back chair? I would imagine they "jut" out a bit more in back, making the pass through around the dining area more confined. It may be only inches, but just curious.
Love the Eames, but think you would be happier/find more flexibility with Cavett or Eisenhower than Eames at that window wall location.
I suppose once everyone is in there, they will want to watch TV, so some flexibility on exactly where chairs are facing, should be made easy to handle, or what I'm saying is that whatever you choose, should be easy to move as your needs/desire change, from socializing to TV watching or getting around the dining. Except for the Eames, all of these are close to "occasional" chairs or easy to move chairs, without disrupting the entire room.
Except for the issue of separating the DR, 2 chairs on the window wall seems the easiest way to go here. I don't think you are going to find an ideal chair or placement their that doesn't intrude on the DR somewhat, so I'm officially abandoning that placement option :-)

10-4. As for round back, a 32 deep round back is only 32 inch deep at 1 point, vs a square chair that would be 32 deep along the whole back. We went to room and board the other day in NYC. let me play some more.

How about this layout (back to square one). Maybe two of these chairs, it swivels, not too big. Think it would work?

better views of where it would go. I can't thank you enough! Really, I wish there was a way.

kind of like the dark chairs, am i crazy?

LOL - not crazy! I guess I just prefer the chairs with the more open framing. The dark grays look good in the autodesk layout (the swivels) and that is practical too. But I don't think the colors are exact enough in tone. I don't know how color-wild you want to get here. When I add these to the new room photo, it begins to look a little too monotone ... Also, tried to work this out with the new images you sent, but for me, this is a bad angle, especially with "on the web" images. It's a "down view" rather than straight ahead one, so no real sense of depth ...

ty so much! I am just thinking I like this setup the best. Where the chair along the window will be a swivel, round back, and the chair in front of the room will be something like the eisenhower

I've enjoyed reading through all of this and marvel at how you work the digital images!!
Just had a thought for you:
Instead of a lamp on a side table beside the window, how about a floor lamp that arcs out , topped with a drum shade?

Love this chair. I know, still dark... but I think it works. Two against the window wall.

I like those. True, they are dark, but they are "open" and leather. Plus, they look comfy!

LIM - I think this is it! I think we are going to get them. Do you still feel a dark coffee table, triangle shape, or should we lighter and different shape with these chairs?

Anyone else have an opinion?.

Wow, I can't believe we are almost there! Thanks so much LIM as well as the many others for your input.

Hurray! ;-) Wait until you get the chairs in there before you finalize a coffee table selection. But just looking at these, I'm less inclined to say black, more inclined to go with a wood instead, and maybe one more blond than dark, but still loving the triangle/free form shape over all for your configuration.
In fact, get the chairs, put them in position and then, re-photo, re-post this, asking about coffee table suggestions! I really do feel like I've hogged this discussion and want you to have more input in general. But I think these last chairs are a brilliant choice and will fit beautifully on all levels. btw - do they swivel too?

They have been ordered...So happy! They do not swivel, but small enough to move pretty easily, so not a big factor. thanks for everything, as soon as I get them, I will post.

Chair came today - Love them! Also got this coffee table at CB2 and love it to. Clearly we need a few things. 1) Table between the two Knoll chairs 2) two end table for next to the sofa or something else 3) Lamps. Either a floor lamp and table lamp, or two floor lamps, two table lamps. 4) Art 5) new pillows 6) foot stool or ottoman for the two chairs

Any ideas? Products?

What do you think?

Thanks again

I think you need an arc lamp in that corner to arch over and highlight the coffee table.

I'd get that first lamp in a heartbeat, if I knew where it came from? I do have a concern about a lamp over the coffee table; I'm afraid it could distract the eyes while watching tv.

Haven't been able to source the lamp. You could always put it on a dimmer.

Found it!!!!!

Great lamp. So glad you love the new chairs. They look to fit beautifully.

Thank you decoenthusiasts. We pulled the sofa off the wall, seems to fit best about a foot away from the wall, is that too much? At about a foot, I can center the two chairs on the window. What to do behind it is the issue, does the table have to go the length of the sofa? Lamp is temporary...got the pouf and pillows though...not sure about pouf, but love pillows.

Gerst - I'd nix the pouf. I think you need at least one solid colored pillow. I know you love the ones you got, but they seem too close to the rug in pattern, color? But these are more the "accessories." I think now might be the time to focus on the art and let it guide future choices on some of the accessories (for pattern/color). Your palette now is very gold and gray, neutral really, with the additions of leather and wood tones. A modern vibe will need more contrast, if not color. Make sense? Start a new post, with the new pictures, and ask about recommendations for art to start adding color and contrast. It will attract a different set of "experts." :-)

Good idea. One pillow is solid. Better shot here. Also another setup option. Ty!

What kind of art are you drawn to? Abstract? Figurative?

abstract for sure!

Think we settled on this setup. Makes it more intimate and creates an area behind the sofa. Going to get the blu dot console table in white, which leaves room to walk thru. Maybe put a plant in the back corner by the window. Thoughts? Then I'll get a nice abstract piece for over the console.

Pull the coffee table about 18" from the sofa. Here's a nice table for between the chairs. Comes in other colors too.

Not totally in love with this print (actually a wrapped canvas glicee) but as a starting point? Something like this? Have you started another post?

http://www.rexray.com/ - One of my personal favorites.

I did not start another post yet. I want to get a few other things set in the room, then do it. I am looking for a arc lamp, dimmable, diffuser, 150 watts....nothing is easy to find. I ordered a 74 inch shelf from ikea, perfect length for behind the sofa and will pull the sofa 10 inches from the wall.. 20 bucks!. Don't love rexray. Is the one in the picture rexray? I like that more.

also, decided against moving the sofa up about 4 feet from the wall. Kept it there for a day or so, and felt we weren't getting anything out of the space behind it.

So here are some better images. First two show the sofa about 3 feet from the wall with a temporary console. The second two show the sofa pulled back to the temporary console. What do you think? if I move it up, I can get a skinny long storage console, length of sofa is 74 inches (ideas?) or if I pull it back, I will keep the sofa about 10 inches from the wall using a floating shelf the length of the sofa. Of course an arc lamp, tbd

While moving the sofa up creates a more intimate seating group, I think you're right in that it doesn't do much else. It appears that you have enough room, but not much too fool with behind. So, I like it flush to the console, as in the last images, as well.
Love the little turquoise pot in the corner ;-) More in that case would be ... more! (love grouped ceramics, but of course, with kids, dogs, and on the floor ... ?)
I thought you wanted the arc that decoenthusiast posted. Not right light/electrical?
On the console, are you going to do both the ikea console and a floating shelf above it?
First painting was just an abstract I found somewhere, very generic . Googled: gray,blue, gold abstract and it came up somewhere. Rex Ray ... well, not for everyone. I personally could see something more, cubist/geometric for your space for art? Like a Diebenkorn,
http://cache2.artprintimages.com/p/LRG/74/7437/I2AR100Z/art-print/richard-diebenkorn-berkeley-no-8.jpg
There are a lot of artists/gallery people here and I think you will get some interesting recommendations when you post anew.

I was just going to do a floating shelf, not a console, but thinking that might not be a good idea. the thought was to put up a floating shelf right behind the sofa, but it would not have legs. That may look bad though.

LIM - thank you so much again. I struggle with this..you have been amazing.

as for the lamp, it was a bit too pricey...under 500 is the goal!

What is wrong with the table behind the sofa now?? Looks great and doesn't cost a dime.

Forget it!! I see it in the earlier picture. It is not long enough. Send pics after you get the shelf.

Room looks great though. Very simple and clean.

Hi!

I found this discussion interesting, because it is close to what I've been dealing with.
Although it probably will make me sound as old as a dinosaur, I don't think of myself or my house that way. We bought it new in 1969, just before our older son was born — and like him, it has both grown in size and function over the years.

With both kids now out on their own and my husband deceased, the responsibility of keeping it updated is bittersweet: no longer need to compromise, but without a sounding board also feel the need to proceed carefully in order to avoid mistakes.

The biggest challenge with the room is lack of wall space, since the room is basically long and narrow. The updated kitchen with peninsula counter take up one entire end and looks out over a small family room and dining area. One long wall contains a floor-to- ceiling mirror (in the family room area) and narrow built-in bookshelf plus wide window in the dining area. Opposite wall has a "beehive" fireplace and hearth plus French doors.

As you can imagine, over the years we experimented with different arrangements and furniture styles. Luckily for us, my father-in-law (who designed and made upholstered furniture for a living), made us a pair of loveseats as a gift for the family room years ago.

Because of their unique size and the fact that they work so well a at right angles to each other facing the fireplace, it's always made more sense to just have them reupholstered rather than look for new ones, but when I tried to do that several months ago, I ran into a problem locating the fabric. Within hours of posting my decorating dilemma on Houzz, members came to my rescue and helped me find it just 30 minutes from my home.

My next challenge was locating a cocktail table to put between the loveseats and the fireplace. Had seen exactly what I wanted at Plummers, but felt it was overpriced. When staff there insisted it would never go on sale, I was unable to find it anywhere else because their company was the sole importer. Another Houzz member recognized the table from my description and was able to provide a few leads, which eventually did lead me back to Plummer's; but one of their other stores, which did have it on sale for a better price.

Next, in one of what Oprah calls an Aha Moment" I looked around the room one day and realized that except for the fireplace, almost everything else in the room was linear, including the teak buffet beneath the wide window. Technically not quite linear, the dining table next to the French doors was actually is an octagon (but linear when expanded to its full length of 10 feet). But at 48" in diameter and 4 comfy armed chairs on casters around all sides, I also realized for the first time that since I rarely have need for such a large table these days, it's taking up far too much valuable space. After looking around at options, I finally ordered a 42" glass-top table with rattan base and matching chairs with fabric covered seats that 's also visible on both sides of the chairs's backs.

Mucha s I hate to part with my old set, I'm pretty sure the new one will be a better fit. And since the manufacturer is both local and offers custom staining and choice of fabrics, it should work well with the loveseats.

Since my husband grew up in California had a degree in art and loved music, it's not surprising that he already was attracted to Mexican culture when I met him, but I also was alreay interested in arts and crafts. So it was only natural that both of us loved the Mexican/ Spanish touches of the architecture when we bought our then "small" home in 1969 . . . and continued to accent with little touches of tile, wrought iron, etc. of as we added on and refurbished over the years.

So it struck a chord for me when some suggested (above) a narrow console to separate two areas of the OP's room. That was my thought too, when I stopped by the Crate & Barrel store 10 days ago and spotted a glassed topped black metal console just almost the identical length and just slightly taller than the loveseat next to the dining area ON SALE (but non-returnable). Since the new furniture had not arrived yet, I was reluctant to take a chance until I had a better idea of how it would fit. Besides, the store had two on the floor.

I should have followed my instincts. It rained the next day, so I waited one day more, before returning to Crate & Barrel to buy it. By now, you've probably guessed the end to my sad tale of woe. No only were both tables sold, looking at their their online ad today, it seems that has been discontinued throughout the chain.

Like my cocktail table from Plummer's, this item seems to be available only thru Crate & Barrel, but its photo is till posted online. So if the OP thinks the style might work for her, too, she might find something similar in her neck of the woods.

Meanwhile, I have to get back to figuring how to get rid of my table, in order to create space for my new set. Lack of interest by the two neighborhood consignment shops that have seen photos of it make me think my best option might be to just donate it and get on with my life.

UPDATE: Finally bit the bullet and donated my oversized table to Salvation Army. Delivery of the new set has been delayed for a couple of days because the manufacturer and his staff are taking inventory. But I have been using that time to scour both the net and nearby stores for a table similar to the one I missed out on at Crate and Barrel, as well as interesting new lighting. (So many interesting new options, it's hard to decide!!)

Also have located a table similar to the one I missed out on before. Preferred the original one because it had a glass top and glass lower shelf, but if the OP is still interested in that suggestion that prompted my first response . . . Room and Board has a black metal console in its "Slim Collection" (metal top and no shelf on the lower rails) that comes in a choice footprints of either 36" x 7" or 40" x 8" (both 29 inches high). It also comes in a wide choice of colors for a slightly higher cost. REgular price also is less than Crate and Barrel's last advertised sale price before the item was totally discontinued.
(Photos is online at roomandboard.com . . . and listed under "Slim".

I am ready for art - started a new thread. Any help would be great. Thread over here - https://www.houzz.com/discussions/need-help-with-art-maybe-drapes-dsvw-vd~955751

Just found an unopened update to your thread in my email's in-box and skimmed all the way thru it to the bottom before realizing I already had offered a couple of suggestions months ago. At the time, how to separate your dining are from the living room furniture was still a topic of discussion, and I had just described how I had missed out on a "divider" by hesitating to snap up what later seemed like the "perfect solution" at Crate and Barrel, while it was on sale.

I also mentioned a similar one from the "Slim Collection" at "Room and Board." I eventually bought it, and though it still does not feel like the 100% solution (because the real problems are the dimensions and physical layout of the room itself), I think it does help define the two distinct areas of the room without overwhelming it.

Although I'm now just completing renovation of another part of my home, I finally got around to posting a photo of the completed (for now) family/dining area on Houzz last week. Just can't remember where!! . .. but probably either under the original topic (help with small spaces) or my latest dilemma (choosing pint color for my current project. Although much of the thread debated the merits of "gray" . . . which I was considering, a few days alter the L.A. Times ran a long article suggesting that gray definitely is now the new neutral or white. (Not exactly what I was hoping to learn, since I always have preferred to march to my own drum.)