This is where you come in.
First thing's first - I officially hate the layout of my living room. I think it's the fireplace that limits the wall space (even though I love my fireplace). There is really only one wall where the furniture can go. The other side of the room is the kitchen and bar with barstools.
My mom is selling her house and will be closing on it really soon, and since she's downsizing, I'm getting some of her expensive, gorgeous furniture (score!).
I got this great off-white brocade winged-back chair with ottoman. I just have no idea where to put it. Yes, it works in the niche by the window, but if you're sitting in the chair, you can't see the TV screen. I would think that's an important aspect of sitting in a living room. So, what the heck do I do with this chair?
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| Pardon the crappy iPhone photography. And at least my mantle looks awesome thanks to the help of those like Savanah and Emily via twitter! |
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| And my sectional is on the entire wall opposite the TV. A giant mirror is going up there, btw. Still haven't put it up. And to the left is where the barstools are against the bar in the kitchen. |
Second thing. The other piece I got was this gorgeous buffet table that I want to put a great entryway together with.
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| So, what do I put with it? That's the entire blank wall it will be going up against. |
HALP ME PLZ.
I'll post updated pictures when I'm done pulling my hair out trying to figure out what to do.
26 comments:
Your layout looks almost identical to my previous house. First, pull that couch OFF the wall! I would swing it around in front of the fireplace, "floating" in the middle of the room. There should still be room for the bar behind the couch. Move the chair an ottoman to the other side of the fireplace in the corner by the window. I think the mirror on the big wall is a great idea. I would also put a mirror above that buffet and maybe a little antique side chair with it?
I was going to say the same thing as above - you don't have to put furniture on walls...allow them to float. I love that chair - love it!
I am no help here. I am awful at decorating!! :(
I'm probably more challenged than you are! I think we need to have Savanah come decorate all of our houses!
You can keep that sideboard there and hang pictures above it... of all different sizes and shapes... and different colors of frames. Maybe some art pieces mixed in! If you add some character to the wall there it won't look so out of place :)
I would say mount the TV over the fireplace. That will give you more options on where you can move your furniture.Make the fireplace and the tv the focal point of the room, and arrange the furniture around that. Hope this helped! :)
My last house had the identical layout, and my kitchen bar was at an angle with bar stools. I literally had one wall to use for furniture. I can't wait to see what you come up with!
Sometimes open concept can be so difficult!
I'm really terrible at decorating, too, but I really like the idea of floating the couch and adding to the size of the room using mirrors. Also, I love the paint colors in your living room! The darker accent wall looks really nice.
Sorry--suck at decorating! BUT what about some sort of gallery wall around that table? I don't know.
Do you know what you are putting on top? You could always make it some cool organizational area for charging electronics/mail/etc???
Again, no clue!!
But I can't wait to see the pics when you are done!
This is not really my forte, but I agree that you don't need walls for furniture. As long as you don't block a walkway. I love mirrors on walls to open things up and bring in extra light.
Over the buffet-- I'd put a bunch of coordinating wall hangings (art or pictures in different size frames...).
Can't wait to see how it all turns out!
It takes time to decorate! We've lived in our house for a year and we still aren't done. I think your living room looks great!
You should paint the hall table a really fun accent color. I would buy a really big mirror to fit over the table- kirklands and garden ridge always has really good deals.
Check out this post. My friend did something similar: http://www.thetichenorfamily.com/2011/04/your-opinion-color-change.html
have fun. I love decorating!!!
LOVE that buffet. Definite score on free furniture!
Honestly? I would put the chair in your room, you will be able to sit there when K comes, and also have a little nook for yourself, which trust me, you will need.
Right now you have two focal points in the room - your tv and your fireplace - your ideal layout really depends on which you prefer to pay attention to. Usually the women in a home prefer the fireplace and the men the tv. This is often solved by putting the tv above the fireplace (mounted on the wall)....
If you choose to do that, you can run the wires around the side of the fireplace to a low cabinet (possibly the one under the tv) just under the window (where the white chair currently is). You can put the photos etc. from your mantel on top the cabinet instead of the tv.
Also, pull the sectional off the wall, make it face the fireplace - that way you can watch the tv easily as well as use the fireplace as a focal point when company comes or when you feel for a romantic/family night.
I believe you should have space where the sofa used to be (you should know cause u can see the room better than we can) and place the white chair & ottoman between the end of the sectional and the window. Face it inwards to the room - it doesn't have to specifically face the tv nor the fireplace, once it sort of "completes the square" of seating for encouraging conversation.
Put your accent tables between chairs where it makes sense.
You may also want to get an area rug to place on top of the carpet in front of the sofa just to pull the set up together a bit more visually on the floor level (your fan/ceiling light sort of does that at the ceiling level)
If you try this you may find that you don't need the huge mirror and may want something more artsy fartsy on the wall.....or even an amazing lamp...you need some uplighting from what I see - it'll create a more comfortable light level in the room (ie.. a lamp that allows light to go up, not just down - maybe the one you have at the window by the sofa is good enough...)
As for the hall - amazing piece - It looks a little small for the wall (from the photo) so I would probably get some floor vases or some really awesome antique dining chairs to match and put them on either side if you want to go in that direction.
Otherwise, if you choose to do the work, you can sand it down and paint the entire thing with a wite antique finish and put some awesome modern coloured accessories on and around it.
Hope this was some help! If you have questions please feel free to email/tweet :)
Isn't great furniture for free the best?!?! Ok, everyone else probably has better suggestions than me, but I'll give it a try. I would move the TV to the wall where the long brown sofa is. Even snuggled in the corner facing out. Then set up the couch a little further back than the side of the fireplace opening, facing the TV. And set up a little sitting area behind the couch. Like two living room areas. As for the buffet, I am so bad at hanging things, so I will leave that to the other pro commenters here, haha.
It's hard to describe what I'm thinking...I'm more visual and would like to draw it out. But I'll try describing it:
What about putting the TV in one of the window nooks at an angle. Then, if there's room, line your couch up parallel to your bar stools and make that a walk way. Then put your lovely wing-back chair next to the fire place facing your tv.
Hope that helps?
As far as the entry way that buffet is gorgeous. I'd have to think about that some more. That's what's awesome about pinterest...you can get great inspiration for areas like that.
I have the same problem. NO idea how to make a room work.
with the buffet I would put a collage of framed pictures above it, either all of the same size/color and even with eachother (if you prefer symmetry) or get varying sizes and similar colored frames and put them up uneven with eachother. But you would need a lot of pictures/frames! thats my idea :)
I agree with everyone... love the floating furniture idea! I'd love to have room to do that with a sofa table in my house :) Hanging your TV above the fireplace isn't a bad idea either unless it's too high.
I say a bunch of black and white photo's blown up. Wedding pics, pics of baby girl when she gets here, family pics....mixed in with framed quotes that you like or song lyrics
I looooove that chair, and I got a shout out - holla!!
Maybe once you get the wall behind the couch done it will inspire you more? Also if you don't have them - check out hercules hooks - I used them to hang our heavy stuff, they are AMAZING and hook into the drywall
I'm kinda decorating retarded, so I'm not help. But I love the new furniture you've scored. So pretty!
I love the stuff you got, but honestly, I suck at decorating. We mostly use pieces my husband had and nothing matches. I still haven't hung curtains b/c I don't trust my judgment. It's bad goings over here.
For the gorgeous sofa, I definitely recommend a chunky cable knit throw in a cream or beige; spice it up with a ton of big, bright throw pillows - toss in a burlap pillow with a cute print on it, too. The chair needs a throw as well, and for that gorgeous buffet table, I recommend photographs in sepia. My mom has a gorgeous antique black buffet, which she covered with antique and/or wrought-iron frames, black and white photos of her parents, grandparents, and other old pics. Gorgeous! A big mirror on the wall above it, too :)
Im sorry but I have no advice for you but I do want to let you know I love your fireplace/mantle area! Very nice!
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