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segbrown_gw

Anyone want to help my rearrange my living room?

segbrown
10 years ago

Hi! We remodeled extensively the main level of our house a few years ago, but didn't buy new furniture-- just appropriated things from around the house. For the most part it has worked out quite well, but there are a few inconveniences, and I might be ready to ... do something.

Sorry, some of the photos aren't so good. But hopefully you can get a sense of the room.

I guess the thing is that I haven't figured out the best way to place furniture to orient to the fireplace/conversation AND to watch tv comfortably. The loveseat is the best place to watch, but we end up sitting sideways on it, of course. And only one person can use it at a time. (In hindsight, we probably should have put the tv on the other side of the fireplace, but it's all mounted and wired and whatnot, too big a deal to move. We have a better tv watching set-up in the basement.)

Loveseat should be closer to coffee table thing, but it keeps getting pushed back for tv watching. Maybe an upholstered swivel chair or two where the loveseat is?

THen, the dog likes "his" sofa, which we usually have a quilt over, but then we don't end up sitting there if the quilt is there. I think we need a bigger sofa to accommodate dog and human, and definitely different upholstery. Sofa is 20 years old, in still great shape except the upholstery is getting a little beat up, and it's just a bit too light. We would consider reupholstering, except something a little tiny bit bigger might be good. I don't think I want leather. I might try to match the kitchen island, sort of a taupe, not too dark but something that a slightly muddy paw wouldn't ruin.

I think I would like to move the red chair up to our bedroom; it is also extremely comfortable and in great shape, and I kinda dig the faded cotton on it, after 20 years.

Anyway, any bright ideas? What stands out? What am I not seeing?


view from front door

Comments (29)

  • segbrown
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Typo in the subject. Oh well.

  • badgergal
    10 years ago

    If you haven't already considered it you should look into swivel tv mounts. It is not difficult to change out the mount and the swivel ones usually telescope in and out as well as turn. We have one in our bedroom and when we want to view the television from the sitting area vs the bed we can easily move the direction of the tv.
    It seems that you would be able to see the tv from the couch if you were able to pull the tv out a bit and then angle it.
    Overstock.com has swivel mounts for less than $100. They are also available at places like Costco, Sams Target, Walmart etc.

  • segbrown
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Oh, this swivels, pulls out, all that. We can see the tv from the couch just fine. The red chair, yeah, we need to swivel it a little, but that's ok.

  • PRO
    BeverlyFLADeziner
    10 years ago

    I've tried to interpret what you already have as the first layout.

    The narrow pine cupboard, a lovely piece, seems awkward in its current location.as does the topiary that forces the pine armoire into the corner of a rather short wall.

    My first suggested layout was simply to add the swivel/tilt mounting bracket for the flatscreen to solve some of your viewing issues & add an additional lounge chair and 86 the pine cupboard, topiary & change your side tables.

    As an alternate layout, assuming you have a basement for running wires, I relocated the flatscreen to a special buffet cabinet finished on all four sides. The buffet would incorporate your flatscreen and provide central viewing for the expanded seating area.

    Of course there are also buffet cabinets that have flatscreens on top, that can swivel for viewing from the kitchen or the seating area.

  • Shannon01
    10 years ago

    If the TV has swivel then a lot of issues are easier to resolve. I like the new layout 1 but using your existing furniture switch the single chair and the loveseat. This would allow better use of the loveseat and if you get a swivel single chair that could be used to view tv as well.

    Another option is to get a sectional with short end where your loveseat currently is and long end where sofa is. Keep the swivel single chair.

    I agree that the smaller cabinet seems a bit awkward where it is and would add that moving the larger one to center of wall, moving topiary, would be a bit better.

  • alex9179
    10 years ago

    Is this where you all like to watch tv most of the time, instead of the basement? I ask because I might not go to the trouble of arranging things for tv viewing unless it's really the place you guys like to hang.

    I agree with the sectional suggestion. I'd place it so that the short end is where the chair is, a swivel chair where the loveseat is, so that when you pull and swivel the tv most of the good seats are on the sectional.
    However, I don't always like sectionals intruding into the room like that so I'd orient the short side where the loveseat is because you have another tv area in the house. The people on the far side of the sectional would be out of luck.

    I also agree with moving the pine cabinet.

    Your dog cracks me up! I'm afraid he/she will need to adapt to a new arrangement, LOL! Reminds me of my big boy. I walked into this one day.

  • segbrown
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Hmmm. I will go through all this later, but I appear to need to reiterate, we don't have viewing issues because of the couch. The tv swivels. It's the wall with the windows I'm not sure what to do about ... removing the pine cabinet does make sense. After we remodeled, we didn't have anywhere to put that (took down too many walls), so it ended up there. But since then we have finished the basement, and it surely could go down there.

    As for a sectional, it feels like it would overload that side of the room, and be awkwardly off center with the fireplace ... I want to not go any farther that direction (toward the window) somehow.

    As for where we watch tv ... the plan was to watch most tv downstairs. And we do watch football games and stuff down there, but since the kitchen is up here, we do watch up here more than I thought we would. It isn't a huge deal, but I just was trying to figure out the best way to do new furniture and split the difference between a cozy conversation set-up, and the ability to watch tv from those spaces.

    Oh, and the topiary is there, and the large cabinet is not, because there is a gigantic air return on the floor. Can't cover it up with the armoire. I was just trying for some balance, and the topiary just covers a little bit of it. I think that's funny, it's the least of my worries, even though apparently it's very weird. :-) But we will move over the cabinet and see if it causes an issue.

    More later, gotta cook dinner.

  • denali2007
    10 years ago

    alex

    That dog has me laughing out loud.

  • segbrown
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    btw, thanks for the layouts!

  • alex9179
    10 years ago

    Well, placing a sectional so that the chaise/short portion is on the chair side would shift that weight and not impede anymore into the room than the table/chair configuration. Placing a swivel chair on the window side would "lighten the load" on that side.

    Denali_2007 - I love that dog! Riley lives the life, and apparently so does segbrown's pup!

  • segbrown
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    btw, thanks for the layouts!

  • justsaying
    10 years ago

    I don't really have any suggestions but I love your room the way it is - very cozy and welcoming. (I don't think you should take your dogs couch away - keep the one you have!)
    Alex - my dog sleeps like that too (only he is 1/3 the size of yours). I guess they are very secure to sleep like that.

  • blfenton
    10 years ago

    What about a sectional with a chaise lounge on the side where the love seat is currently placed.

    Here is a link that might be useful: [sofa with chaise lounge[(https://www.houzz.com/products/melrose-2-piece-sectional-sofa-with-chaise-on-left-smoke-107x65x28-prvw-vr~4147706)

  • blfenton
    10 years ago

    Huh - that's not the one that I posted because that wouldn't work in your room - but you get the idea anyway.

  • mojomom
    10 years ago

    Love your room. The swivel for the tv will be well worth the effort and open up your options. Beverly's first design looks great. I agree that at least from the photos, the pine piece on the outside wall doesn't seem to work there, but it is a beautiful piece. I'd also go a little darker on the sofa. If you don't want leather, I have found that chenille or velvet really hold up well to pets -- paw prints just brush off. Or give the dog his own chair:

  • rosie
    10 years ago

    Terrific! Wish I had a picture to add.

    Segbrown, your room looks really nice. For viewing, though, how about moving the dog's sofa over to the outside wall? You must have done that at some point, of course, but maybe play with it again? That'd also start opening up the lounge area so it didn't turn its back so strongly on the rest of the room.

    After that it'd mostly be choosing what you guys want to sit/lie on as you watch TV because that'd go out there roughly facing the TV. A pair of clubs, the loveseat with a new, wide ottoman?

    While I was at it, I'd probably at least try angling the loveseat or chairs from the left side facing the TV corner to see how that felt. If it worked, it'd break up the typical right-angle, facing into the box arrangement and create a natural path into the seating area from the kitchen/dining side.

    Either way, then another couple of smaller chairs with side table tucked here and there?

  • segbrown
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks ... had a dinner party last night, so maybe that wasn't the best weekend to post the question, ha. But I will move some furniture around this week.

  • segbrown
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Ok ... sorry I disappeared. We finally moved furniture, took out the little rug, moved in some other chairs from another room, just to get an idea of how things feel in different ways.

    I think we have decided to go almost the opposite way and not worry about the seat by the tv. If we put two matching (small) sofas across from each other, and then two chairs at the top, four people can easily watch, which is about what it is now. And it's a lot cozier this way, plus we have the basement room when we need to host a lot of people.

    I think we'll do a couple of these


    in a similar but darker and sturdier fabric, and add a nice big rug, and think about the chairs for a while. They can't be too wide, but I want something comfy with arms.

    Still need to work on the wall where the windows are.

  • segbrown
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I forgot, we will definitely be replacing the coffee table with something longer/more rectangular to go between the sofas.

  • k9arlene
    10 years ago

    What about putting the sofa back where it was. Keep the loveseat the way it is in the new arrangement and put 2 swivel chairs where you currently have the sofa. That way possibly everyone would be able to view the television.

  • lavender_lass
    10 years ago

    Love those craftsman square windows! Very nice room...I would put an L-shaped sectional with a chaise on one end. I'd put the chaise part under those pretty windows and then on the opposite side, a chair and ottoman.

    Depending on how many watch TV...I'd think about the chair and ottoman going into the corner (by the fireplace) and facing the dining table.

    Finish with a nice big coffee table (with rounded corners) or ottoman and enjoy! Hope that helps :)

  • segbrown
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I thought about that, but for some reason it feels unbalanced with two chairs there. And you would have to move the chair on the right so it wouldn't be in the way of the chair on the left when they are turned to watch. Then they would always be out of whack. Unless there is something I'm not seeing.

    Sectional is out, and moving tv is out. So my solution has to avoid those options. I've always liked facing sofas, and the family loves it like this, so I'm pretty happy with the arrangement. It's kind of the same as floorplan 3 up there,

  • k9arlene
    10 years ago

    You could get chairs on casters like the sofa you posted rather than swivel.

  • k9arlene
    10 years ago

    If you put long panels on the windows where the chairs would be and place a small table between them, I think it would balance that side of the room.

  • segbrown
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Well, a year later I am back. We did replace the upholstered pieces, with two apartment-size sofas from Lee and two leather swivel chairs. (I figure if we want to rearrange, having the swivels will be helpful.) Added a rug and swapped out the coffee table. Bought extra yardage of sofa fabric so the dog sofa can be covered temporarily.

    We didn't do anything about the windows or cabinets. I swear they don't look so awkward in person. And this photo isn't good either, but I hate to be one of those people who asks for advice and then disappears!

    This post was edited by segbrown on Fri, Dec 5, 14 at 20:26

  • emmarene9
    9 years ago

    Thank you for the update. It looks so cozy now with the rug.

  • onedogedie
    9 years ago

    Hello Segbrown of the Awesome Kitchen. Your kitchen contains the spirit of one of my unrealized kitchens! I have one of your same backsplash tiles, a sample, which I meant to use but the years crept by and that kitchen didn't happen.

    Back to your seating area. I was admiring your ottoman/table only to see it disappear in your final arrangement. As I am thinking about replacing my coffee table with such a foot-ready rest, I have to ask why you got rid of yours? Surely the feet in your house want a rest when tv watching?

    I am in the market for swivel/s. What brand/model are yours? Are you happy with them?

    Much obliged if you come back to comment. I've enjoyed every bit of your house that you've shared.

  • segbrown
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi, and thanks! ... the chairs are Bradington Young 314-25SW upholstered with Outsider Atlantic 9012-48AP and Natural nailheads. Yes, we like them a lot. It's the first chair I ever bought without sitting in first, so I was worried.

    We sent the old ottoman and the two blue chairs off to college with our son for his first apartment! lol. We didn't use it for feet, really, anyway. The new wood one works from the sofa. I guess we could always drag it toward the chairs if needed.

    College apartment (talk about a difficult space to arrange! ack!):

  • loribee
    9 years ago

    It looks wonderful! That's the exact layout that we have, except that the tv is over the FP. The layout works really well for us.
    Enjoy!

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