That is a good point joanie, and one that I have thought about. I just see all these gorgeous rooms with textures and colors. Where I am lacking is how to put it all together cohesively. Since the sofa will be a brown leather, I want the chairs to be light and feminine and kind of fun. What that means, I have no idea! I don't even know what style will look best with that sofa. And I have my husband's added criteria that they be comfortable (he has been sitting in the swivel and reclining leather chairs so they are a hard act to follow!), and know that the dogs will be laying on them so they will need to be durable with a "hair resistant" fabric.

Does anybody know what room planning software people on here typically use so I can lay stuff out to see how it will fit in the room?

The sofa you selected has lovely lines, and IMO should not be shoved against a wall. I don't see any way to get that 88" long sofa in that room unless you concede to placing the TV over the fireplace. Not sure, but I don't think your existing sofa is 88" long. I believe this sofa is deeper than your current recliners.

I think you will have a very hard time getting your DH and, frankly, anyone who sits in those existing recliners to give them up. They're very comfortable. Ask the dogs. I found recliners from the same company that play nicely with the sofa you've selected. It's more leather than I'd like for a room, but fabric on recliners doesn't wear well.

I think the niche and the FP could be tweaked a bit to make things fit and look a bit more important. The flatscreen could be mounted with a bracket that angles the face down a bit to allow for the short distance.

I like this arrangement because no one's back is to the cook in the kitchen.

The layout above would work IF there was NO television in the room. I don't see a single comfortable spot to watch tv without twisting your neck. Am I missing something?

chispa, The recliners swivel and the sofa is perpendicular to the flatscreen just like it would be if kellienoelle put the sofa where her recliners are currently located. It's not an uncommon layout.

What would you recommend given the restrictions & the size of the room?

Just for scale, here are the rough sizes of the current furniture:

Sofa 86-87" long and 40" wide
Recliners: 36" wide
I wonder if I could get my husband to do a little bit of furniture rearranging this afternoon so I can get a general idea of scale.

We were tossing around the idea of putting the TV back in the corner on it's current stand and angling it slightly. For another option as Beverly was suggesting, the TV could fit in the alcove above the TV if we just enlarged the opening about another inch upwards. It's not my favorite idea for placement but do see how it offers more layout options. Plus it would be the perfect excuse to get the room painted.

Regarding the current chairs, to keep them it would be way too much leather in the room for me. My plan is to replace them but it may not occur immediately (I am coming to realize that I can be a bit slow in making decisions). And the new ones I get likely won't be recliners. Sorry husband.

FYI here is a listing photo which shows how the PO had the furniture laid out. Keep in mind we haven't actually ordered anything so all options are open right now. I love that sofa I posted, but if it is deemed too large for the room I could keep looking. Do you guys hate this look?

I do hate the PO's overstuffed furniture.

I think the question you must ask yourself and your husband, as you begin this project, is what type of furniture do you want to sit in to watch TV?

As much as I love your sofa selection, my personal experience is that everyone in my family wants to sit in a chair and LAY on a sofa. To give the sofa such a prime location, in front of your peninsula, would generally indicate that you and DH were going to sit on the sofa together to watch TV.

As for the flatscreen. Does yours have a removable stand/feet? Removing the stand can sometimes give you the room you need to mount the TV on an adjustable rotating arm, so no remodeling of the niche would be required.

to answer your questions, I have to say....it depends. We are pretty adaptable actually. When we had a sectional, my "spot" was sitting at one end, his "spot" was with his legs stretched out on the sectional side. Here, we didn't miss a beat, his is the chair, and I am on the sofa closest to the chair. Neither of us typically uses the couch to lay down. If somebody is in need of a nap (him, I am not a napper) then they need to go elsewhere to be out of the way. I did have a discussion with him about TV placement and he really doesn't want the TV mounted above the fireplace.

So, with all that being said, we did a little furniture rearrangement, here are pics:

Scenario #1, TV would have to be above fireplace. Obviously the TV stand would be removed and we'd have new tables. I must say that it did make the room feel much more open, but from a practical standpoint, I don't know that this would be my favorite arrangement. It just doesn't feel as comfortable for day to day.
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Scenario #2: And if we did the sofa floating, here is an idea of how it would look. Keep in mind that the back of the new sofa would be much better looking then this one, and it has a slight curve to it. The chairs would be replaced for something that will likely be slightly smaller, and we also decided it may be nice to have a new tv stand that was longer. We could have the TV back in that corner angled a bit and decorative stuff on the remainder. Maybe something sort of modular? We are going to live with this layout for a bit and see how we like it.
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And starting to look at chairs, I like the looks of this one. They also have quite a selections of fabric options. Any thoughts on how the style would look with the sofa?

Here is a link that might be useful: Chair

I think I would definitely do whatever i needed to to put the TV over the FPL, because, despite the drawbacks, it gives you so much more room.

I also agree to avoid all leather.

If the TV over the fireplace is not an option at this point, I like your option #2 -- but with the two chairs moved away from the wall.

Looking at your photos, I'm not sure the TV would look proper over the fireplace - as it seems that it is wider than the mantle, no? Visually, that would seem off.

I prefer the second arrangement but I would put the sofa against the wall and have the chairs floating where you currently have the sofa. Seem it would open the room up more.

Great idea to move your furniture, live with it a while and see what develops.

The chairs you like seem a bit too contemporary for the sofa with curved arm and nailhead trim.

Oops, I didn't go back to your original post. What didn't you like about your original arrangement?

I think the room is much warmer and more charming with the tv in the current position, and the decorative items over the fireplace.

I do like the sofa floating, and the chairs against the wall, but if you aren't going to be getting recliners, then I would certainly get a pair of chairs and an ottoman to put up your feet.

karlene- it wasn't a matter of disliking the original set up, in fact that may be decided to be the best layout. But the sofa we are looking at may look really nice floating, it has a nice gentle curve to it. Somebody commented earlier that the sofa was too pretty to shove against the wall. So i wanted to see how we could arrange the room so it would make more of an impact. As we are living in this set up, its not bad

Oh, I see. I just thought floating the sofa closed off the room more from the kitchen and made it seem more cramped. Either setup works though :-)

I hope this doesn't sound like a stupid question, but have you compared all of the dimensions of the new sofa with the old? To me, the new one appears to be deeper if you consider the back rest being slanted. Could it possibly extend into the room too much? Just throwing around some thoughts. BTW, the new sofa is gorgeous!

It's not a stupid question at all, and a very very important consideration. I compared the two, what is in there now is approximately 86-87" long and 40" deep. The Bates sofa is slightly larger at 40" long and 42 1/2. But I think that the chairs that I will get will likely be a bit smaller than the current recliners so everything can be pushed in more. Or the sofa can just go back to the original spot against the wall. Another option if the thought is that if the original sofa is thought to be too large (an inch or two sounds minimal, but in a small room maybe it will make a huge difference) is that I can go back to the drawing board on the sofa. This one is slightly more petite at 85" long and 40" deep. On first glance, I just am not sure that I like the appearance quite as much, but I do think that it would look nice. It is actually a little more feminine in appearance too.

Here is a link that might be useful: other sofa option

Or this one is 83" long and 39" deep. Don't know if that is verging on too petite though. It appears very similar in style to the first one I selected.

Here is a link that might be useful: smaller sofa.

A couple of thoughts for your room to maybe consider, that might affect furniture placement an selections.

The creation of a warm inviting space, requires layering items of varied textures and colors. I think your room could use something to visually heighten it's appearance. I would suggest some modest floor to ceiling drapery panels, maybe with a contrasting fixed or moving shade below, to control light/privacy for the 3 windows in the room. I'm NOT suggesting orange fabric. The adjustment to your photo is just a demonstration of a concept.

I don't know how important the ceiling fan is to this room or if this style is something that will work with your furniture selections, but I usually recommend that clients use a fan with NO light kit, especially with 8' ceilings. It visually lowers the ceiling, and the quality of the light it provides is never complementary to the room or the people in it. Sometimes light kits can be removed from fans and replaced with a cap.

Also, if you don't use the flatscreen niche for the TV, I would consider creating some type of access cover to close the hole. Otherwise it looks like the place where the TV was supposed to be placed. I would utilize your existing recessed ceiling lights, to highlight the wall and minimize your dependence for light to solely lamps. Those accent lights will highlight the far wall, and add depth to the room.

If you don't want to close the hole, then I would recommend selecting an accent paint & installing a small light inside the niche, to focus attention on its location. It will then appear it was a planned feature. Selecting the right objects for the niche is important so it doesn't look like a catch-all. I've included a few photos to demonstrate the layering of interesting shapes & colors inside cube shapes for your reference.

This post was edited by beverly27 on Mon, Oct 28, 13 at 10:07

Beverly - I have long been saying that I want to paint that niche. I am not so sure about closing it up just to have the option to place the TV up there at some point. Just a quick note about lighting, the "lip" of the niche at the front end is several inches below the actual top of the niche. I am probably not explaining this well at all. But paiting....yes! I mentioned that I don't care for the current color, so will eventually change the color scheme all together because I am not much of an off white girl. I would anticipate that would include an accent color.

Regarding the ceiling fan, I love the function of ceiling fans so it will need to stay. We rarely use the overhead lights so can look into removing it.

I hope to get window treatments as well. In addition to the panels on those window we will need something on the French Doors. They currently are completely bare and our neighbors have a clear shot from their kitchen into the family room.

It's a little overwhelming to start to think about all the moving parts simultaneously. I think this is why people hire interior designers.

I love the Crosby sofa, but then again I like furniture with simple lines. I feel like the visual scale of the Crosby would work better in a small space. I also think the chairs you posted would work nicely with it. I agree that panels on the windows will really warm up the room. All of the pieces you are considering are lovely and I can't wait to see the finished product.

Please don't be over whelmed. There's a way to figure this out but you need to start with a list of each surface in the room, & each furnishing item and prioritize so you can implement this as funds, time and product become available.

A recessed ceiling in the niche shouldn't be a problem. In fact that's better because the light from the fixture can spread wider and fill the entire niche.

I still have a concern about the scale of the sofa you like. I think I'm missing a dimension on your floor plan.

Can you identify the rug in the room, or provide a better detail photo of it?

Beverly - I appreciate the words of encouragement! The wall to the tip of the granite overhang is 147 inches. We do have barstools back there, but don't need a ton of room. I do understand the concerns about the scale for the Bates sofa which I love for the shape (curve of the sofa and the way that the top and nailheads are visible above the cushions). I am not necessarily tied to Bradington Young, but I did do quite a bit of research on leather sofas and it seemed to have a nice balance with quality vs price that I was looking for (meaning I can't afford Hancock Moore, but am really trying to get away from my past of more throw away furniture) If anybody has any suggestions, I am open.

K9arlene - it is funny that I am so drawn to the Bates vs. the Crosby because I typically go for simple lines! But I agree that in a smaller space it just may be the better choice. Plus I agree that it may look better with the chairs that I liked.

The rug is 9x12, here is a better picture of it. I would love to include it in the room, we've had it for about 7-8 years, it is nice durable wool that has survived cat vomit, dog hair, and more red wine spills than I should probably admit. Plus while I realize that the pattern may box me in, I still really like it. :
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This post was edited by kellienoelle on Mon, Oct 28, 13 at 22:26

It's a little overwhelming to start to think about all the moving parts simultaneously. I think this is why people hire interior designers.

KellieNoelle, I really love the rug. It's a nice pattern for the room.
As much as it's overwhelming, if you plan through all the parts now, before you buy or do much more to the room, you know you'll have a plan and as it comes together all the moving parts work. Prevents mistakes, especially costly mistakes.
I admire you for sticking with it.
Aren't you also considering drapery panels for your DR? What ever happened with your MIL, was she willing or able to make them for you?
I agree with others here, as you continue to consider all your elements of this room you can address the windows too. Then as you're able you'll have a sofa, chairs, rug and window treatments as well as a floor plan that all works.

Marji- I think I have design ADD. The DR window treatments are on hold for the time being while I focus on projects that seem more important. It was first the carpet runner (for safety purposes for our dogs) and now it is the room where we spend all our time (seems like it should be a higher priority!). I finally got tired of de-fuzzing the sofa daily due to the dog hair being trapped in the texture.

The MIL is willing to sew panels for me, so I will probably have her do so for this room first.

So .... deep breath.....I'll try (repeat try) to focus on all the aspects of this room together. I have the rug, the leather samples for the sofa are on order so hopefully will be here soon (it will be some shade of brown). Once I decide on that I'll work on chairs in a complementary fabric, consider window treatments (both panels and on the french doors).

And at some point I will obviously need to decide what style of sofa too. Oh yeah, and a floor plan.

Maybe this green tweed couch/hair magnet isn't so bad after all.

I like your scenario #2. Having the chairs and tables against the wall, or even pulled out a little keeps them grounded. The gaps between each piece when they are in front of the bar makes them look too chopped up, and the curved sofa will make the conversation area seem cozier too.

I am going to post the pics of the sofas and their dimensions here in hopes to get more people to chime in regarding advice with size and scale and style in the room. Maybe it would be best to start a new thread to get votes between the two

Crosby: W 85", D 40", H 35"
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And Bates: W 88", D 42.5" H 36"

Kellie- a belated congratulations on the new house. It seems you're really pulling everything together.

If you don't think the new chairs will be recliners will you have ottomans? If not, then I would place the sofa in the best position for tv viewing. Your room really does seem suited for a sectional with a comfy chair in one corner. However of the choices you've posted, I think I prefer the original layout. Have you considered wall mounting the tv? if you could do that then I think the two chairs with a table in between would look good on the tv wall. With the sofa across from the tv and chairs, it may be possible to even add in a 3 rd chair by the sofa (where you currently have chairs) to create more of a cozy circular effect... Have you considered a more substantial coffee table or large ottoman? I think it would add more interest to the room.

Which sofa is curved? When I think curved I think of the BY mikkel sofa. It would really help create a comfortable conversational area.

My totally out there idea: shorten the height of the windows amdinstall a built in tv stand to one side and bookcase to the other? You'd then have a lot more options as far as furniture placement goes....

147" from granite counter to opposite wall. Subtract at least 30" for access to bar stools. I know you might say you don't need that much room, however, if you put the new sofa parallel to the peninsula, you'll want to be able to see the back curve of the sofa and that will require some space.

Now you have 117" left. and your sofa depth will take 42". That leaves you with 75" to the wall. Then you'll lose some space to drapes, so let's call it 70" tight. That's the amount of space for two chairs, space between and any other accessory items you think necessary.

I think one goal to keep in mind in laying out a room like this, is getting all the furniture in, but not making it look jammed into the room. To make the room appear spacious, you'll need 'breathing room' between furniture items. So your selections should be, of course comfortable seating, but at the very smallest size that can be comfortable. The gold Taylor King chair you like is 36" wide. Included below.

I think that includes scaling down the size of the sofa. Not to a loveseat, but what is often referred to as an 'apartment size sofa'. The limit on the length should be about 75". Still long enough to lay down on provided the arms are not monstrous in size. Most likely 1 or 2 cushions instead of 3.

I found all these sofas on the link below, which has a handy tool that allows you as you search for a sofa to limit dimensions for your sofa, and then the site finds you all the sofas available within your parameters. I know you want leather, and many of these companies offer leather as an option with their sofas.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hickory Furniture Mart

iheartgiantschnauzer - thanks for your thoughts! A couple things, first the house is a 1920 Colonial and everything from the outside achieves perfect symmetry. So while the windows are on the back of the house, I still don't want to do anything that would change that. The wall mounting of the tv could only be done on either of the side walls, and it would seem to become even more problematic to do it on the wall opposite of where it currently is because then you would have to deal with working around the french doors. We've kind of nixed the idea of mounting it over the fireplace for several reasons. Although I do recognize that this would give us the most flexibility. The curved sofa is the Bates, it is just a very slight and graceful curve, not nearly as much as the Mikkel (which is nice, but I think it would work better in a larger room). A larger coffee table/ottoman is definitely on the list! Most everything in here will be replace.

Beverly - thanks for the link! I'm going to look around at that. I like #4. Although if there is anyway to make a larger sofa than apartment sized that would be my first preference. We can put the sofa back on the wall we already had it on, I feel like it would be OK to have something slightly larger than what we currently have. I was just looking at other layout options since we are starting with a blank slate essentially.

Does anybody recommend a room planning software online?

Kelli- I understand about symmetry. As I said my out there idea. I wouldn't wall mount over fireplace. It makes for awkward viewing. But by doing it on the wall where you have it located it seems you could then hide cable boxes elsewhere run wires through the wall and just go for a table between the chairs... But as I said it seems like your original layout may be best. I still would wall mount the tv and opt for a thinner console or cabinet underneath. I think I would maybe try swivel chairs that could be squared to the fireplace but easily swiveled to view tv or to talk to someone in kitchen or on the sofa.. Just to clarify I wasn't suggesting the mikkel just noting it's what I think of when I think curved. Not sure if I said it before but my SIL has the Crosby sofa it is comfortable and striking. It would look great in your room. I like your chair choice too. I don't think it would feel too cramped.

Then again I have the equivalent of two Crosby sofas and one chair in my den which is 14' wide by 20' or so long. It too is off our kitchen with french doors to a screened porch. However our room is oriented differently... And the furniture is In roughly a 14 by 14 area. So my view is of cramped is highly biased :)

Have you tried room planner by chief architect?

I'll try that room planning software. I think this all may have been an exercise in futility and the current layout is the best option!

Regarding the TV area, I see what you are saying. I don't think the wall mount is going to go over well. My husband is very easy going, but he has a couple of odd quirks and one of them is damage to the walls. I am quite sure he will not want to install a mount on the wall. (Shoot, he gets nutty about scuffing the walls when hanging pictures, I break out the magic eraser but he wants to repaint, but that could be whole other topic) But we are looking for a different console, something more modular that will take up more of that far wall. I think if we select right we could get a similar look. I'll be hitting you guys up for help with options as soon as I get to that point.

And regarding the amount of furniture, what is one person's cramped is the other person's cozy! I guess I should take a long hard took at the Crosby vs. the Bates since it may be a compromise size-wize. I am still very impatiently waiting for my leather samples! Once I have that squared away I'll start looking at the fabric choices (chairs and drapes).

i don't really have any input as to room layouts... i prefer tv watching from a couch since that's what i'm used to. but, i definitely prefer the bates sofa--- i think it's much prettier and looks much more comfortable-- especially for those who might like to lean on/up against the arm (the square arm of the crosby looks alot less comfortable for sprawlers is what i'm saying!)

I'm wondering if the width dimension of the Bates sofa takes into account the fact that the arms seem to stick out several inches from the seating area. If not, that could add several more inches to the length.

I'll check on that, but I think it includes the entire width because they have a seperate one just for interior dimensions.

Everytime there is a vote for one, there is an offsetting vote for the other...haha. Guess this is just a decision we'll have to make alone

I love the Bates. I think it is a very classy looking sofa and this is a sofa that you will have for many years. I do like the Crosby sofa just like the Bates a lot more. I believe that furniture dimensions for the outside is taken at the longest dimension. Bradington Young is a good quality sofa. If you are open to other manufacturers Smith Brothers is among my favorite (but so is BY and HM).

The carpet is beautiful and I am glad you are keeping it as it is a lovely focal point for your room.

We had the chance to sit on a Smith Brothers sofa, and while it was beautiful, neither of us found it quite as comfortable. I think it was something with the depth of the seat or the slope of the back.

The more I look, the more I prefer the Bates to be honest. I could be happy with the Crosby but I prefer the Bates. for the reasons I stated earlier. I also just noticed that the bottom cushions are a different as well. Again, I prefer the Bates.

I've been using PlanYourRoom http://www.planyourroom.com/
It's free, it's relatively easy to use, and you can save your plan and go modify it endlessly. It's got a few weird quirks, most having to do with log in and retrieving your plans.
Just be aware that when you register it takes a good 24 hours to remember you. I spent so much time the first time on just putting in my walls etc, then when I logged out I couldn't get back in. It told me that I didn't have an account. I was so discouraged. But next day I tried again and it was all there.
What it doesn't have is elevations - 3D. Wish it did. Ikea has it but their plugins are so limiting.

Here is a link that might be useful: RoomPlanner

I read most of this thread after reading your fabric thread. What struck me in the other thread was how formal and uncomfortable the sofa, chairs, and fabrics look for a family room with dogs. I was going to suggest a small, tailored sectional, and I see lizzie_grow said that was what she wished she had in her similar room. I see your response that you had a sectional before and it limited the ways you could arrange it. But you are limited in your new home regardless with several windows, fireplace, peninsula, and the size of the room. I don't think you'll be rearranging the furniture much in that room.

I think it will be a very clean look to create a third corner near the peninsula with a sectional. In the window corner between the fireplace and TV, would you have room for the new chair and an ottoman? That will bring in a fabric and be comfortable. We have two "fancy" chairs in our living room and I never sit in them. You can add a small floor lamp for a reading corner. Assuming you add an end table and lamp to the sectional, you'll have light in both corners of the room.

The other concern I have is the yellow chair with the undertone of the rug. We painted a sitting area and hallway in SW Antique White this spring, then our upstairs flooded from a clothes washer overflow and we replaced all our carpeting. It's beige with brown flecks, similar to your rug colors. Looked okay on the sample. But on a sunny day, our walls turn pale yellow and look awful with the carpet. I know your furniture salesperson warned about a pink undertone clashing with yellow, but our carpet has no pink undertone. Yellow can make beige look dirty.

Thanks for your thoughts may flowers. So now that I have this new tool I tried doing it both ways....sofa and chairs and sectional. I'll have to run them by my husband. He has been very sectional opposed but maybe seeing an image may help. May I ask why you feel that the furniture would be not great with dogs....this is a HUGE consideration for us so we don't want to make that mistake. If you speak from experience please share! FYI - my dogs aren't big...two selties at 25 lbs and an Aussie that will grow to be about 30-35.

Here are the mock ups. The sectional I used was the BY Tappan, which I have linked below. The chair and ottoman I didn't customize the size since the Taylor King chairs I used for the other seems to be too long. But I am sure I could find one smaller since I venture to guess it won't be used often.

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And then the original idea with the scale of the furniture I am looking at (minus tables - haven't gotten that far yet!):
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Any thoughts?

Regarding the yellow, we will pick up fabric swatches tomorrow. I really want the yellow to work, but can see what you are saying. I'll take some pics for feedback.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sectional

My #1 goal would be comfort, so I do like the sectional. You can face the fireplace or the TV and lounge instead of sitting rigid in a chair. I think the other floor plan gives you a very cluttered perimeter--chair/table/chair/table/sofa table--backing up against three bar stools. Will the tables then all have lamps? This isn't a big room and there's a lot going on. Now add a few people and three dogs to the room. So I would want the furnishings to be simple and necessary if it were my room.

The chair in the corner appears to block the TV, but as you say, it's not to scale. Were you considering wall-mounting the TV? I'm also not a fan of wedging a sofa table between the sofa and a wall. I think their original purpose was to finish off the back of a floating sofa, and I'm a traditionalist!

Edited to add: I also like the sofa and loveseat combination mentioned in the thread, but don't have time to reread to see if there were problems with that layout.

This post was edited by may_flowers on Sat, Nov 23, 13 at 20:05

Here is a layout with the loveseat, and to be honest, I really like this one. This is to scale using the loveseat I linked below and a small chair. I think this offers the most for seating and comfort. Thoughts?

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Regarding wall mounting the TV....husband says absolutely not.

Here is a link that might be useful: Loveseat

This post was edited by kellienoelle on Sun, Nov 24, 13 at 12:17

I disagree about the loveseat offering more comfort than two chairs. I certainly don't feel comfortable sitting next to someone on a loveseat, especially if I don't know them very well. Also, when they are speaking to each other, they have to face inward with their knees practically touching. For tv viewing at that angle, I don't think it's the best from a loveseat. I would suggest 2 swivel chairs in place of the loveseat. Also, your home is not a designer showroom, so I would go for comfort and function rather than what looks the best.

I agree that as far as function, you need to determine who is going to be using the loveseat. They are great for one person or couples who want to sit close and hold hands watching tv or the fire, but for general use, not so much.

The tv viewing angle from the loveseat/chairs position looks uncomfortable, unless they are swivel chairs.

I have a loveseat that used to be in my living room but is now in a sitting area. I lay down to read and prefer it for taking naps. I just stick a pillow under my legs. There's no loving going on on my loveseat, but I have shared it comfortably with others. The rolled arm on the Bates is the better choice for the layout you're thinking of.

So do you even watch a lot of TV when you have guests? Most of the time it will be you and your husband, so that takes precedent over whether every guest has a primo spot for watching TV. There's only so many people you can fit comfortably in a small room, and you're doing great to offer five seats. I wouldn't suffer every day so my guests don't have to sit next to each other for a few hours.

I tend to agree with you may_flowers. 99% of the time it will be my husband and I. And when we had a sectional, it was me perched on one side on the arm on one side, him stretched out legs up on the other side. Now he is in a chair and I am in the couch. Its a bit annoying because since he doesn't have his legs out on the sofa they are right across the walking path for me out of the room. So from that standpoint I think it will be a better set up for the two of us. And he'd be facing the TV with that set up too.

As far as guests go, people just seem to make due with whatever seating is available. While I want to make the best set up possible I don't entertain enough that it is the primary consideration. Plus when we have quests, I think it would be nice to have that entrance to be more open which is the layout with the loveseat vs. the two chairs.

On the downside, the BY loveseat is almost as much as the sofa, so it certainly isn't the most budget friendly decision. Due to size, we are planning on going with the Wykeham. The Bates is really pretty, but I really like the tightback of the Wykeham.

This post was edited by kellienoelle on Sun, Nov 24, 13 at 22:58

I guess the cost of a leather loveseat would be more than the cost of two chairs and an end table. You could wait on the corner chair. I might do that and proceed with the window coverings.

I also noticed that you have a more open entryway into the room with the sofa/loveseat. I showed the layouts to my DH and that was the first thing he pointed out.

Hi wondering how the project is going? I've enjoyed and learned thru your thread.Go ahead and laugh at me but I would not wall mount the TV. In fact I would angle it in the corner for best view from the furniture you sit in most. I would also float the sofa and finish it with a nice back.

Oh and Love the rug, love the niche( I agree with recessed lighting).