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psg007

Living Room Furniture Layout

psg007
11 years ago

Hi. My mum wants to redo our living room, and has tasked me with figuring out the layout, since I enjoy doing stuff like that :)

So, our living room is 15'4 by 10'5, with a fireplace off-centre on one long wall, a large window with radiator beneath on adjacent short wall, and the door at end of the opposite long wall (see plan - done quickly on Paint so only approximate, each black square is 1 sq ft).

The TV stand has to be located in upper left corner as all the wires are located there. There's only three of us, so we'll need minimum seating for three. However, we're not very often all together in there for any length of time. Also, our cats hog the seats a lot and we would like some extra seats for occasional guests... so lets say seating for 4-5. I am planning to get a movable-table-type-thing for dining and to have my laptop on... but other than that, it's totally open ended. So, any ideas on a layout would be most helpful.

Thanks x

Comments (10)

  • jakabedy
    11 years ago

    Does the doorway have a swinging door? Can the swinging door be removed? Do you use the fireplace? Is it woodburning, gas logs, etc?

    You could have about a 7' sofa on the wall with the door, facing the TV and fireplace, with room for small end tables on each end. Then use a large, upholstered ottoman that serves double duty. For propping feet while watching TV, or for sliding over in front of the window/rad for additional "visiting" seating rather than "TV watching" seating. Then have a nice chair -- possibly a recliner if that's your thing, near the fireplace, facing the TV area.

    I think your TV will need to be canted out from the wall a bit so it can be seen from the chair.

  • psg007
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks for the ideas, Jakabedy. The door is a swinging door, and we'd like to keep it that way. It is a little annoying, I know, but I figure we can work round it. The fireplace is gas coal effect and is rarely used (once a year maybe to check it still works lol!) Thanks again x

  • chibimimi
    11 years ago

    Your moving table -- how large do you want it to be? Is it just dining for one, or will it be dining for all three of you?

    If the latter, your room is a good size for a sitting room, but adding dining will crowd it. Plus, you'll also have to add three dining chairs, since the sitting chairs will be the wrong height and shape. You could add a dropleaf table in the upper right-hand corner, but the extra chairs will still be a problem.

  • psg007
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hi Chibimimi. Sorry for the confusion, the movable table will be dining just for me. We have a dining room where my parents eat, but I prefer to eat in the living room. At the moment, there's a big desk/dining table in the right corner next to the fireplace, but Mum wants to get rid of that. Thanks x

  • Shades_of_idaho
    11 years ago

    I think Jakabedy has a pretty good idea. We also have cats so I understand their needs to be everywhere. I have a small window seat with nice kitty bed on it and they love it. Might work by your radiator. Cats are going to sleep where they want that is for sure.

    I am really impressed with your grid done in paint. Going to have to look into that. See if I can figure how you did it. And Welcome. Always so nice to have new people join in.

    Chris

  • psg007
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hi Chris. Thanks for the advice. Glad you liked my plan. Each big black square is made up of 12 small squares, using different shades of grey to mark out the different inch increments - 6 inches, 3 inches, 1 inch. You can make the 12 squares as big or as small as you like, so you can even mark out half or quarter inch increments if you want. This was done with the smallest one inch squares possible so I could fit the whole plan into a small drawing. I do this a lot for fun when I'm bored, lol. Thanks again x

  • camlan
    11 years ago

    First thing I'd do is re-hand the door so that it opens against the right-hand wall, not the bottom wall. It is not very hard to do and will open up the room considerably. If you get a collapsible eating/laptop table, you could then store it behind the door when it is not in use.

    Then I'd move the TV out of the corner and right next to the fireplace, so that you have both focal points right next to each other. If the cable for the TV is too short, additional lengths of cable can be purchased very cheaply.

    Then I'd put a sofa on the bottom wall, just like Jakabedy suggests, with an ottoman or coffee table in front of it and end tables with lamps on either side. If you go with the coffee table, you could put upholstered cubes under it to act as additional seating.

    I'd put a console table in front of the window. It won't block the heat and will give the cats a place to sit and look outside. It would also give you another place to put a lamp.

    In the corner opposite the doorway, I'd put a comfy reading chair with a small table and floor lamp. Then put bookshelves or some other storage along that right-hand wall. Maybe a mirror to bounce daylight over the room.

    If you mount the TV over the fireplace, you could use an L-shaped sectional instead of a sofa, or a sofa and a loveseat or a sofa and two chairs.

    I'm going to be blunt here. Limiting yourself to that one corner for the TV really, really limits your furniture layout possibilities. Usually, you can buy cable to allow you to move the TV just about anywhere in the room. If that isn't an option, I'd check with the cable company to see how much they charge to move the cable outlet to a new place in the room. My cable company charges $35 if you just want the cable stapled to the wall, anywhere from $75 to $150 if you want the cable fished behind the walls so that it doesn't show.

    IMO, it makes sense to pay $100 to get the TV to a convenient place, rather than adjust your furniture to fit an awkward TV placement. If you are buying new furniture, spending that money to move the TV opens up your furniture options and may end up saving you money in the long run, because you won't be limited to certain choices just so people can see the TV.

    If the problem is electrical outlets, again, the cost is not that great to have an electrician come and put one or two right where you need them. The house, and the TV set, should work for you.

    The best places for your TV are right next to the fireplace (on the right side would give you more options), over the fireplace, or along that long right-hand wall. All those placements would give you many more options for seating and allow you to use the space in the room more fully.

  • psg007
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks for all the advice, Camlan. I'll run all your suggestions by Mum as she gets the deciding vote here, lol.

    I know for a fact that she won't wall mount the TV, as we have a wall-mounted TV in the kitchen/diner and she hates it because she says it hurts her neck to watch it (she is quite small). I wouldn't mind it as I think the sofa would be far enough away to avoid the neck issues, but we'll see.

    I think it would be possible to move it up next to the fireplace because the power outlet is actually situated there, but I'd have to check the cable for the digital box. As I said, I'll run it all by Mum, this post is more just for ideas and suggestions. Thanks again, x

  • erinsean
    11 years ago

    Just as a note....cable for the TV can be run outside your house....cable company can do that, or anyone handy with splicing cable wire can do it easily. That way the run from the left side of your fireplace to putting the TV on the right side of your fireplace is not a very long run and should be easy to do. With the TV there, you would haver lots of ways to arrange the furniture. Also have you seen the small tables that slide under your couch and can be used for eating on or for laptop? The bottom of them slides under the bottom of your couch, bed or chair. That would be handy for you.

  • psg007
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks for the suggestion, grandmaof3. However, I'm not sure if that would work in this situation as my house is semi-detached and the wall in question adjoins to the neighbours. I have a feeling that Mum will not want to move the TV. She'll want to do the MINIMUM possible to make the room work, since we're short on money. Thanks for all the ideas though, I do appreciate them. Thanks again x