WOW. Just want to say that is one gorgeous couch. I am in love. What brand is it?

Wow. What a couch! I love it. You don't see many curved couches that are not done in 'Modern'.

Are you commited to this room arrangement for some reason? I think the couch would look better where the TV is now, so it is open and welcoming as people enter the room, and the TV then goes on the wall where the couch is now.

Right now where it sits, it is blocking a window. If the couch was in the TV corner there would be a window at its side and with the TV on the other wall, the window over there would be better utilized both for light and for the decor aspect of it.

With the high ceilings you could really add drama by using high draperies on both windows.

Yes, I know that furniture arrangement was not what you were asking, but it is best to consider all options for furniture arrangment, before purchasing furniture for the space. That is a really cool couch and you want it to be shown off to its best advantage.

Thank you for the compliments on the couch. I fell in love with it when I saw it and new it was "the one"! It is from a company call Rachlin Furniture.

As much as I'd like to move the TV, it really needs to stay where it is. All the speaker cables from other rooms in the house come to that location, so it would be a nightmare to move the TV and components. That is one of the problems I had in finding furniture for this room and why we closed off one of the entrances to the room.

I thought about using higher drapes, but wasn't sure about matching the window on the opposite wall (by the recliner). Would moving the curtains up help? I do have some length on the bottom I can let out (I added the fabric that is at the top). Or should I look for a different style and should it match the other window in the room?

Thank you!!

I thought I'd bump this to see if anyone else had any ideas.

A lady I work with has suggested I raise the curtains and add another set of panels to the set behind the couch and make them wider, more heft and bulk (which I can do pretty easily). Worth a try?

I'm going to look for an artificial tree of some sorts today to see about putting it in the corner behind the couch with an uplight.

I'm still stumped on the cabinet to the left of the couch. Should it be something shorter?

Thanks for any help or ideas, I'm really lost all of a sudden.

I think that the bookcase looks a little off next to the sofa, but mostly because it overlaps a bit with the sofa. Can you shift the sofa a little to the left (i.e. slide it down to where the bookcase is now), and then move the bookcase to the right of the window that has the thin floor lamp in front of it, and slide your art (currently to the right of the window) over a bit (or else move it and hang it above the sofa)? The height of the windows would balance the height of the bookcase. And shifting the sofa would probably eliminate the dead space behind the center of the sofa.

If that kitchen/dining chair near the bookase is usually there, can you relocate it to another area of the house? It competes with the sofa and bookcase in its current location.

I love the sofa so much! I have been lusting over sofas with bullion? fringe. I like your idea of a shorter secretary with a drop down or pull out front for placing drinks. Cool rug too!

Immediately, I smiled, warmed with wonderful Paniolo memories of the Parker Ranch Restaurant on the Big Island and it's historic elegance. Must ground myself as I'm in heaven seeing your awesome sofa and your wood and *****dinette set*****, etc. What a stunning room! Fabulous! And what fun to have a home worthy of grand bold pieces!

I've made a few changes and wanted to see if it is helping any. I went shopping yesterday and couldn't find anything! Very frustrating! Anyhow, I moved the tree from another part of the house to behind the couch to see how it looks. I've also extended the right side of the curtain and added another panel. I'm thinking I might still move it up about 12 inches? I can't move the bookcase to the right of the window, there just isn't enough space to get up the stairs if I do that. The dinette chair was put there just as a temporary resting spot and I've moved it.

So, is any of this helping?

Thanks again for the compliments on the couch. I smile every time I look at it :-)

Robbi

Here's the picture with the changes:

{{!gwi}}

The new look is quite a bit better and I like the plant with the lights in the background. The bookcase would have a more substantial look if at least some of the shelves were filled with books. Were you thinking of having some kind of coffee table in front of the couch? Also, the curvy couch has rather feminine lines and the dark leather chairs look very masculine. Could one of them be changed for a fabric chair? The floor lamp seems too small in scale for the sofa, especially the shade. I don't want to seem too negative, but I also feel the rearing horse statue on top of the bookcase does not go with the couch, ditto the lamp with the cowboy boot base. It's obvious you love decor based on horses but sometimes having one theme can seem too overdone and a little monotone. I hope I haven't seemed too harsh in my comments, and these are just my personal views and may not fit with your ideas. I'll be pleased if any of them stimulate you to try some new things that will help you with this room.

Oh my, I love it! Extending the drapes on one side is absolutely brilliant balanced with the light tree, bet that's romanticly lovely at night. I loved the Paniolo style mixing cattle/equines in an elegant setting. Your doing exceptionally well!

I think that if the couch is going to sit in front of the window, you need to raise the draperies up to just below the horizontal trim line. The proportion of the drape that is visible with the couch there is too small. There should be much more drape vertically to balance the size and bulk of the couch.

Also, more substantial, dark rods would add a lot to the look of the window treatments, again in balance with all the heavy leather and stone in the room.

The bookcase just doesn't work by the couch, imo. The style is not a good mix with the victorian feel of the couch. I would move the bookcase to the wall that is to the left of the tv,, all the way to the left side of that wall, and consider doing a darker stain on it. I would put the tv next to it on that same wall, and re-orient the two leather chairs with a table between them, making that the tv room. A rug would help define that space.

I would move the tree to the left end of the couch, where the bookcase is now. I would hang a substantial piece of artwork on the wall behind the couch, and flank it with two wall mounted lights. Plug-in style lights wouldn't have to be hard-wired.

These might be great:

bronze leaf wall lamp

For contrast, and to keep the space from being visually too crowded, I would love to see an glass coffeetable, perhaps an oval.

This is not an oval, but the combo of round, leather and glass is kind of intriguing.

st. paul coffeetable

Lafonda,
I remember when you were working on painting the paneling!! It looks great! I love that sofa - it is awesome.

Okay, now I know some people hate this....but do you have any taxidermy? I could see something on that wall behind the sofa. Or maybe a collection of your art - love the idea of the sconces for the walls. Either one would work with the sconces. The room doesn't need much more - besides a coffee table or round ottoman. Hang the skin & get a cowhide round ottoman - or is that overkill? (pun) :) Or a hammered copper coffee table?
{{!gwi}} It looks like your fringe on your sofa is kinda copper colored. I love the iron legs on this one - they look like twigs.

Smiles:)

ingrid, no offense taken. Since I have some shopping to do, I am just placing what I have sort of as book marks to see if they work. I agree about the horse shoe lamp. That is all I had to put there, so it definately is temporary.

I have a friend coming over tomorrow to hope with reframming the cowboy oils. I really don't like the gold frames they are in and I think once they are reframed, they will work for the substantial art that les is referring to.

I've had a horrible time finding a coffee table and you guys have come up with 2 that I never even came across. I love the hammered copper.

Great ideas!!!! Thank you, you guys are wonderful. I love fresh perspective and critique, definately no offense taken. I had to go to a funeral this evening, so I will be hard at work after church in the morning. Stay tuned......

Looking for multifunction, because of the length of your fabulous sofa, I was thinking about easily movable options, so several people could enjoy without feeling trapped. From my search, it may be faster to build something perfectly fitting and functional, but here are some ideas just for fun. Casters certainly make moving easy and can be added to most.

bodica, you found some really neat pieces! Did you find them all at one location? I'd like to study them more closely (size, etc).

I've been pretty busy, but from the pictures it doesn't look like much. I bought a new, heaftier curtain rod and raised it up on the wall. Moved the plant from behind the couch (dh likes it better back there). I moved the bookcase to another room (I'll be asking for that room eventually). Here's a picture of the couch now:

{{!gwi}}

For the other side of the room, I'm not sure I like the flow of it with the changes that les suggested. I will leave it like this for a few days to see. I'm not sure I like looking at the backs of the recliners from the table/kitchen area. And the walkway (to the left of the chairs) is a little awkward. I do have a new curtain rod to put on this window, but time isn't allowing that for today. Anyhow, here are a few shots of the new arrangement.

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

Thanks again for all your help!!

Now I'm in your other room, is there a division for the ceiling that you could do LED rope uplighting and raise the village pieces on clear blocks to see better, then paint background(or print photo landscapes) and sky ceiling and as you find more pieces fill in with little hills and landscape? Sorry, I can't resist, I love such things. Railroad gardening websites have tons of minitures, too fun, and always changable!
Is you home for adults, or with children, or small visits, or large entertaining?
The pieces I found were Google Search-ottoman and nesting tables. I tried to ID as I saved so I may be able to give you websites for the pieces you like.
May I ask about the ceiling over the sofa? Did you like the tree behind? I did. And do you like colored walls? The pictures look almost tan to white from picture to picture. For clarification, are the drapes gold and brown and the sofa biege and rust? or brown? Never sure if my pc is close to actual room color. Can you tell I'm really enjoying your home and style! Do you have horses, I had two Morgans.

bodica, wow!!! Let me see if I can answer some of your questions. You are right there with us on the village pieces. There is a train that runs around that area (O scale, I think). I've said for a few years that I wanted some sort of background around that part of the wall. I just haven't found anything and I'm not talented to paint it myself. I already painted the ceiling in that area a pale blue. My dh is still a kid that way. We do have 2 small children, 6 and 7 yo. and we do some large entertaining. And yes, we have horses, 6 registered Quarter Horses. We don't ride as much as we used to because of the age of our kids, but I hope that changes real soon :-)

I'll have more time tomorrow to do some searching and get back with you about the links you have. Thank you!!

The walls were painted about a year ago. All the walls and ceiling are paneling (think late 70's). I had to beg and plead to paint them, but I think my dh is happy with them now. The color is BM Twlight Gold. It is pretty close to the color of the couch. I'd consider another color, but it was a major job to paint (3 bucks of scaffolding and over a week of time). Here is a picture taken just after I painted. The opening on the left is what we closed off for the couch.

{{!gwi}}

The drapes are gold with a small stripe fabric at the top (reds and golds). Yes, I liked the tree behind the couch and my dh keeps asking me when I'm going to put it back there. I thought I'd live with it there for a few days and see if I like it where it is. The location of the two chairs is growing on me. I keep moving little things around (changing the small tables) to see what works. I just put one by the stairs with the boot lamp to see if that works.

LOL, I am having way too much fun playing in your home.....

Oh, I love those!! Is that a wall paper border? I hadn't thought of that (duh!!). There is about 10-11" of space between the ceiling and the rail the train is on. 3 of the sides have wall for a scene. The fourth area is more of a tressel. I wanted it to look more like a covered bridge that is open in the middle, but I missed that and it came out a little awkward looking. You can see the train pass from the kitchen and that room you see in the pictures. Another work in progress.

I love all the creative ideas you're coming up with. Keep them coming :-) It's past my bedtime, so I'll check in again tomorrow....

bodica, I can't find those borders you posted last night. Help!!!!!

Thanks,
Robbi

la fonda, on taking a second look I wonder if it would be a good idea to have some cushions on the sofa to match the drapes, which by the way are beautiful. Pillows that echo the color and shiny material of the drapes would help to pull the look together. I still prefer the tree behind the couch.I love the color you painted the wood, it looks very elegant and lends itself to any color you might choose for furniture.
Keep working on the coffee table. I hope you don't prefer an ottoman because I think it would take away from the impact of the couch. The copper table is beautiful but I'm not sure the color would go with the couch. Glass might be a good option so you can see the rug underneath.

Thank you ingrid. I like the idea of some shiny on the couch. With all the pillows that are there, a few more won't be noticed :-) And I think the tree will end up back behind the couch. You can see that area from the mezzanine above and it is pretty big and empty looking. I need something back there for sure.

I agree with you about the ottoman. I've looked at many this morning and did find an oval copper one, but it is awfully bright and shiny. I also like the one that les put the link to, but I'm not sure about the size. That area gets a lot of traffic, so I don't want anything too big. I'm not sure about glass also because I have 2 small kids (6 and 8) who put their hands on everything!

What do you think about the new location of the 2 chairs? It's great for watching TV, but the lamp blocks the view and looks a little odd from the back side. Also, I do a lot of needle work (hand applique quilting) and need a very strong light by my chair (my eyes are getting old :-( ).

Hubby wants the pc and I need coffee so be back later,
here's the link, only looked on one site so far,
http://www.creativewallcovering.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?

bodica, I like that virtual room you made. (I presume you "made it" anyway). Very sumptuous!!

Lafonda, Your couch is beautiful! I love it, especially the fringe that coordinates well with your cowhid rug and your cowboy paintings. Very lovely room.
I have to say that I liked the tree behind the couch. It seems a bit "empty" to me behind the couch in that last photo. If you are wanting bookshelves in that room, I think a full length bookshelving system would be GORGEOUS on that wall. If it were in the budget, I'd be looking for something to cover that entire expanse. Then you could lounge on that beautiful couch and read all day long! LOL!! :o)
Very nice room. You're doing great. :o)

bodica, Yeah, I finally found the borders. Now, to see which one I want to get. I'm thinking mountains on tow walls, desert on the other?

totallyblessed, I love the library idea. I'm actually working on that in another room! My dd does lay on it and play with her Leapser (handheld learning computer type game) quite a bit. I have 2 big cowboy oils that I think will fill that space pretty good. Each is over 2'x3'. Once I find a decent frame, I'll be hanging them up. I just wish I had more patience.

It sounds like I should go ahead and put the tree back in the corner, too.

LOL, I was also thinking about how to piece the borders together as tho the train traveling east to west. I am dyslexic so getting the scale to work is beyond me. I would just take a few pieces to a wallpaper store to see what looks correct. Does the train reverse or make a complete loop? Does hubby like our ideas too?
Back to the couch, The one thought still bugging me, the back is so fabulous but not seen. Don't want to drive you off after all you have done, but is there any option to arange so both sides of the sofa may be seen and appreciated? or pulled out a bit with mirror behind,
Do I have this correct in my mind, behind the couch is a window, the door is by the kitchen, the couch is facing the fireplace and from the kitchen you see past the couch to the recliners in a den open to the livingroom? no, I do not have your floorplan correct. Sorry

I mentioned the borders to dh this morning and he likes the idea. Each of the long sides is about 14'. The shot side is about 10'. The other short side is there the 'bridge' is. I'll look at it tonight with dh and see what we can work out.

As far as the layout of the living room. As the furniture is now. Looking at the back of the chairs, you are stading by the dining table and behind you, the kitchen. That opening is about 10' wide. Still looking at the back of the chairs, next to the chairs is the couch. And in front of it is the fireplace and the stairs that lead to the upstairs. The couch is about 12 feet long. I would love if it could put the couch where you could see the back, but it is just too big. We did every arrangement we could think of when we first got it so that we wouldn't have to close off the door way (the blank wall that is now behind the couch).

Just to give you a little background of the house. When you stand looking at the back of the chairs, you are standing where the carport used to be. We added about 40' to the end of the house about 6 years ago, doing most of the work ourselves. So that is why the layouts ended up a little strange. The now TV area used to be the dining room and kitchen.

thought you & Hubby might enjoy this,
http://garden-railway.zoomshare.com/

http://www.sceniking.com/CatNew.htm

Just wanted to say that raising the curtains up with the new rods made a huge difference. My vote is that the tree goes back behind the sofa.