Will a TV be placed inside the large armoire? It is SO very large -- and VERY deep -- and takes up a lot of valuable floor space -- or sitting area .....

Would you consider having a flat-screen TV installed over the fireplace area? Just wondering!

OR perhaps a flat screen TV with a new entertainment center on the long wall?

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

No TV in this room. We have it wired for a tv above the fireplace, but this is for the future if we decide to go this route.

The fireplace is actually two-sided. The other side is in the kitchen/hearth room. We have a TV above that side of the fireplace. The kitchen/hearth room is our 'family' room....where we will spend most of our time.

The armoire is HUGE!!! It is actually four pieces....you are seeing two of them (the top and the bottom). The two side pieces are in the basement and they will become part of our back-bar when we finish the basement.

The wall that the armoire is on is a two story cathedral ceiling. It is a huge wall and needed something big against that wall. Large scale. Plus, we got the whole armoire for $200 off of CL....it is beautiful. I think it was originally designed for one of those huge tvs.

I will take more pictures tomorrow when it is light out. That will help.

So, no tv in this room......

Melissa

This is a very beautiful space. The first thing that struck me was that that fireplace looks like a cooking hearth that one would find in an old castle. It is so high that I do not think you should try to incorporate it into a seating arrangement as a focal point. The chair looks dwarfed beside it and so does the other furniture with it all being so spread out.

Since you are not needing a TV in this space I would get rid of the amoire in this room and put the couch on that wall with the love seat angling off from it and the chair facing. Add a couple end tables of course. Hang a huge tapestry or some massive wall art on the big wall. This was you have a cozy seating area. The fireplace can stand on its own like a fireplace in a 'great hall' in days of yore. In old mansion and castles furniture was not placed around the hearth. I think that is the way to go here. A big tapestry on the opposite wall will balance the "weight" of the fireplace yet keep the room from getting too bulked up.

I agree with Dilly. I think you are right about needing something tall on that vaulted wall, but that armoire is much too deep for your lovely room. I would move it downstairs with the other two pieces and find something else for that wall to balance the fireplace.
Dee

I also agree - that armoire is way to big and the chair too small. I think you could put the love seat and couch facing each other in front of the fireplace with a coffee table in the center. Then add two nice (larger size) chairs with a table in between on the back wall. A big painting or wall hanging over the table and chairs to balance the fireplace.

The first thing I noticed that seems odd is that your hearth is wood, or at least appears to be. Is that up to code?

gracie01....think "gas" fireplace and start "decorating" this girls house. :0)

What's the coffee table look like? Any art work? Window coverings already purchased? Throw pillows? Brass telescope or BIG urn accent pieces?

Yes, that is a FABULOUS armoire and a great buy, WOW! I love big pieces like that! Decorating "by the book" is boring. Keep that lovely piece. I like the idea of starting with the couch and loveseat facing each other in front of the fireplace.

Gracie01, the hearth is wood, but the horizontal portion is tile (the part you sit on). Just the facing is wood. It is definitely to code. We had the county crawling all over this place during reno. We had a terrific builder. It is a gas fireplace.

Nicole, thank you!!! Actually, I was never thinking that anyone would tell me to move the armoire out of there. There is no where else for it to go and I LOVE IT!!!! It took four people to load just the top half onto the bottom half. I could move it within the room (with a lot of help, of course) but we cannot take it out of the room.

I do not have window coverings. The moulding is so beautiful and the doors open up to complete privacy. I am not opposed to softening up the wall with fabric window treatments, but it will just be for show. Please give me ideas and thoughts on this!

I need throw pillows, I NEED artwork (we have NO CLUE as to what we like). I have not purchased an ottoman yet. I have a really cool brown and linen zebra striped round ottoman. It is in our hearth room but it can be moved anywhere. Open to suggestions here!

I also need to figure out what our accent color will be.

I have big urns and big metal pieces of 'art'. I have a huge round clock (very beautiful and VERY HEAVY). If it goes in this room (I'm actually thinking about it for the hearth room) it needs to be anchored to the wall.

I am attaching some pics in the daylight....I'll move the sofa and loveseat in front of the FP and take some more pics.

Thank you for all of the input so far!!! Please keep it coming!!!

Melissa

What a great renovation! I love two-sided fireplaces.

I would commission a huge piece of art to fit exactly in the space directly above the mantel. I agree the zebra chair, which I love btw, is too small. It could go in a corner with a lamp to make a nice reading nook. I would either get two much more substantial chairs to flank the fireplace or buy four big comfy chairs to float in the center of the room around a round coffe table. I do like the couches facing each other in the room as well, though. Have you considered softening the color of the two pillars? I love the wall color and the white elsewhere, but I would lean toward something closer to or matching the wall color for those two elements.

Very pretty! I actually don't think the armoire is out of scale, but the chair is definitely out of scale...the fireplace surround is huge and the armoire matches that. The big white block under the fireplace is very harsh...would you consider painting the inside squares a taupe to match the surround or the same color as the wall?
I also think you definitely need an area rug to ground things....

Looking at it again, maybe it's not the chair...I think an area rug, with large oversized accessories, statement lamps and painting the bottom of the fireplace surround will really help.

mel....have you looked at inspirational pictures, say in our gallery? What direction would you like to go with this?

Here's a link that comes to mind when I think about decorating direction. The accessories can make it masculine, feminine, bright, dreary, casual, stogie.....

Here is a link that might be useful: Masculine vs feminine, cote de Texas...

Thank you to everyone for your feedback so far!

Nicole, I read that link and I laughed hysterically at the first house and the comments!!! My dh was wondering what the heck I was laughing at!!

I am definitely not into masculine decorating.....what I like is a 'feel'....I want people to come to our home and feel really comfortable. I want it to feel warm and inviting. The great room is definitely more formal than the other side of the fireplace in the hearth room/kitchen. The marble tile on the FP surround is more formal and the hearth is as well.

When the designer and I were designing this house, I asked for arches and beautiful mouldings. When choosing and designing the kitchen, I was at a loss with the island chandys. I didn't want pendants....I wanted something a little unexpected and a little bit of 'bling'. I got it (within budget, thank goodness).

When we chose the furniture for the hearth room, I was at my wits end with DH. Budget was huge to him....of course, and I understood that. However, it was SUCH an issue that I caved with the choice and color of furniture. It is casual which is great for our family. It is definitely functional....but it is not the color choice I wanted. Sooooo.....I got a limey green shag rug to go in there....it should be delivered soon (tee hee). Along with the round brown and linen colored zebra stripe ottoman.

So, back to the great room.....definitely more feminine, but not over the top like the link you posted. I have some AWESOME oversized pillars that I will take a picture of tomorrow. Maybe they can go in here? They are currently an aged black color. But, I'm really handy and crafty. I'll paint anything.

I'd like to keep the sofa and loveseat if possible. No other place for it. AND, after looking for THREE months for chairs for the hearth room, I do not want to go through THAT again. I will go out and buy accent chairs if needed, but maybe one piece at a time.

One question I have about lighting....I pulled the sofa and loveseat across from each other in front of the fireplace. I have an outlet to the left of the FP.....but the cord will run along the carpet to an end table.

What does everyone do about electrical when they float their furniture???????????

We had two floor plugs installed during install. It was expensive....granted, the builder upcharged and the electrician was not cheap. However, I can't go there again for another floor outlet. Any suggestions?

More pics tomorrow....

Melissa