I posted before I could change the subject of my posting and then when I went back to edit it, guess what, you can't edit your subject!!! It should read, Please help me choose a style

I think the second chair aligns a bit better with the existing furniture overall.

Thanks, pal, I know you have a good eye for design.

You've chosen an unconventional placement of the upholstered pieces on the corners of the rug. Would you consider doing some room rearranging before you commit to new chairs?

Here is how the furniture was arranged before we changed the window treatments, replaced the tall, open shelf with a curio cabinet, changed the table at the window, and a few other minor things.

And this shows the rest of the room, as you are standing where the sofa is placed. Again, it is a before. The table from the entry is now at the window and there is a bench in the entry instead.

may flower - do you have any suggestions for any other arrangements? I have always found this room a challenge in many ways, especially with furniture arranging.

I like the arrangement that you had before with the sofa against the wall. But like the table (from the foyer) in front of the window. First white chair is the one I would choose. Would you consider putting the two white chairs facing the couch? Backs to the foyer...with a lamp/table between them?

I would pair the chairs with the round table on the wall that has the piano. a backless bench would be great at a right angle to that, on the fringeless side of the rug, and get a pair of end tables and lamps for each side of the sofa.

I love the second chair.

Nancy

I like the sofa better there too. I just think the furniture is too traditional to try to get funky with the arrangement. It throws the painting and lamps off balance too.

Are you buying the chairs from someplace that has interior design service? I think you should get a good floor plan first, then work on bringing some cohesiveness to the room with chairs, lamps, and tables. Right now, it looks like you have one of everything, which will be the case even more so when you buy chairs that are different.

I'd also like to see the sofa back where it was - not shoved tight against the wall but with a few inches of breathing space behind. Keep the table at the window. Then, 2 of the tufted chairs, or similar, at a soft right angle, one with the back to the window and one with the back to the entry but slightly canted towards each other for comfortable conversation and so it doesn't feel stilted. I think that's what you were hoping for with the angles you have going but it feels wonky instead of comfortable and inviting. Place them either completely on the rug if it's large enough (hard to get a true perspective) or if not, then both with front legs firmly on, not at the edges. Place a small table (something that isn't leggy, more like a small cabinet, preferably) between them with a lamp. Test it out as a possible arrangement with your current chairs - if you have 2 white sheets, cover and tuck them on the chairs for a visual. I think you may find a different coffee table to be a better fit, oval or rectangle scaled to work with your sofa. I had a large square table and they can be difficult to work with.

I had a little time before I left the house this morning, so I did some rearranging and here are the results, so far. Since there was a general consensus that the sofa should be on the wall, I did that and I does feel better. I think part of my problem is, tho, the size of the rug. It should be larger. I'd really like to be able to center it on the windows, but if I do that, the sofa ends up way too far into room. As it is, in these pictures, it is about a foot away from the wall, which I think is OK. There is only one plaid chair in the pictures because the other one was moved out of the room for the holidays to make room for the tree and we still haven't moved it back. Before I proceed, what do you think of what I've done so far?

The pictures look so different because of the back light from the windows.

"I would not replace the pair of chairs with another pair of chairs. I am considering a leather chair and a fabric chair."

I think you should rethink that decision. You already have many things in the room, each different in some way: different woods, different types and styles of lamps, various colors and patterns. I think a pair of chairs would anchor the room and prevent it from seeming to fly all over the place as it were.

In terms of which of the two chairs, what do people who sit in them typically do, and for how long? If people hang out, lounge, read, have long conversations, then definitely go with the second chair. It looks far more comfortable than the first one for those types of activities. If the room is more for show, and people tend not to use the chairs very much, go with the second one anyway. As pal has pointed out, it goes much better with your sofa and the other things in the room than the first one does.

It looks like your furnishings could breathe a little more, moving the sofa down further towards the window. Things look a little pushed into the corner from here. The rug can also be pulled out more from the sofa and from the console, more centered to the window and more floor area addressed by the rug.

The round table looks good between the sofa and wall. Maybe it looks crowded to snookums because of the screen behind the table. Try taking that away and centering the lamp. I think you could also move the curio a few inches toward the DR. Treat it as the divider between LR/DR.

I think what the room is lacking are some larger patterns on a light-colored background. My eye goes right to that bird pillow, and I'd like to see more spots of interest like that. You have enough soft colors that blend together.

lynx - I'm trying to make this more of a "hang out, lounge, read, have long conversations" room. I've always liked the style of the second chair, so that's probably what I'll be looking for. And I can see your point about a pair of chairs in there, but wonder if a pair of that style would be too much. That chair (from EA) is also available without a tufted back. Maybe that would be better for a pair.

snookums2 - As it is, the sofa is on the rug, but only by about 8". If I center the rug, the sofa won't be on it at all.

may flowers - I'll try removing the screen and moving the curio and then take more pictures. Moving the curio will probably make it easier to add a table and lamp to the other side of the sofa. I've been thinking about adding a cream colored throw to the sofa, so I know what you mean about the lighter colors.

That's what I meant, you mentioned the rug was too small but the sofa doesn't have to be on the rug. It can be pulled away from the sofa a bit.

Here are the adjustments I made. Removed the screen, added a pair of pictures I've had on this wall next to the window before, and moved the curio. (I think the curio could move even closer to the DR to allow for an end table next to the sofa. As I said, I need lighting at that end of the sofa.

This picture was taken at a slightly different angle in order to avoid glare from the flash on the glass in the curio cabinet.

Is it just me, or is the coffee table too big?

Would it be too much to add a pair of chairs that would sit across from the sofa as well as a chair that would sit to the left of the sofa, facing the window?

snookums2 - My concern is that the sofa would not be on the rug, but the chairs would be on the rug. I thought it was best to have all the furniture be consistent - all on or all off the rug.

I can't tell how deep it is, but would it work for you to put the table that's in front of the window behind the sofa? It would move the sofa out into the room, you could center the rug and still have the sofa on it? If you could off-set the sofa to the art or the art to the sofa and put a lamp on that table, behind the sofa. You might have to rearrange the lamps and tables to get the right look. I, too, would move the curio a bit to the left if you can.

check out this thread:

Here is a link that might be useful: sofa table between wall and sofa

If you add a 3rd chair I fear you'd be venturing into waiting room territory. Yes, the coffee table is too big. Your rug is not large enough to place all 4 legs of all furniture on it but that's ok. If your rug was centered to the window a bit more, you'd have some wood between the sofa and rug, but the chairs would be more firmly planted on the rug and that's ok. You can find rules about just about anything and you can find rooms that look wonderful and don't follow the rules. Keep moving the furniture around, scooch the rug down a bit and see how it looks. If you hate it, either put it back or make a mental note that someday you might want a larger rug.

Can the sofa work across from the window? I've always liked floating sofas and it could divide the piano/desk area into its own separate area.

olychick - I tried that once, but didn't care for how far into the room the sofa ended up. Plus, I really like how the table looks at the window, instead of hiding it behind the sofa. Good thought, tho. I did see that new thread.

deb - Tomorrow, I will try moving the sofa off the rug to see how I like it. Do you think a third chair would be too much, even if it was much lighter in feel? There's a cute chair I've had my eyes on at Village Treasure House. I guess you would call it a bergere chair, but it has a tight back and seat. It needs recovering, but the wood on it is a little more 'rustic'. I'm not really describing it too well. Anyway, that's what I was thinking of when I asked about a third chair. I also need to start looking for a replacement coffee table from VTH.

snookums2 - I have thought about floating the sofa, but then that leaves that huge wall to work with! If only there was a fireplace on that wall. :)

It is such a pretty room, it just needs the tweaking and you are being a good sport to try what is being suggested. I can see why you don't want to hide that table.

I noticed that your rug used to run the opposite way. Is there any reason why it can't be changed back (I think it's the same rug, right? Or is it square and just camera perspective that makes it look longer one direction?) It looks as if that would give you more play for placing the furniture on the rug.

To me, the chair looks like it is shunned, or shunning. I would put it in front of the curio, so it is also facing the door, and the window. Then it says "welcome".

Nancy

"I have thought about floating the sofa, but then that leaves that huge wall to work with! If only there was a fireplace on that wall. "

Exactly! I think it's a hard room because it has only one focal wall. In most rooms, you have natural focal points with windows and fireplace. Or you use furniture and art that acts as a focal point when you're lacking the architecture. To complicate it, you have two open "walls" that need defining.

The sofa could do that job, so try what snookums suggests. If the round table works between the sofa and wall and you can plug in a lamp, great! The matching chairs (or new ones) could go on each side of the window and bring some accent color to the gold-on-gold of that wall. I'm visualizing the window as a fireplace, and chairs always look good to me alongside a fireplace. Or they could be put next to each other on the open side of the rug, but I think the chairs have to be small and straight-armed for that to work.

That leaves the big wall. Without buying more furniture, the only thing I'm coming up with is to move the etagere there, if you still have it. But is it too narrow on its own? Two pushed together could work. I'm also thinking of the botanical prints in your DR thread and wondered if they're the right size to split them on each side of the etagere, hung vertically. They will also contribute to the muted tones you've got going though, which I fear you may add to with muted chair fabric if you get new chairs. Be a little bit bolder. ;) Use some larger objects on a shelf or two of the etagere. Too many little things get lost.

If you're going into EA for the new chairs, the designer can help you with accessorizing too. I would start with lamps and throw pillows. I have EA furniture and I'm impressed with their pillows!

I'm with snookums...

* Rotate the rug - center it on the window

* Move couch so it's facing the window

* Pair of chairs in front of window

* Round table in-between chairs

* Piano on accent wall

* Desk where piano is now

* console table where desk is now

I love moving furniture around - you can create a brand new look without having to purchase a thing!

This post was edited by Janice742 on Tue, Feb 12, 13 at 12:44

That might be a great spot for the piano! On second thought I had realized people would be completely facing way during music time!

What's to the right of the window? Is there no tv in the room?

This post was edited by snookums2 on Tue, Feb 12, 13 at 12:53

It's interesting how this thread went from new chairs to rearranging and I like the results so far!! I especially like how the corner has opened up and I really like the round table in that area. Thanks for all the encouragement to move the sofa.

olychick - the rug is in the same orientation in all the pictures. It is an odd size at 8' X 9', so I can see where it might look like it's square. I have the sofa on the 9' side of the rug.

springroz - I have a pair of those chairs, as you'll see in the pictures I'm adding today.

may flowers - I think moving the chairs closer to the window may, as I did in the pictures, may help the color distribution problem.

So here are the latest changes. The rug is a little closer to centered, but not exactly. The console table is no longer centered on the window. The sofa is completely off the rug, but still in about the same place as before and the two plaid chairs are in what I think is the arrangement dlm suggested. I tried them directly across from the sofa, but then it gets too tight between one of the chairs and the piano.

I have a shift this afternoon at the great consignment shop where I volunteer, so I'm going to start looking for an end table for the other side of the sofa.

Sorry this last one is so dark. I can never remember how to force a flash on my camera.

I was posting at the same time as Janice and snookums.

In order to have the sofa face the windows, it has to be fairly close to the long wall. Otherwise, it's too close to the piano and there's not enough walking space. So if the rug is centered on the windows, I can't center the sofa on the rug.

To the right of the window is the desk my dad built for me when I was around 10 years old.

There is no TV in this room. This is the living room.

That looks very nice! I like the two chairs there.

The curio bothers me as a standalone piece. Can it go to the right of the front window or down further away from the seating closer to the high curtains so it connects to something?

I think the chair can go on the other corner now.

I'm curious....How would it look to add another pair of drapes between the window segments to divide it into thirds, since it is such a wide window? I know you could steal the ones from the DR to test it out.

"I think the chair can go on the other corner now."

That might work well with the curio. Then you could pull the rug out further from the sofa. If both chairs touch the rug at those corners, I don't think it would matter that the sofa doesn't. It looks fine to see some floor in front of the sofa.

Oh, I thought that meant by the sofa but maybe not.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Tue, Feb 12, 13 at 13:26

snookums - I think the curio won't look so lonely once I add an end table and lamp to that side of the sofa.

may flowers - I'm not sure what you mean by 'the other corner'. Do you mean the other side of the console in the window? I suppose I could center it on the window and add a chair on either side of it, but then the chairs are really not in the best arrangement for conversation.

I meant the vacant corner in the open space.

The first thing that hit me when I saw your pictures was that the color on the wall makes the sofa appear dreary. It might just be my monitor, but if you are keeping the sofa, I would consider repainting the wall behind it, maybe in a creamier color.
Diane

ach, Barb! I was just going to ask when you're working next - I need a Costco run and would plan around when you'd be at the store - and you were there today!

I think the room is coming together nicely. You positioned the chairs as I was trying to explain - have you considered a shared ottoman for them? It makes for a very comfortable conversation/reading area and would fit if you get a smaller coffee table. You may not need or want those new chairs after all - maybe recover the plaid? So about that 3rd chair idea....... you certainly have the space for it - hard to know if it would work but I do like the idea of a bergere type chair - something a bit lower and more open in look would be nice.

may flowers - I'm still not 100% sure which corner you mean. To the right of the sofa, to the left of the sofa or to the right of the window or something else???

powermuffin - The walls are SW Blonde, which I chose because the room faces north and I wanted to 'warm it up'. The previous color was a much lighter beige, off-white or cream. There are times I would like to go back to something in that family, not so 'gold'. I also picked the color to go with the gold in the plaid. I'd like to repaint, but it's a big job (LR, DR and hallway) and I'm not sure DH will be on board.

deb - I'll be there again next week, but I'm sure you need to get to Costco sooner than then. I love the idea of a shared ottoman! The plaid chairs work there, but I still would like new chairs. I have thought about recovering them, but I'd like something a little larger scale. I think I'll take my chances on a bergere chair at the shop that is on it's last month. If it's still there, it will be marked down even further. If you have the chance to stop by next week and it's still there, I'll show it to you and see what you think.

Today at the consignment shop, I looked at a cute triangle shaped table that might work between the newly arranged plaid chairs. I'm going to mock up the shape with paper tonight and see if I think it will work. I don't know why I didn't take a picture of it while I was there. :(

I mean to move it down along the rug line to the left of the other chair, so it faces the sofa. But if you want to keep them together, I'd move them to the center of the rug, like in this photo from the sofa table thread.

may flowers - I love that look (and those chairs are very similar to the design I like), but when I arrange them, centered on the rug, one of them is too close to the piano for traffic flow.

I would try them on different sides of the rug then, and scootch them forward onto the rug. Maybe without the large coffee table you'd achieve a more intimate conversation group. It doesn't look right to me to crowd them both in a corner when you have a lot of rug available. It looks like someone pulled the chair over and forgot to put it back.

I don't know if I should start a new thread to ask this question, but I'll try here anyway, since all the pictures of the living room are in this thread. I would like to find a new end table for the other end of the sofa (near the curio cabinet). I like the round table on the other side and would like suggestions for what might work on the other side. Any ideas? Thanks.

Hi, I read here alot but this is a first post over here for me.. do you still have the sewing machine that you had in front of the window in the second room picture? I think it would look great as the other "end" table by the sofa. The base would tie in with the metal of your sofa table in front of the window too.