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My husband and I are done remodeling and finally ready to purchase long-term furniture. Exciting, but the great room is giving us such a hard time! As you can see from the floor plan, we only have one wall to the right of the fireplace to anchor furniture, or at least that's the only design we're coming up with. As of now, we don't see any other place for the TV except that wall. We toyed with the idea of hanging it over the fireplace, but our mantle is way too high so that option is out. Keeping the TV on that wall means we have to float all our seating. My dream is a standard sectional with a chaise on one end. Looking at our dimensions, you'd think we have the room, but after taking into account the brick hearth, 3-4' walkway we'd like to leave next to the stairs, AND that small 2' wall next to the stairs that eats into the walkway itself...the room closes in quite a bit. A large sectional seems overwhelming at that point, especially hanging out in the middle of the room. We also have a coat closet at the end of the "walkway." Again, making our large room, not so large after all. We measured off the sectional and it really does seem to swallow the room. (Pics below - and disclaimer - we've since updated our banister and whitewashed our fireplace!) We're expecting our first and only child in May. Again, I'd love a sectional that the 3 of us could snuggle on, but I fear there won't be any room for accent tables, or any room for our baby to crawl around and play. Plus, factor in all the baby gear, although temporary, we'll be pretty cramped for a while. So our next thought was to float a double chaise sofa facing the TV at 129" long with the chaises coming out to 64" each. (Possibly adding a long sofa table behind it depending on the dining table we choose.) We would then float 2 accent chairs just in front of the TV console, facing the sofa. This will leave us with dead corners at the windows, but I can always fill them with blanket baskets, etc. (We have a very spoiled cat, so he'll end up with one corner I'm sure!) And I was thinking once the baby gear days are said and done, we could even do a slim sofa table along the stair wall. At 129" it will still be just as long as the measured off sectional in the photos below, but I'm hoping due to coming out only 64" and remaining low profile, as opposed to a full back 96" along the stair wall side, the room will still feel open. I know how some people feel about the chaises...that they're wasted space and ottomans are more versatile. I agree, however, we're using ottomans now with a standard sofa and I don't care that much for the set up. We do entertain, but I want to design more for our family on a daily basis and I think the double chaise might be a nice way to get my comfy sectional feel without entirely enveloping the room. Thanks so much for reading. I am desperate for thoughts!! If you see an arrangement I haven't thought of, or think what we're planning might be terrible, great, etc...I'd love the feedback!!!

Here are the mock-ups that I created. Links are to the different sectionals, but not the specific configuration. The recliner on the right is our existing one. The coffee and end tables are just suggestions, but haven't been decided on. The rectangle on the wall across from the fireplace is the secretary desk that I already have. ETA - the layouts in A and B are similar, except the end on the short side is armless in B and the long side in B is longer by almost a foot. A. Room & Board York Sectional R&B York Sectional B. Bassett Beckham Sectional Beckham Sectional C. Crate & Barrel Gather Petite Sectional C&B Gather Petite Sectional D. Crate & Barrel Gather Petite Chaise Sectional

How about a round table, 4 chairs, and a wall hung t v in the morning room? Our first house(1911) had a room off the kitchen and was referred to as the “breakfast room”. (It was a lovely, large formal home). We used that room for everything. Breakfast, lunch or supper; games, coloring, the t v for Sesame Street and Mr Rogers. Then later homework where I was close by cooking dinner and could help with any problems and oversee the results. We used the dining room for the special occasions and the formal living once in a while, As the girls got older, we refinished the basement for sleepovers and such. I guess my point is to set the house up for now. Time flies by and soon things changes. Then you have fun decorating again.