I like your idea funkyart. The only thing I might change would be bring out the two chairs from the fireplace and add a table for playing games, writing notes/letters or just a place to set drinks when having a conversation with a friend or one of your neices. With such a long room (our sunroom is 12 by 20)it's always nice to have two separate areas or different activities. The chairs alone facing away from the fire place don't seem to have an activity in mind. With a small table and them angled to face each other you'd be able to view and feel the warmth of the fireplace to one side.

Justgotabme.. I love that idea! I always love the home photos in magazines with conversation areas at the fireplace. I was shooting for that idea with two separate areas to the room but it worked out to be more like 1.5 areas in the room instead of 2. The only value the chairs provide is reading space and *possibly* tv viewing from the one chair.

It may be tricky though as the archway to the dining/kitchen/primary entrance (no one uses the front door) is right at edge of the chair--so I'll have to be mindful of the main path through the room to the upstairs. I also need to have enough room for two large dogs in the room too. I was planning one of the chairs to be a comfy leather recliner but I may rethink that now and go for something comfy but with a smaller footprint.

Thanks for the ideas!

hmm I was playing with the 3d planner and I am a little concerned about putting a table between the chairs. I don't want to obstruct the view or access to the fireplace and I am concerned about cramping the space. Would a round rug the width of the fireplace be enough to pull the conversation area together? If not maybe I could use a small bench or an ottoman?

I know I'll have to play once the furniture arrives-- I need to have patience. :)

What is that to the left of the TV? If it's not another door, you might try swapping the fireplace chairs so that the bigger chair is on the right side as you're facing the fireplace. If the smaller chair is on the left, it won't be blocking the doorway as much.

FWIW, I love your floor plan. In fact, you're making me re-think our family room layout. Good luck!

Meg, there are two windows to the left of the tv and a door to the right. I had the bigger chair in the position to be able to watch tv-- I am not sure that's practical.

Thanks for the input and luck :)

I think those style chairs look too big on either side of the fireplace. I would go for something smaller, maybe with legs. I have been having a problem posting pictures on Photobucket. The chairs I am thinking of have a roundish upolstered seat and a round upolstered back, but show lots of wood. They are much smaller and different than the chairs you have shown. They would allow more of the pretty bookcases to be seen. On one side I would have a small round side table for a lamp. I like the rest of your set up.

The design tool I am using limits me a fair amount in style and color (plus I am stumbling with it). I used it primarily to come up with a layout to help me select the pieces by footprint. Some pieces are very clear in my mind-- but I am definitely rethinking the chairs. They MUST be comfortable but I am probably going to give up the recliner. The green chair was originally a library style wing recliner in a funky green leather-- think muddy lime.. organic but unexpected. I am not tied to green but I do want at one chair to have some color.

The sectional will be small-- 85" max on the short side. I'd prefer something closer to 65/70".

So any thoughts on my original question? Should I go dark for the sectional (brown).. or medium/light with a taupe or gunmetal pewter? Will darkish leather be too imposing in such a narrow room?

ok .. one last desperate plea for input on sectional color (or a suggestion to ditch the sectional and go the sofa route). I leave in 1.5 hr.. and I expect to buy TODAY.

This is the first time that I am spending big bucks on a sofa so I am scared and panicy that I will order a color that works against me. Again.. I appreciate any and all thoughts or input.

We bought a black leather sectional for our first house. It fit the room perfectly and provided lots of seating. In our new house, it doesn't work as well because it can't be against two walls, but we still want a sectional because of the seating. There's no wasted space with a sectional. I would go for the sectional.

As far as the color, I think that dark fabric shows too much lint, so I tend to gravitate toward medium-toned upholstery. If you're going leather, then the dark brown will probably be okay. But if it's the only dark thing in the room, it might be too much of a focal point.

There, that's my anecdotal totally biased uneducated opinion regarding type of sofa and color. HTH.

I just remembered something that might help you. A friend mentioned a tool used by a designer friend that I had never heard of before. Apparently, instead of sending out fabric swatches, some companies are sending out huge sheets of paper that have the fabric design printed on them. Theoretically you can "throw" the sheet of paper over an existing couch or chair to get an idea of what it would look like in your room. You can do roughly the same thing with a big brown bed sheet or blanket I suppose.

Have you considered 2 swivel chairs in front of the FP? And I like the idea of a round area rug there as well.

The sectional sounds like a good idea. Dark fabric with a pattern will somewhat hide dog hair or dark leather. If you anchor the seating area with a dark rug it won't look out of place.

I am not 100% commited to leather but with two big dogs (one light/one dark) it seems like the best option. I am not sure it's wise to purchase around the dogs-- my rottweiler is not long with this world (second bout with cancer in a year)and my yellow lab/golden is 14+ yo.. but I guess i am hopeful (or in denial).

I really like the look of light fabric sofas-- but it's not practical. Taupe is feeling too bland to me-- so thank you for the reassurance on the brown. I can stop hyperventilating now haha.

Thank you for your experiences, Meg.. and thank you for the rug tip, Mona. I DO need to replace my rug and I probably would have gravitated to light colors without your suggestion.

MANY thanks.. I was getting close to canceling my appt at the furniture store until I was more clear.

Monablair.. what do you mean by swivel chairs? Pardon my ignorance but i just can't picture them. Kind of more like an office chair?

We have lived for over 20 years in a house with a narrow LR very similar to yours (including the location of the fireplace). Over the years, we have shoved the furniture around many times to meet our changing needs. My sense of the best furniture items for a room this shape is: one not-too-wide couch (maybe an apartment width), 3-4 upholstered, but not-too-wide chairs, and 1-3 light weight chairs that can be relocated as needed (we have a rocking chair and a wooden chair). I like sectionals, but they aren't the friendliest for talking to others and they take up a lot of space for the amount of good seating that you get. (That is, could you really imagine more than 3 people sitting and talking comfortably on a small sectional? Contrast that with a shorter couch and two not too wide upholsterd chairs).

Here's something I quickly found. I'm sure there are others I could find if I had more time. This swivels but does not rock, though perhaps you'd prefer a swivel rocker.

I thought something that could give you a choice as far as facing different conversation areas might be nice in front of the FP.

Here is a link that might be useful: swivel chair

Overstack has this and it's a smaller scaled chair if you're concerned about space.

Here is a link that might be useful: swivel chair

Ah Monablair.. I was nowhere in the same place visually ha. They are definitely interesting chairs and would do what I need them to .. but they don't match my style at all. Thanks for the suggestion though-- and for looking for images.