I totally feel your pain! I have a very similar layout in our house (except I have windows instead of doors). I'm still unsure as to my layout too.

This is what we have currently:

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I think I'm going to put a loveseat with sofa table where the current sofa is and move the sofa directly across from the armoire (we're eventually going to get a flat screen there w/console) and then get a comfy recliner for dh in the corner left of the fp. It's not ideal, but I think it will work best. We thought about getting 2 comfy chairs instead of the loveseat, but we have 3 kids under 5 and I think we need another lay-down option so they don't all fight over the sofa! LOL :)

Could you maybe put a sofa directly across from your built-in and then a comfy chair or two facing the fp? I'm horrible at this, so I hope you get some good advice from others!

Good luck :)

How often do you actually look at your fireplace? Not as often as the TV, I'll bet. That built-in should be the focal point in your room, with the fireplace wall secondary.
What's opposite the fireplace wall? Where are the windows?

You could use an L that is open on the TV and the fireplace side. Simply put a loveseat or couch on the long end of the L and two comfy chairs on the short end of the L...with the short end facing the fireplace. When you orient the coffee table or ottoman, it should be with the long side to the bigger piece of furniture.

As for floating the furniture, a nice area rug will give you a base for the furniture. Put it down with the short side oriented to the fireplace, then make sure that at least the front legs of your couch and chairs are at the edge of the rug. If you really need that space for the walkways, and it looks like you do, then move the seating in a bit.

You could also try putting the couch at an angle that allows viewing either the tv or the fireplace, then placing the chairs at right angles to the couch. I'm not sure if it would work because of the traffic pattern through the room.

Do both doors lead to the same place? If so, maybe you could keep the door on the left so that it's not used?

Thanks for the quick replies!

Maybe it's a case of the grass is always greener, but laurensmom, your room looks huge compared to our dinky room. I would love that set-up! You might even be able to put a long bench in front of the fireplace, one with high rounded ends so someone can lay down on it. Or two low ottomans for additional seating. Or, if you're getting a new sofa, you can get one with a chaise end for in front of the fireplace. (I'm hoping someone has that set-up so I can see what it looks like.)

Suero, you're right that the TV is the main focal point. But opposite the fireplace wall is actually the big opening that leads to our entry hall--so the fireplace wall is the first thing you see when you walk in to our house. That room has no windows, just the two french doors to the covered deck. Natural lighting comes from the entry hall, and the double-doors in the kitchen eating area. The opning to the kitchen eating area is opposite the built-in. Definitely a challanging room.

What do you think of this floor plan? I like it but now I can't find the furniture sizes for that room and realize now that I must have made a mistake somewhere. That's way too much furniture to fit in our room.

Thanks lissa,

Just saw your response and will go back to the drawing board and play around some more. I love Arrange-a-Room but, as I said, I didn't save the info as to how big my fictional couch is, etc.

We do have a rug and it's oriented as you said. And the doors do lead to the same place. We want to keep make sure that at least one is not blocked so that there's flow with the other doors to the deck. If we had to, we could block both because there are double doors to the deck in the next room, but I'd rather not do that.

Thanks again!

I was at a friend's house and they had a built in similar to yours. They had the TV on a sliding shelf in the built in and pulled it forward for viewing , but then had the option of pushing it back all the way and actually had doors that shut to hide it. That may be overkill to close doors to hide the TV, but it looks like you could have a retractable shelf in your built in for the TV.

Can you do without the loveseat in the room? I think the loveseat interrupts your flow into the room, both physicially and visually. Instead, how about moving the chaise where the loveseat is and maybe getting a nice upholstered swivel chair to put over on the fireplace side which could be turned to face the TV or the fireplace. It could be placed close to the couch and angled in so it doesn't block the fireplace.

Or, if you aren't set on having a chaise, an upholstered swivel chair could be placed on either side of the couch-nothing too big. That would leave the entryway less blocked. I think that would made the room look larger. I really like to look into a room and see an unblocked expanse of floor all the way to the other end, if possible.

With a chair on either side of the couch with a small table between each chair and the couch, you'd only lose one seat from what you have now.

If you really want something to recline in, consider a smallish lazyboy for one of the side chairs. We love our leather lazyboys.

Also, I would move the grouping as far back toward the breakfast nook as possible.

I love the built ins, the fireplace and the glass doors out to the deck. It's going to be lovely when it's all furnished.

How about a sectional and a chair? That's what I have in my FR and I love it. Two people can lay on the couch with someone in the middle if need be and a chair and ottoman in the one corner.

We have our fireplace like where yours is, but we have our TV on a diagonal wall unit, so I don't have the doors on either side of the fireplace, but for optimal seating, I love my sectional.

How about a curved sectional with a round ottoman in the center? My friend has one of these with 4 kids and everyone has a seat. It could be directed such that everyone has a viewing spot for both TV and fireplace. Similar to this one below:

Here is a link that might be useful: Curved sectional

I have a sectional which seats 5 and everybody is happy. But you can easily do a sofa facing the tv and two chairs (swivel if you want) facing the fireplace.
I usually sit on the side of the sectional that faces the fireplace and I have no problems watching tv from there.
I like the layout posted above but not sure you have room for a chaise.

Bassett furniture has many sectionals including one with the chaise built in. We had the one shown that is in the link that we sold with our last house. We could watch tv and look at the fireplace with it. It's big, though.

Here is a link that might be useful:

I was away for a day or two so I didn't see all the posts. Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions. I love the curved sofa but I'm afraid it might be too big. The dimensions say 144" long, and 38" deep, but it obviously takes up more space than that.

I also love the idea of a sectional but am afraid that it will close off the room or look unwelcoming from the front door or kitchen eating area. We're trying to avoid having to walk all around the seating arrangement to actually sit down but maybe we won't be able to accomplish everything with this floor plan.

So maybe we'll try two chairs with ottomans facing the fireplace, and a three-seater sofa facing the TV. Perhaps the sofa will have a built-in chaise end near the fireplace. Might also get a wing chair and ottoman for the corner between the fireplace and TV, or a swivel chair. Might be too much furniture but I'll try to map it out on Arrange-a-Room.

And if anyone out there has any photos, I would love to see them! Thanks!