Oddly Shaped 28 x 14 foot living room? Ideas? Video of Home...

13 years ago

Greetings!

The lovely people on the Old Homes board suggested I re-post this here.

A little background:

My name is Lisa and I am 38 yrs old and about to purchase my second home here in NYC. I love old things with character, which ends up being a lot of work. The deed to our new home says the house is from 1920. It was owned by a very prominent NYC family who had the money to update everything- new roof, windows, heating systems, salt-water pool, pavers etc. There is not much for me to do structurally, however asthetically I do not share their taste and cant't wait to have all of my own furniture, wall colors, window treatments etc. I have lived in a traditional English Tudor for the last decade and will miss the beams, stained glass etc...

There are 7 bathrooms, 5 bedrooms (one of which was converted into a massive walk in closet)formal DR, EIK, large living room, office/library/ Great Room/ Billiards rooms etc...

I have heard many wonderful things about these forums and trolled the boards for awhile. It's just now, upon purchasing this home that I have a few questions. I am hoping you can help me out.

I belive that the home I am buying is a Dutch Colonial. It is listed as a Center Hall. What do you think?

I'd like to have some shutters put on the exterior front windows. I was thinking black louvered. Any ideas?

I'll be having all of the wall paper steamed off and opting for paint intead.

We'll also have the kitchen cabinets stained to a darker wood color and the counter tops changed from butcherblock to granite or silestone. The floors are granite and the owners had recently paid $30,000 to have them put in. They are not my taste, however we will keep them for awhile. I am not certain about the idea of grainite countertops b/c I think it will feel like a masoleum with all the granite on the floors! Not enough contrast. The granite floors spill into the foyer as well. I would have liked to do a cream and black large checkered floor upon entering, however it will have to wait.

I am also wondering if this is indeed a Dutch Colonial, would having beams put into either the Great Room or Living Room be in keeping with the integrity of the house? I will really miss the beamed celings in my Tudor!

I will post the same slideshow to the garden boards to see if someone can give us some landscaping ideas for the frot as well as to identify the flowering hedges around the periphery of the pool.

The living room being so long bewilders me configuration wise. I was thinking of cluster sof furniture: settees, chaises etc....not sure. The Fireplace is in the center.

Many, Many Thanks in Advance,

lisa

Here is the link to the slideshow of the house:

http://www.obeo.com/U.aspx?ID=604643

or if that does not work:

http://homesite.obeo.com/viewer/unbranded.aspx?tourid=604643&refURL=http://webmail.aol.com/32213-111/aol-1/en-us/Suite.aspx&locale=en-US

Comments (7)

forhgtv
13 years ago
I would choose a countertop that has very little or no pattern in a light color. That way, it won't compete with the floor or the graining of the cabinetry. I don't know what your long-term flooring choice would be, but I would keep it in mind while choosing the countertops.
newdawn1895
13 years ago
Did the previous owners love wallpaper or what? But I have to tell you that is one pretty home.

I'm going to look at it later and give more attention to it.

It certaintly looks like a Dutch Colonial, my favorite style I have to say. But you rarely see one bricked, I'm sure you like that coming from a tudor, huh?

I love the bathroom with the black sink and tub, it's stunning IMO.

I'm putting on some Dutch Colonials that I have on my computer, at least the exteriors.

{{!gwi}}

Father of the Bride house...

{{!gwi}}
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zenfoodist
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks! They REALLY had a thing for wallpaper! Other than the rare pinstripe or hotel-room type fabric wall covering, I really don't like the stuff.

There are 3 additional bathrooms you can not see on the slideshow, a massive cedar closet, and a very large laundry room and a workshop that I would like to have made into a Swedish dry sauna ( not a priority...in a few years' time)>

The garage has crown moulding inside! The owner was meticulous.
terezosa / terriks
13 years ago
Nice house. Here is a clickable link
cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
13 years ago
Yes, it is a Dutch Colonial (gambrel roof with dormer is the give-away-the other pictures above are not Dutch Colonial, but simply Colonial) and those in New York are often brick or stone.

I agree with forhgtv that you should choose your countertops based on future floor plans. I also think you could have several sitting areas in the living room as you mentioned. If the hedges are spring-blooming, they may be laurels. The leaf looks like a laurel from what I can see.

It is a lovely house. Congratulations!
bonnieann925
13 years ago
We have a Gambrel Colonial (similar to Dutch but more often found here in New England.) Our living room dimensions are similar to yours. What I have done is to cluster a sitting area around the fireplace. At one end of the room is a piano, and the other end has a drop leaf desk.

Yes to the beams! We have them in our home in both the family room and in the living room. I can see some nicely boxed in beams to match the wood in your living room.

Have fun decorating! I agree with getting rid of that wallpaper and there's just too much "stuff". Will you be painting any of the woodwork white? If so, consider white beams if you add them.
zenfoodist
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you so very much for all of your feedback. I am going to go with the " clusters" of seating areas in the living room. My current obsession is what colors to use of the house in keeping with the integrity of a Dutch Colonial. Especially the foyer. I will create a separate post for the " color experts" .

Many Thanks Again
lisa

Oddly Shaped 28 x 14 foot living room? Ideas? Video of Home...

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Oddly Shaped 28 x 14 foot living room? Ideas? Video of Home...

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