Sorry...tried like crazy to add multiple pics with no luck so adding them one by one.

Again...

Bored yet? Lol

Almost done...

Last one...promise...I think. eventually will be painting a light grayish blue. So far no drapes, pics, etc. Also the tables in the 'antique area' will be replaced with my marble tables that are still in storage.

Ooppss...I lied...lol. This really is last one for now. This is view into DR...from the antique area.

I like it that you are using existing pieces so you'll know better what to buy in future. But what do you mean by keeping a separate area for the antiques you already have? Don't you want to incorporate the furniture you're going to keep into the overall scheme?

With the long sofa, I think it must stay on the wall, instead of turning 90 deg. Can you exchange it temporarily with the antique loveseat? The loveseat can be perpendicular to the fireplace, and then two chairs that would be opposite the loveseat, with a small table in between. You can decide if you really want that large sofa in the room. Rather than two chairs opposite the antique loveseat, you could also look at a complementary loveseat, maybe a little more comfy, and the two of them face each other.

I can't see what is in the dining room. But the wall where the loveseat is now might be perfect for a big display piece (if you were to stay with all antiques, I see a large old sideboard).

This post was edited by andee on Mon, Jul 29, 13 at 9:49

The first thing I noticed was that your long couch was half in front of the window and half on the wall. I would put your couch on the antique settee wall and your settee on the wall between the French doors and the window......At least until you get new furniture. When you buy new, keep in mind the placement of your windows.....maybe a sectional that would fit in the window corner with chairs facing it. Remove one of the mirrors....only need one in a room.

Not sure what exactly you mean by where the large mirror is we plan to keep the antiques. Agree with andee that that wall is perfect for display...bookcases, break front...something tall and takes up most of that wall....not a seating area because of the two doors on either side it is more a a pass-through area...

I think you might be able to do a small scale sectional forming an L in front of the two windows and another chair or two in front of the fireplace facing the windows. Or, two love seats in front of the fireplace facing each other...maybe a console table over the radiator.

Thank you all for your great suggestions. I do plan to get rid of the gold mirror...its just there for now. Its funny everyone wants me to put the big couch under the large mirror...that's where my mom had it and I moved it...lol. The reason is that I wanted the main sitting area to be more focused around the fireplace. I envision family game nights around the fireplace, etc. We tend to hang out in the den for tv.
As for the "antique area"...I forgot to mention I have a 2 1/2 year old. I want to keep the things we don't sit on (they're my great great g'ma's) apart from where we would sit. Since the room is so long and narrow I thought two separate sitting areas would be ok. Guess not...lol. I really do appreciate the help though. Eventually I want to have a transitional feel room....my vision is somewhat "Southern Living'ish". What do you all feel about a sectional in that style room? I had thought of a sectional too and haven't ruled it out. I will move the big couch to be centered on those back Windows tomorrow and see if that helps.
Thank you all again...and keep the ideas coming!

Oh yes...joaniepoanie...I thought about putting the couch in front of the radiator/Windows and then using a radiator cover that could act as a behind the couch table if you will. I really wanted to keep away from having furniture all up against the walls but seeing the room is so narrow its hard. Perhaps putting it there will give the illusion of the couch not being up against the wall?

I really like your house and furniture! How neat that it belonged to your mom! I have a similar LR (long and narrow) but mine has even more entrances, making it VERY difficult to work with.

I think your first step is to make a list (a long one!) of everything you want to do in the room. For example, you mentioned games in front of the FP. Do you want storage for the games? How about books? Will you put bookcases in the den, or do you want them in the LR, too? Since you watch TV in the den, you may want to keep the books more as a LR activity, and in easy reach.

Once you get your list together, then we can think of the best floor plan to address your needs/wants.

If you want the couch to be focused on the FP, then park it dead center opposite it. It looks to me that that may solve the half-in-front of window issue. But if it's still too long, then I'd float it forward (off the wall) and have circulation space behind it by moving it closer to the FP.

I'd get rid of the upholstered coffee table for the time being until you can get one that fits the scale of the big sofa a bit better.

Also you have three things in the brownish print, so I think your room would look better if you "shopped" the furniture in your house for a different chair and another coffee table. You don't have to have two upholstered side chairs in that arrangement. I'm not suggesting you toss the removed brown items, just find other places for them in your home. And bring in another style of chair (it could any kind of chair) if you want a symmetrical arrangement.

It's hard to judge the color of the blue chair because monitors are so different. If you wanted to change it, it might a good candidate for a slipcover, or even if you're feeling bold, a first crack at re-upholstering by yourself. I would remove the arm protectors, and perhaps look for fabric to cover a pillow that tied the brown-ish print and the turquoise together. The sofa would be perked up by some less-matchy throw pillows, as well.

As for the antique end of your LR, well, to be frank I would recommend you edit that collection. Having them all together makes that end of the room seem a little over-concentrated and sets the area apart in a way that seems to waste the space in a kind of no-you-can't-really-sit-there zone. A little antique-ness can go a long way and I think you'll get more effect if you separate the pieces and sprinkle them around the house more. The settee and the rocking chair appear to be Late-Victorian sort of Eastlake-ish (all those little squared-off angles), but the coffee table and the end table are more in the Queen Anne style (the curved legs and pad feet). And as such, though all older pieces, these two distinct style genres kind of smack each other around. (Hard to imagine the ladylike QA stuff packing a real punch, but I have no doubt the sharp-edged Victorian pieces can rumble if they're in the mood.)

You might try the "antique alley" coffee table in front of the sofa. It looks narrow enough with its leaves down.

If you float the sofa, you might consider getting some kind of rug undeneath that assemblage, to anchor it visually and also to hide cords to lamps on end tables.

The interesting bent slat rocker (the one set beside the FP on the right) might make a good companion for the sofa. It's hard to tell, by it might be worth trying to see if the scale is right.

I live in an house full of inherited furniture of many periods in the 19th c and 20th c. Both my DH and I come from savin' and passin' on families so I've faced many of the same dilemmas you have. I have never bought a single new piece of furniture and I am in my 60s (Well, except for a couple of dozen Billy bookcases because we also inherited all their books, too !) You just have to be open to moving stuff around, and sometimes just temporarily moving stuff "off-stage" to storage if you can't figure out how to make it work.

And never lament an empty space that you just don't have the right piece for at the moment. - or at least can't picture what you do have in that place at the moment. Empty space is very powerful in its own right, and highlights whatever else is in the room.

It may be helpful to you to learn more about older furniture so you can become more knowledgeable about the difference between period (furniture made when a style first came into use) and style (furniture made later in either an exact reproduction or a derivative style.) And sometimes derivatives (stuff made "in the style of ____") actually become so stylized that they become an authentic style on their own, and are described as in " _____. -Revival style." Training your eye in these differences will make it easier think up good potential combinations among the furniture you have.

One thing to keep in mind regarding upholstered pieces: a good upholsterer can often make substantial style changes, even to the frames, backs and arms. Nowadays much upholstered furniture (including some in "good brands") is made so shoddily that even medium-grade old stuff is better quality. So when you're ready for some changes you might considered having what you've got re-styled.

I hope I haven't offended you with my suggestions. If anything is useful to you, that's great. If it doesn't work, or doesn't strike you as appropriate, then feel free to ignore it.

BTW, you aren't doing anything wrong by not getting multiple pics in a single one post. Using the GW picture thingy only allows one picture per comment. To get multiple ones you have to have them on a third-party host like Photobucket. What you did (serial posts) works just fine, and you're not missing anything by doing it that way.

HTH

L.

My primary suggestion would be, whatever you end up doing, scale is essential. This home is lovely, but small in scale and all the new furniture out there is built for big people in big rooms in big houses. It is very difficult to find new furniture that is scaled to an older home. Look at "apartment" sized furniture or look at reupholstering vintage furniture. I've seen so many houses that suffer from overscaled furniture and then, no matter what they try to do, the room never looks right.

So measure, measure, measure. And measure the heights too as it all will impact the feel of the room. Especially if you go with custom furniture as it is typically not returnable.