you have doors on the right.. and seeing the coat rack.. a door on the left ... ????

all you have ... all i see ... right now.. is the sofa ... and an end table.. and maybe i see a coffee table edge ....

i think that wall ... might be the last thing i dealt with ... and would focus on what the rest of the furnishings are .... do you have a plan for where the rest of the room is going ....???

when something does go there ... i would leave some wall below.. covering the outlets ... and i would probably go 2 or 3 bookshelves higher in the center.. working off the book cases .. on scale ... i know what i mean.. but i fear the words are failing me ... a triptych of sorts ...

good luck with your new house

ken

Hey Ken!

Yes, the room is definitely in need of some more furnishings. The way the room is set up, the kitchen is open to the LR, behind the couch. It is really screaming for a sectional in there, or additional loveseat/chairs, so that you can sit on the couch and still converse with whoever is in the kitchen- BUT we aren't quite ready to buy a new sofa yet. Maybe in the next year.

There is one end table and a coffee table there. And there is also a large antique seed trunk and photo arrangement on the wall opposite of the fireplace. I am attaching a couple of additional views of the room if that's helpful. Please excuse the smattering of Christmas toys that keep finding their way out of the playroom :)

Looking from the fireplace area of the LR into the kitchen:
{{gwi:2137543}}

Looking from the fireplace area towards the front door:
{{gwi:2137544}}

Looking from the fireplace area towards the sets of french doors leading to the back porch:
{{gwi:2137545}}

And here is a screen shot of our floorplan to give you an overall idea of how things are layed out:
{{gwi:2137546}}

Thanks so much for the input so far!

This post was edited by AngelaZ on Thu, Jan 1, 15 at 12:18

I'm normally not fond of TVs over fireplaces, but if you don't put one there, where will yours go?

I would balance the wall by adding another matching built in bookcase and beef up the thickness of the mantle to start.

Hi Beverly!

The mantle was hand-hewn by a dear friend of ours, so we don't want to make any changes to it. Our builder actually suggested an additional built in, as you did, during construction but I declined. I felt it threw off the symmetry around the fireplace. Plus that empty spot gives me the perfect spot for our Christmas tree :) Perhaps some type of wall arrangement there would help balance things out?

Oh, and regarding your question, Marcolo- we have a bonus room upstairs for movie watching. We are trying to steer ourselves away from so much idle TV time these days so we decided to no have one in our main living space :)

Right Beverly, either continue the bookcase to the wall (maybe the tv would fit in it?) or put that awesome seed trunk there, and you could put the tv above that. Above the mantle, a big framed poster, thinking something farm/stable/advertising related? Then accessorize in keeping with that, and just put one of the accessories in front of the outlet.

A commendable effort! In that case, I'd do a single large framed art piece that comes up a touch taller than the bookcases and also comes down low enough to cover the outlets since there's electric there, you could even do a picture light over the frame or maybe an uplight on the mantel.

I like Beverly's idea a lot. I think the second bookcase actually balances the wall and makes the bookshelves look more as though they fit the space and less squeezed in against the fireplace. I can see how it is a good place for the tree, but that is only about one month of the year. Then, I would buy a substantial painting to hang above the mantel as marcolo suggests.

Since its a new house, and you are in withdrawl after removing Christmas sparkle, I would find a big framed mirror that I could TEMPORARILY put up there (lean, not hang) til I find the great piece of art that fits you and your family.

Great house.

ML

Rather than a mirror, I would go to Home Goods and pick up a large but relatively inexpensive piece of artwork as a place holder.

Scale is critical. I'd go with a very large piece of metal sculpture and maybe a couple of very large candle sticks on one side, depending on the sculpture. Or else a very tall piece of artwork or wall hanging.

Sorry that I don't have a suggestion,(took me about 20 years to get my mantle arrangement to be something I like) but I have to comment that your home is absolutely lovely. Sometimes in the frustration to get things arranged, we lose sight of that.
(and very noble idea and good luck with the no tv there)

Another vote to head to HomeGoods (T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, Target, World Market) and get a very tall thin artwork (perhaps in neutral colors?) and hang that above the mantel ......or look for a set of artworks could be hung vertically above the mantel ....

Not tall and thin. This room doesn't have the scale for it. The OP will have a neck brace before too long. One large rectangular framed piece of art, covering most of the overmantel area up to roughly around or past the bookcases but not in line with them

What a pretty house! I see that there are some kiddos in the picture. Here's an idea that may not be your cup of tea at all, but I'll mention it in case it sounds like fun.

Buy a huge blank canvas at an art supply store. Gather small rollers and large brushes; leftover house paints (not oil based) and a few small mis-mixed paints from the hardware store. Work over a tarp. Have the kids start by loosely making a few light meandering pencil lines that start on one edge and end somewhere on a different edge. Have at least one of these lines cross another.

Use these to have them start blocking in areas of color. Take turns filling in areas, working loosely and trying different techniques with the brush, adding things (e.g. at the end, maybe a drizzle or splash of paint). Make sure the edges are painted as well. If you want a splash of one color, save that for last and don't over think it.

If you start with a palette you like and approach it as just a fun experience it can really work. Of course you need a plan for what to do (do you have a garage?) if the outcome isn't quite what you'd hoped.

A key here is not to let the kids do much mixing on the canvas itself to avoid colors getting too muddy.

I've seen this done as a kindergarten classroom auction project and the results have ranged from spectacular to, um, not.

Final disclaimerâ¦I realize that with a new house and the end of the holidays, this probably isn't what you had in mind. So onward to Homegoods!

I wonder if painting the fireplace wall (the bump out or whatever that would be called where the chimney goes up) a darker, contrasting color would help? From mantle to ceiling. Like something in the color range of the cabinetry already there?

Just an idea...

Yes, I agree, gorgeous room!!!

how about something like this?

Here is a link that might be useful: bellacor -- colorful round wall clock

Or this one?

Here is a link that might be useful: bellacor - clock

Of all times, this is an opportunity to use some color. Teacats, I wonder why you suggest neutral colors for the art work?
I can see a piece with the greens from the walls and the kitchen stools.

had to...

Let's see:

Neutral-toned artworks (either a taller single artwork or a pair of square artworks hung vertically) would allow the mantel to stand out -- and create a larger opportunity for adding colors with accessories like pottery, an area rug or even a pair of comfy armchairs .....

But then I checked around -- and as I mentioned above -- found a couple of interesting clocks with vintage-style colors from the Bellacor site .... that might work too! :)

I am totally enamored with lazydaisynot's art project for the kids. It may be so wonderful that it's the permanent solution. And I agree that it should be colorful. Your home is lovely.

I think the space between the existing single bookcase and the corner would be a good spot for an ample chair with an ottoman and a good standing lamp for reading.