Need help with my living/dining areas
I recently purchased a 1950's two bedroom bungalow that has been recently renovated. The only original feature is the wood floor, everything else is new. The kitchen has very modern style cabinets and I am leaning toward a mid-century modern feel.
The space is long and narrow and is further complicated by a large window, sliding glass door, and the short wall near the entry pre-wired for the TV. I am struggling to find the best placement of sofa and chairs, TV, etc. If I place the TV where the wiring is currently I think the sofa would have to be on a perpendicular wall. I don't mind laying down to watch TV and I rarely entertain so maybe not an issue? I plan on buying new furniture for this space and have a moderate budget ( no custom 5K sofas but not Ikea either).
For the windows I was thinking of simple roller shades on the large window with curtain panels on the sides. For the slider some type of easy to draw curtains as the door will be used regularly. Neither window needs black out just light filtering.
I have attached a few pictures so you can see the blank slate that I am dealing with. I look forward to hearing all your ideas!
Comments (8)
ashtonchic
6 years agoI would start with a basic floor plan. You can do one to scale on graph paper to get a basic feeling for what will fit in the space. I would determine the logical place for the TV and not be tied to the builder's idea of where it should go. Have you decided on a color palette to use? You can start with a piece of art or a rug and pull colors from it. You have a really nice space and can make it into your dream house! Lucky you!!
Here are a couple of pictures for ideas.
long narrow space
colors
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tinybluesparkles
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Help me Furnish & Decorate My Living Area &Dining Room of my new home
Comments (26)I love the clean, uncluttered look of your home and you've made some great furniture choices. My first thought, though, is that I would try to rework the sofa/sectional placement. It really is unwelcoming looking to me to have the back where it is facing a wall, when it could be oriented to look into the room and out the windows. It seems like if it were placed in the corner under the stairs that it would feel open and invite you to come in and sit. I'd hate to be cooking in the kitchen and have the family or guests with their backs to me. If you are having a TV in another room close by, do you need one in that room, too? If, so placing a 70" unit will probably only work as you have it. But, to me, it's not going to look like a living room but more like a movie theater, which is fine if that's what you're going for. It seems like it won't be a cozy conversation area, though. I might actually flip the rooms and put the dining room where you have the sofa now. I was looking at lights used with dining rooms and ghost chairs and saw this, maybe would work in the living room? Kind of fun. don't know if it would look as good without the colored walls though. And I thought something like these were interesting to consider for over your table:...See MoreConnected dining and living area. Need help with rugs/decor.
Comments (31)I would stick with one animal print per room, unless you really love animal print or want the room to look like a safari. I like the pillows in your inspiration picture. There were gold ones with a b&w patterned one in front....See Morehi i need help with my living room and dining area
Comments (5)I'm sorry, I don't really understand what your question is, exactly? Are you asking what more you should add, or looking for advice on whether you should add another couch or a table, or...? How big is the room, first? Do you have or can you do a quick sketch or photo, and post it to give us some idea of the layout (like, where are the doors, are all the walls square or is there an angled wall or a wide entryway into another room or something)? Where are the windows and how big are they? Do you want lots of sunlight to enter the room or do you want blackout curtains? What color are the walls, or what color will you be painting them (or are you looking for advice on that, too)? What type of flooring is in the room now--tile, wood? That's a lovely little sofa (my couch is also from Macy's! I love it) and rug; it can definitely be the start of a lovely room! Going just by the info you've given and nothing else, I'd pick one of the light colors from the rug--maybe the palest spot of orange--and paint the walls that color, with ivory curtains (or ivory/cream walls and orange curtains, you choose; I'm currently painting my own living room orange so I may be biased). Get a nice print or painting for one wall; a beach scene, maybe, with lots of blues, yellows, and oranges. You could get a coffee table and a side table or two in the same wood as the sofa legs, or get some painted or finished in either a pale or a bright color, depending on what look and feel you're going for. Like, a bright yellow or orange coffee table, maybe in an interesting shape, would make the room look more cheerful and modern, whereas a plain, solid rectangle table in ivory/cream or palest blue would be more cozy-looking. A bright solid or patterned throw will give it one look whereas a soft, thick, fuzzy throw in a solid pale color will give it another. So what look are you going for? What have you done in the rest of the house? Good luck! There are a lot of great people here with great taste, so if you can provide more info you're bound to get some excellent advice and ideas!...See MoreNeed ideas for my living and dining area
Comments (7)I'd get something with a tad of color. An all grey or even silver rug just makes the room read "sea of gray." Plus a bit of a pattern can hide everyday wear and tear. Even the solid cream color breaks up the sea of gray feel . . . I had a wall of windows with blinds. Definitely looks better with some type of ornamentation, even a valance to hide the framing. I opted out of drapes, could not find anything I liked that was affordable, I'm not handy with a sewing machine and they gather dust. But something to soften would bring some more relaxing feels into the room . . ....See More
laura855
6 years agoMy first thought was to put the TV on the big blank wall opposite the window but I don't know if that would give enough space between the couch and the TV. Also, the window is centered between the kitchen and living space, would it look odd to have the couch not centered on the window? If it was centered on the TV wall it would extend into the entry opening so that might be awkward. I have done a floorplan on floorplanner.com but have not been able to upload it here. Can you upload PDF's here?
For color I would like to combine natural hues and materials with pops of color like orange, teal, green, etc. Here are a couple photos that appeal to me:
ashtonchic
6 years agolaura855
6 years agoThank you for pointing out the Houzz button! Here's the floor plan. As you can see the large window is not centered on the large wall. If I put the TV on that large wall would a couch or chairs facing it block the entry too much? I am thinking the middle picture above might be my best option using the short wall for the TV.
On another note, what are your thoughts on window treatments for the large window? I was thinking of simple linen panels in white with a light filtering roller shade for some privacy when needed. The window does not open and is shaded by the porch.
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havingfun
6 years agoashtonchic
6 years ago
ashtonchic