Need help with furnishing & designing open living area!!
Debbie
6 years ago
We just completed a kitchen remodel (somewhat retro-style). The kitchen opens up into the living room that has posed the biggest challenge: My husband is a stereophile who is concerned about the open room acoustics, so he is experimenting with acoustic room panels before getting anything permanent. I would like a living room with a conversational area, not just a "listening room". Both of us like the mid-century modern and/or retro minimalist style, but we're at a crossroad as to where to start with the furnishings/decor. Any advice is welcome!
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Porter Edun
6 years agoPorter Edun
6 years agowhat is all of this on the back wall?
Hopefully it's not for sound compromising a room to be furnished??
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Need help for my open living/dining area
Comments (20)Often good re-decorating requires taking some elements away, but you are asking for a feel of luxury, so you need to carefully add elements. If you have enough space and budget, then consider continuing the built-in to the other side of the fire place, and painting all of it to match. That will anchor the fireplace as the focal point of the room. Fabric can really add a sense of luxury so you could raise the curtain rods and add longer drapes on either side of the windows, with a filler spanning in between, not a swag, but something like you'll see as an example on the the first picture that Beverly posted. Original art says "luxe" and it looks like you have space for a great and sizable piece of art on the wall adjacent to the sideboard across from the dining room. Larger accessories absolutely, and some that are taller. They don't have to be expensive, but they should be things you really enjoy looking at and that you find delightful, or even amusing. Garage sales and flea market are gold mines. Then look carefully at the 2nd pic from Beverly and you'll get and idea on how to do a collection of smaller items to make a bolder statement (collections are 3 or more items.) The key to unifying is color. You've done a good job with your neutrals, add a couple of more luxurious throws in that palette and a few pillows. It looks like you enjoy blues so add that to the mix as well and a pop of black here and there and you should be well on your way....See MoreHelp 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 Moreneed help designing/furnishing L shape living/dining room
Comments (3)1) wall may be structural 2) you may have to replace all the flooring if you remove it, unless you have more on hand 3) I'm confused, because it looks like the dining room is already in the main space, up by the kitchen/window where there's a chandelier hanging down. then I see two ceiling fans worth of LR space. the more enclosed room to the left looks like an additional/separate room, maybe intended as an office, or as a more enclosed space (family room) for TV watching. if you open it up, you need to think hard about where you are going to put the TV with furniture facing it, and how you will subdivide the rest of the space. If you can draw a sketch of the floorplan, with measurements, including things like whether there's a closet near the front door, we might be able to rough in some different arrangements to help you visualize what you might be able to do with the spaces. It's a bit too hard in the abstract to tell whether this is all one big seating space, or whether it's big enough for an entry zone or game table and a separate conversation area, and what would happen if you added in yet more LR space......See MoreHelp furnishing awkward living room area
Comments (2)Having had a "setee" which is just a loveseat by another name, I can vouch for it not being very practical. Two people can sit at it, (and they will and have in my house) but unless they are very good friends or related, it's not going to be their choice, particularly if they are doing something like watching TV. Sipping afternoon tea, maybe. But if you don't need a lot of seating, then their small size is great, particularly for curling up with a good book. It's easy enough to throw in a rocker or some other smaller less padded chairs to add extra seating. I use the end chairs from my dining room set, since unless I have guests, they make it difficult to get around the dining table in my small dining room....See More
Debbie
6 years agoDebbie
6 years ago
PROJudyG Designs
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoDoes your husband need a special chair when he watches t v? And area rug is no problem?
I have found that leather furniture doesn’t seem to absorb sound as much as upholstered furniture.
How much floor space is there with which to work?
Do the windows match on either side of the fireplace? Is the slider the main egress out to the patio? I don’t see a lot of space for stack-backing fabric panels. Would you take another photo of the slider? You might have to do fabric Roman Shades on the windows with draperies on the slider. A good liner on the window treatments will help with the echo, as well.
Boutique Mews House, London · More InfoI could see another sofa to replace the one you have now…a great, large piece of art between the two sconces…smaller, but thicker rug…but instead of a coffee table, do an upholstered bench…then depending on what space remains, two more chairs…swivels on either side of the fireplace might be perfect. Love those windows...
Mirror over fireplace is very big...
This kind of treatment, possibly for the windows…the shades with a wooden, padded valance, and depending on how much room you have at the slider either a matching panel or just another padded valance….all hung at the same height.
Wool Jute Upholstered Bench · More Info
Debbie thanked JudyG DesignsDebbie
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
Retro Open living area · More Info
Thank you for your insight, JudyG. The living room (open concept w/ kitchen) is small, 12' x 14'. What you thought is a slider is actually an elongated window. (We replaced the slider in the living room in order to comfortably situate the kitchen pennisula). It did not make sense to have a kitchen door & a slider in the living room with such a small space. Attached are 3 more photos that should give you a better idea of what we have to work with. We want to keep the mirror above the fireplace. Like your ideas! Thank you!
Retro Open living area · More Info
Retro Open living area · More Inforgrindrod
6 years agoDebbie
6 years agoer612
6 years ago
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