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Home Decorating Design Dilemma living room

Need Help with a Asymmetric Living Room area

6 years ago

I need some serious help with my front living room. This is not our family room so i dont need something like that but i do wish the room could be a little more inviting or purposeful, Right now i have no sense of entry way really for the front door because it opens into a long rectangular room with an off centered fire place, an arch immediately to the left of the door and stairs dead ahead as you walk in.

Any advice to make this room a little more functional or to help separate an entry area and small living area would be super helpful.

Side note: I can do whatever i want as i own the house but major construction such as moving the front door and windows etc is not really an option.

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Comments (3)

Cara Lewis-Watts
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Cute space with tons of potential!
I would totally flip this room around.

-Couch comes away from the wall, perpendicular to fireplace in order to 'define' the living room space as separate from entryway.
-A shelving unit (looks like you could use some storage space) and a side chair or two in front go where the couch is now.
-Get rid of those Ikea tall lamps. If you need lighting, consider something overhead, maybe a side table with lamp beside accent chair.
-Desk comes away from the window (there is way too much stuff on it, looks like a dumping ground anyway) and gets put against the wall with the staircase. That way you also get a little defined work area over there. Bulletin board over desk and a filing cabinet in the corner can help to keep things organized.
-Under the front window, add a bench with seating and pillows and storage for all those shoes. Get rid of your current shoe storage as it doesn't really work.
-Get rid of those curtains on that window. Add a roman blind instead. Pretty pattern or white. If you are worried about privacy, consider window film for the window.
-Add a small side table where the current shoes are for keys and mail. You would have a small area there to keep one or two pairs of shoes that get worn all the time, the rest get put away.
-Get rid of that coat rack in the corner. Pair down coats according to the season and figure out if you can put some in temporary storage.
-Add hooks to the wall on the other side of the door for purses and a few coats.
-The other drapes in the room should reach the floor, not the end of the window
-I'd put a pretty rug big enough to go under the front of couch and chairs and coffee table.
-Take a few things off that mantel as it looks cluttered. Keep mirror (or change to piece of art), keep flowers on one side and two or three photos in frames arranged together and not spaced out.
Yayagal
6 years ago
Wow, that was a lot of good advice from Cara and spot on. I have nothing to add except to say, if you do the above, you will have a lovely room.
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Ideas- Add maybe 3-4 prints down the wall to the right of the fireplace that are personal/meaningful- and sophisticated (Not big box typical) or some tall narrow piece of furniture or plant kind of a thing. The wide fireplace and big wide tv make the room seem low, but it could be the pictures. Just want to make the room seem taller. Smaller coffee table. Too much big rectangle stuff in my opinion. But, a round coffee table can take up a lot of space- so careful. Going to add a rug? Tall and narrow items at the ends of the fireplace to help cover the tv cords. I think you could squeeze one chair in but not sure about two. Can you tape off the floor for sizes to see how much space they would take up to see what you think? Add some color and texture to your accessories, but not too matchy matchy. Again, personal and sophisticated. And not a bunch of sayings! Oops- I maybe just gave you more thoughts about what not to do... Nice that you were able to open up the space!
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Okay - did the corrections and think I have a close approximation of your space. Each block represents 1 foot. The gray area is the space needed around the island for walking with people seated - should be clear of furniture. Can you take a picture of the full wall where the fireplace and tv nook are - not sure I got their placements right. Do you plan on using the tv nook for the TV? How did you envision the living/seating areas when you designed the kitchen? How many people need to be seated - do you need a dining space and how many people need to sit at the dining table or are you just using the island for meals?
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Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I like the idea of some blue in the rug to pull from the photo above the fireplace, but I couldn't seem to find the right blue. A lot of the carpets had too bright of a blue. I'm limited to choices though because I'll only order from somewhere that has a store in my area where I can easily return the rug if I don't like it. I've decided to give this Safavieh carpet a try, I have it on order. I'm hoping the pattern and texture will provide enough interest. I'll work on the chair after that. I wonder if a chair with blue in it will still work if I get this carpet? I can tie the chair in by adding a few more toss cushions to the couch with blue in them and a couple of blue accessories throughout the rest of the space.
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Great space with so much potential! Suggest searching modern on line rooms and any specific items you are considering. Save everything you like, as a plan will make it easier (for both short and long term additions) and take your time. Some ideas: Wall next to stairs - keep it simple; off set opening with height/volume and leave wall empty. Large vertical art on left of windows (will draw the eye away from toys as well) and on right, add a floor lamp and chair (as per Beverly’s suggestion). Fill the gap on left of fireplace, creating a more impactful feature wall. Ideas: large art (and you can mix metals). Shelving Could paint black as well. Accessorize below TV Save/keep coffee table ideas, so you are ready when the time comes.
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Cara Lewis-Watts
6 years ago
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