Need help with size/placement of a sectional in living room!
Hi there,
Currently undertaking a major main floor renovation and trying to decide the size/shape and placement for a sectional in the new living room. The room is 17' by 13.' There will be an 84" wide and 24" deep tiled fireplace column (floor to ceiling) housing a 52" long linear gas fireplace centred on the the exterior 17' wall with 60" wide and 15" deep built in base cabinets on either side. There will be floating shelves on either side of the fireplace as well... something like in the following photo (a widescreen tv will be mounted in a cutout in the tile above the fireplace and there will be rectangular windows close to the ceiling above the shelves on each side). So really the room would be more like 17' by 11' considering the fireplace column comes out 2' into the room..
Trying to decide if we should go with an L shaped sectional (92-96" x 120-126") where the 92-96" section would go on the left (when facing away from the fireplace) 3' out from the 3 windows and the 120-126" section just a couple inches out from the step up into the dining room. There would then be enough clearance for someone to walk from the dining room into the living room around either side of the couch (see red dashed line on floor plan below) and the couch would be far enough away from the TV mounted above the fireplace so you could watch it comfortably without straining your neck.
The second option would be to get a sectional with dimensions more like 60" by 120" (so maybe with a left facing chaise instead of the "L" shape) placed 3' away from the step up into the dining room (see green dashed line). This would allow plenty of clearance to walk around the couch. My concerns with this set up would be having to look up at the tv... though we are planning to hang it as low as possible and mounting it so that it can be tilted downwards and not as much seating. Thinking in either case, we will have a large rectangular ottoman or coffee table as well as a single or 1 1/2 size chair on the right side when facing away from the fireplace.
Any feedback from designers would be greatly appreciated!
Comments (6)
rpstark
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoHere is the whole floor plan if anyone is interested... I was thinking about there needing to be some clearance from the couch to the step up into the dining room as a large table is going to be placed in the centre of the dining room and it would be nice to have plenty of room to walk around people sitting at the dining table...
AnnKH
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Sofa? Sectional? Living room Help!
Comments (14)Is that the kitchen to the side of the other end of the room? I would definitely make that an eating/game table/homework/projects area, or if you don't need that, make it a separate reading/chatting space for when not watching TV. The two ideas could be combined. Why not put the TV between the doors? A flat screen can go on a console table or media stand and it looks like you could get a good size one there (45-50, maybe 50-60 inches?). Maybe not giant to ginormous, but plenty big unless that space is smaller than it looks. If you don't put a TV there, it has to go on one of the two end walls. That means the TV will either seriously limit your seating options on the stair end (sofa/love seat against the stairs will not be a good viewing angle, so you are probably looking at primary seating needing to float between the stair landing and the sliding doors and leaving traffic paths around it) or you flip and put the TV at the opposite end of the long room and the TV viewing is the cozy nook -- BUT the TV size may have to be limited by the space size. You can't sit on top of a really big screen. If your kitchen is off to the side, consider whether you will want to see the TV from there. It could be great either way -- two great rooms in one. You might have to tame the TV dreams. The guys in my house don't want to live with limitations either. I know what that's like. Best Buy has TV/room size and distance from screen charts that might be helpful and sometimes it helps to mock things up. Don't rush -- taking a little time to get a feel or how you want to live in the space and how it will best work for you can save you from some expensive mistakes....See MoreWHAT FABRIC & COLOR SECTIONAL SOFA FOR THIS RENTAL HOME FAMILY ROOM?
Comments (13)Thanks for the great tips. Yes, it's a good point that 16 won't be sitting at the same time...more like 12 or so. Sadly, I have to go fairly dark due to the cleaning and staining issues. I should have added that I plan to add a large 12 x 15 area rug to break up the dark sofas from the darkish wood. I can't go with medium gray because it will look too "matchy-matchy" with the med. gray stone fireplace. Quick question/concern...I searched for sofas that are made from "Sunbrella" people here suggested and there are only a few and they are outdoor sofas. Mostly, the Sunbrella fabric is pillows. Also, I'll be removing both sofa tables behind the sofas that are there now, so that will give me another~ 4+ feet. But I still plan on putting more narrow sofa tables as I don't want the sofas right up against the walls, so it will be more like an extra 2 feet I'll be gaining. Any other suggestions for a "tough" fabric that won't be torn easily? We've had issues with guests sitting on the sofas, etc., with keys, etc, in their back pockets that tear the fabric or snag it. What are opinions on leather? Vinyl? Also, I'd like to lighten up the room with a cleaner, more modern white (ish) paint, maybe with a touch of gray, )but not with any blue or "pink" in it.) The walls are now painted Sherwin-Williams "Accessible Beige" and the Doors (not seen in the pictures are "Dovetail"...which I LOVE, but is way too dark for the walls. I've already gone down the line of the "Dovetail" paint strip and the lighter colors look kinda "pink-ish" in that room.) Thanks again everyone...See MoreHelp deciding between sectional vs 2 sofas in awkward living room
Comments (2)Personally, I'd get two sofas. This will allow for an end table and lamp to be placed in the corner. Also, people usually like arms to lean on when they sit. However, if you like the extra seating the sectional offers, I would decorate the curved void with a large floor vase or floor lamp....See MoreSectional size and placement help!
Comments (5)Since it is to be a family space, I would turn the sectional so the short side of it has its back to the foyer entry and the longer side faces the dining entry. Put a sofa table behind the foyer side with nice decor to invite people in. Place TV left of the dining room entry on a low credenza 25% wider than the TV. Add a bench in the large window recess and use a storage coffee table to store games in. Here's one that could be useful, but you may have additional room for a family game table in the corner where you show TV....See Morerpstark
6 years agoUser
6 years ago
aprilneverends
6 years ago
rpstarkOriginal Author