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Design Dilemma Home Decorating living room

Help with staging an awkwardly shaped room with a view.

6 years ago

We recently bought a dated lake front home with a Chalet style living room that's a little larger than 240 sq ft with 18ft ceilings. The ceiling and lake side wall feature knotty pine. The room is sort of rectangular (see the layout photo) and we're not sure how to stage it to focus on the view (lake view pictured) while accomodating our TV. It's the only living space in the house and our 2 kids ages 2 years old and 5 months old use it often too.

We have a left-hand facing sectional sofa (pictured) that measures 87" x 117" with seat depth of 39". All other furniture will be replaced.

We'd like help with what other furniture to buy, a furniture layout, and colour / design scheme. There is a panoramic photo of the existing room attached. We like simple lines, modern rustic / industrial style and natural design elements. We plan to replace the carpet with hardwood in future so flooring ideas are welcome too.

All suggestions are appreciated, and I'll gladly offer more detailed information and pictures if it helps you give feedback.

Featured Answer

decoenthusiaste

6 years ago

Float the sectional in the center of the room, facing the view, leaving a traffic path behind it. On the side opposite the chaise portion place two swivel chairs. On the wall behind them put your TV above a credenza 25% wider than the TV. Under each of the large view windows, use a long upholstered bench pulled far enough away from the window that you can sit facing the view if you want. They'll provide additional seating for bigger crowds. I would put indoor/outdoor fabric on them that is easily cleaned, as they may become good spots for the kids to stretch out and read, color or do other messy things like snacking. More suggestions for decor will depend on further pix (not pano please) of all walls and openings.

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Comments (14)

junco East Georgia zone 8a
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Are there doors in the window wall to the outside that you need to have access to? Where do you enter the house?

Perhaps you could put the TV on or over a console against the 12' wall. Position the sectional at an angle in the middle of the room so you can see the tv and the view. The area behind/left of the sofa could be set up as a play space for your children. Look for swivel chairs that could be used for conversation as well as tv watching. Maybe some shelving against the 11' wall.

ETA: is that a door to the right facing the window? and a hall to the rest of the house? If so, then put the play area on the 11' wall .

When you install the wood floors, try to have floor plugs installed so you can have lamps beside or behind the sectional. If you've played with the layout before you get the floors done you will have a better idea of where to place the plugs.

Good luck, what a beautiful view.
suzyq53
6 years ago
I think you could put the tv right in the middle of the windows above a console and still maintain the view.
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junco East Georgia zone 8a
6 years ago
What direction does the window wall face? Will you need to have light control?
freedomplace1
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
The pano pic is not really helping me to understand the space, and is the tv in the pic the former owner(s)' (?) Can your tv go on the same wall? I agree with Suzyq53, in terms of possible placement of tv in middle of windows being one option, and if you needed light control perhaps motorized shades.

But I don't have a clear sense of the space, and if there is another viable place for the tv, you may like it better having the view clear, without distractions. On the other hand - if your main time spent in the room involves tv watching - and you want to enjoy the view - optimum place to put tv may be in the center of windows. If you are going to be floating the sofa, I recommend a sofa table to anchor it.

I love rustic and industrial design, also. Since you have young children, maybe an ottoman coffee table.
Sara Britt
Original Author
6 years ago
The house has SW exposure, so managing sunlight through the windows in summer is important. We already have Hunter Douglas shades that work in place.

Attached are photos of the room, first facing back towards the dining / kitchen area and the next two the space as seen when standing in the back of the house.
Sara Britt
Original Author
6 years ago
In the panoramic photo in the main post the exterior door to a screen porch can be seen, it has a large frosted window. In the photo facing the dining room attached to my comment above there is a brown door that's visible on the right - that's a coat closet.
junco East Georgia zone 8a
6 years ago
Do you like where the tv is now? Do the traffic patterns interfere? Can you post another floor plan so we can see what is where.
decoenthusiaste
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Is there no way to access the deck from this room? Is that a closet by the dining room, or is that how you access the kitchen from the main living area? Your dilemma room looks to be completely cut off from outside and from the kitchen in the pix. Of course, the TV needs to sit just a few inches above a wide credenza. On the other wall it will be out of the traffic flow into the dining room. Just for the sake of trying something different, try pulling the sofa forward enough to leave a nice play space behind it. Its really to far from the TV for good viewing right now. Watch TV there tonight and see how it feels.
Sara Britt
Original Author
6 years ago
For those who asked, this will show the existing furniture placement in the room and where the living room is situated relative to the kitchen / dining / rest of house. There is not currently deck access through the front windows, rather out the side door into a screened porch (as pictured).

Hopefully this makes it a little more clear - and not clear as mud!
Sara Britt
Original Author
6 years ago
.
freedomplace1
6 years ago
Would you want to try placing the sofa on wall facing windows? Your current sofa position is very good from a Feng Shui perspective, your instincts are great re furniture placement - and I am familiar with Eastern Feng Shui principles. Another viable primary sofa placement would be to anchor sofa on wall facing windows, and with your spectacular views, I think that is the one I would go with. There are a number of things you can do with the tv, including putting it in center of windows, as already mentioned, but there are other options. also.
freedomplace1
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
You could put tv on an angling/extension arm/mount, on wall where it is now.

Or do something like this.

Console doesn't have to have wheels, of course, but mobility = flexibility, and there are a ton of wheeled options in industrial genre, alone.

Another option could be to place tv on top of a long, low console, on the far left side - or mount tv, over left side of long, low console, on angling/extension arm.

You would have to see what would work best for you, but you get the general idea; there are a number of tv arrangements that could potentially work in conjunction with a sofa placement on wall opposite windows.

The house is really beautiful, btw. Stunning architectural features as well as views.

Hope some of this helps!
lascatx
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Have you tried the long side of the sectional against the stair wall with the short end coming out toward the windows -- then the TV on the wall where the long side currently is. Move the chairs and a small table to the window side of the room and move the third to the wall where the TV is now (or another room), along with the kid stuff for now. As the kids grow, that wall could be a place for a desk, table -- place for homework, games, reading, projects. For now, that would allow you to watch the kiddos easier when in the kitchen and gives the adults back the prime real estate in front of the windows wall.

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