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Home Decorating

Help - furniture placement challenges!

Melissa Ehrenthal

6 years ago

Hi all, longtime lurker, first time poster.

I've just finished renovations which included knocking a wall down from my sitting room to my dining room. This now leaves one wall with a fireplace and the opposite wall for the TV. My family of 5 uses this room to sit by the fire, watch TV and gather. We also have a much larger more formal living room past the dining room for when we have guests. There is also access to the dining room from the entryway.

The dining room seats 8 and the kitchen the island with plenty of seating. I'm also contemplating adding a small round table by the kitchen windowseat area to create more of an eat in kitchen as an additional seating option to the island. I don't need more table/dining space.

Given how we tend to use the space, how would you arrange the furniture here? I was originally thinking 4 swivel chairs on rockers with a coffee table in the middle, but the space is just too small. What about 2 large slipcover chairs on swivels facing each with a coffee table or ottoman between them, with the ability to aim them towards the TV wall, or the fireplace, on swivels? I could really use your collective wisdom!

View to island/kitchen:

View of problem room from kitchen - dining room on other side

View from room to window seat / island:

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Comments (4)

rebeccamomof123
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Such great character in your home! It's a tricky layout to work with because either way, the back would be facing either the TV or the fireplace. I believe this could be considered a "Keeping Room" which is on trend right now, so you should have lots of great options for furniture. I think your best bet is to find two big, comfortable chairs with a low profile as not to ruin sight lines to your dining room. Get them on rockers/swivels and either place them in the middle of the room facing each other for easy maneuvering to face the TV or fireplace - or angle them with their backs to the the fireplace towards the TV. Find a nice light colored rug to place below them to anchor the space and get small round coffee table or tufted ottoman to use as a footrest or with a tray for beverages. Here are a few images I found when googling 'Keeping Room' that could work in your space.
lovemrmewey
6 years ago
Putting TV on arm that angles might help.
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Hmm... I was going to suggest a more substantial sofa, but now that I see it would block the fireplace if you did that. I also think your couch adds a lovely bit of color. But I love the new couch you're considering, actually almost put it in my home. So it certainly wouldn't be a bad choice. Every good MCM living room begs for some leather, but I think youd be better served adding it as a bench under the window, or in the chaise. I would keep the same chair for the second, since you will already have a mismatch between couch, chairs, and corner chaise. That's obviously a beautiful console but you'll need to measure carefully. It looks pretty long at 80"- how long is your wall? You also don't want anything more than a few inches taller than your chaise. I would pick the chaise first and the console second so you can get the dimensions right. Here are some options for a bench for under the window, and a leather chair/chaise for the corner.
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rebeccamomof123
6 years ago
Lovemrmewey, it looks like it already is on an arm for turning... no?
Melissa Ehrenthal
Original Author
6 years ago
Yes we have it on the arm already! My husband is a little bit of a tv nerd and a tv must be seen from absolutely every angle possible. Insert sigh here.

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