skip to main content

Home Decorating Design Dilemma living room

Tiny living room with openings; layout?

5 years ago

I live in a small "workmans cottage". The living room is proving to be very difficult to furnish, as there is only one solid wall, 2 openings and a wall of window. AND, the room is only 12' wide x 14' long.

I'd like an L-shaped sofa, or sofa w/ chaise, coffee table, 2 comfy chairs, TV, and a bookcase or media center for turntable/receiver/other audio equipment.

The opening to the Dining room can be obstructed a bit. Traffic flow is from the hallway through the LR to the Dining room. I've attached a proposed furniture layout. TV would be on a swivel or a wall-mounted arm.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

mindshift
5 years ago
Small spaces are better with small furniture. [Sectionals[(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/what-to-know-before-you-buy-a-sectional-stsetivw-vs~24686755) are not easily rearranged. You can move the entire sectional 90º, but you can't flip them because the arm will be facing the wrong way. Check out the link above for a Houzz article on the subject. A sofa with chaise is better because it is smaller but faces the same problem with how it is arranged. Consider a couch with built in recliners instead.

Nonetheless, below are two layouts using a sofa with chaise. The main change is where the TV is placed, and the change required an opposite version of the sofa-chaise. You need at least 3 ft left open for a walkway between the openings to the dining and the hall.
suezbell
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Unless you need to seat a lot of people and are willing to crowd a half dozen people onto a seat with leg room for two or three, smaller individual seating and/or a pair of 2-seat sofas that can be fairly easily moved to be rearranged for seating and/or for cleaning would be more practical.

If you only have a crowd a few times a year, you might invest in some folding directors' chairs rather than overcrowding your room.

In lieu of a coffee table, choosing a storage ottoman that could be used for extra seating with a top that flips so it can be used as a table can help.

Narrower end tables and tall thin lamps can help both with taking up less actual space and visually making the room less crowded.

The right bookcase/media center could do double duty as a tv stand. I found a used oak hutch with glass doors that works well for a tv stand.

Good luck in your search.
Related Discussions
Awkward Open Concept Living Room, Dining Room, and Kitchen Layout
Q
Comments (4)
I will look to see if I have a floor plan, but if not, how would i go about creating one for you. I know I sound like an idiot but obviously I am clueless as to this kind of stuff and wish my husband would just let me hire a decorator lol! However, he just now gave me another big fat NO to hiring one lol! So needless to say, I am going to have to learn how to do this on my own and asking for help, however annoying I may be, is the only thing I know to do! So I apologize in advance for my ignorance! I will look for the floor plan! Thanks for responding!
...See More
TINY LIVING ROOM WITH MANY OPENINGS
Q
Comments (4)
A couple quick thoughts... If the TV is less than 3' wide, I'd try it on the front door wall directly across from the TV. Bonus: This angle might lessen glare from the windows. If you don't need all the storage, you could keep the closet open and create a "cloffice." Replace the armchair with something visually lighter that's easy to move around when you have guests Plug-in wall sconces flanking the front window. Lighting that doesn't take up precious floor space.
...See More
Help with Furniture Layout - Open Concept (Kitchen/Dining/Living Room)
Q
Comments (3)
If you want a TV in that room the only place it can really go is to the right of the fireplace (maybe to the left if you find that works better for you). It is never recommended to put it over the fireplace unless there is nowhere else for it to go. You have more than enough space on the right for a nice console. Maybe in the future you can do something more dramatic with the fireplace as it looks small in that large wall (or maybe you are already and it's not finished yet). Put a tall piece of art over it (something that is less wide than the fireplace). Face your sofa toward the fireplace and TV. The dining table should have the long side parallel to the slider. I can't imagine it fitting the other direction. I don't think it's a bad thing to have your old furniture in there for a while. It will help you get an idea of the right size for new pieces. You may also get better advice if you post a graph paper drawing of the space so the commenters know exactly how much space you're working with. The perspective in pictures is sometimes misleading.
...See More
How to layout open floor plan living room?
Q
Comments (1)
You can draw a simple floor plan on graph paper. Take pictures of the entire space and post them here as a comment. Is there a TV on the wall opposite the windows?
...See More
eld6161
5 years ago
Although I like your idea of a chaise, it might overwhelm the room. I agree with small-scaled furniture for this room. Look for apartment size, when you google.

One streamlined sofa and two chairs.

Related Stories

ROOM OF THE DAY Room of the Day: Right-Scaled Furniture Opens Up a Tight Living Room

By Mitchell Parker

Smaller, more proportionally fitting furniture, a cooler paint color and better window treatments help bring life to a limiting layout

ROOM OF THE DAY Room of the Day: A Living Room Stretches Out and Opens Up

By Annie Thornton

Expanding into the apartment next door gives a family of 5 more room in their New York City home

ROOM OF THE DAY White-and-Gray Paint Scheme Brightens a New Living Room Layout

By Karen Egly-Thompson

The right colors and right-sized furniture and accessories open up entertainment possibilities in a California Craftsman

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Sacrificing a Bedroom to Open Up the Living Room

By Margot Hartford Photography

A couple reconfigure their Northern California wine country home to improve their space for entertaining

DECORATING GUIDES How to Plan a Living Room Layout

By Vanessa Brunner

Pathways too small? TV too big? With this pro arrangement advice, you can create a living room to enjoy happily ever after

HOMES AROUND THE WORLD Room of the Day: Elegant Open-Plan Living in London

This living-dining-kitchen area in a period apartment is light and refined, with just a dash of boho style

ROOM OF THE DAY Room of the Day: Midcentury Modern Style for a Bright New Living Room

By Karen Egly-Thompson

An open floor plan and clean-lined furniture create an upbeat vibe

LIVING ROOMS Room of the Day: Living Room Refresh Adds Style and Functionality

By Karen Egly-Thompson

A Seattle midcentury modern space lightens up, opens up and gains zones for entertaining and reading

LIVING ROOMS Lay Out Your Living Room: Floor Plan Ideas for Rooms Small to Large

By Charmean Neithart Interiors

Take the guesswork — and backbreaking experimenting — out of furniture arranging with these living room layout concepts

TRENDING NOW The Top 10 Living Rooms and Family Rooms of 2019

By Bryan Anthony

Conversation-friendly layouts and clever ways to integrate a TV are among the great ideas in these popular living spaces

Sponsored

T. Walton Carr, Architects

Franklin County's Preferred Architectural Firm | Best of Houzz Winner

More Discussions

Help with sidelight design

26

LONG ENTRYWAY HALLWAY

4

can you tell me what are good colors ( whites or cream) that complemen

0

living in small house with kids - student research

1

Console or fireplace?

6