Livingroom/Den Design Help
My husband and I moved in this summer and this room is a work in progress - we could use some help. Photos were taken from our kitchen, there are 3 steps down into the living room and the room expands back on the left side of the stairs by a few feet. We have a couch along the back wall to the left, with a table in the back left corner and a small couch along the left wall (slightly visible in the photo). We are struggling with whether to keep the TV in the front left corner on a nicer stand or whether to hang it over the fireplace. I think it will give the room a cleaner look if we hang the TV over the fireplace rather than keep it on the floor. My concern however is the height, the top of the mantle is 5ft high and I think that it may be uncomfortable for viewing the TV. Lowering the mantle is not an option at this time. This will be our main hangout/TV room. We do plan on getting a newer TV with a smaller bezel. We also plan to put down wood floors. Any other thoughts or advice about the layout and design of the room is welcome.
Comments (25)
PROGN Builders L.L.C
5 years ago
sheloveslayouts
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Design help with living room - HELP!
Comments (8)I would break up the sectional. Put the piece that is to the right, with the ottoman, so that the front edge lines up at about the outside edge of the fireplace, on the right as you face the fireplace. Get an end table to use on the end of the couch without the arm and add a lamp. You need to get rid of the overhead lighting for everyday use, as it washes out the room, makes it glaring, and is not conducive to 'cozy' Take the chaise and place it opposite the piece you just put in place. Put a floor lamp near the chaise, kind of at the left side of the fireplace. Someone can now sit on the chaise and still see the tv, but also face the other seating for conversation. You might think about adding a couple of comfy leather or woven wicker/seagrass ottomans to sit under the shelving on the right side, for extra seating when needed. If you get ones that have storage, so much the better. Take the family photos and put them on the shelves, or hang them in among the shelving and mix in candles, books, etc. A Add some valances or bamboo/woven wood shades on the two windows. I would take the three art pieces and try them elsewhere in your home. I like them, but I think they look too much like the shape and color of the stone fireplace - too much the same and it all blends together. Instead, think about something round, to break up all the angles in the area, and to pick up on the rounded pillows and corners on the furniture. Perhaps a large round mirror, or a grouping of various height candlesticks that have lots of curves. It would be great if you could wall mount the speakers that are currently on stands, to keep that area from looking so busy. If not, for sure I would move the subwoofer to the other side of the entertainment console, so that it is more tucked away and not the first thing you see. Think about painting the end walls of the room a couple of shades darker than the fireplace wall and kitchen counter wall. It will visually bring the room more into square. Blues and greens are workable. Think bright navy for the blue, and then perhaps a strong acid green/apple green for accents in the room. Or, consider a warm pumpkin/rust color as the accent color instead of the green....See MoreApply for permit if separating a den out of a living room?
Comments (14)Yes, there does seem to be some confusion about habitable rooms. For building code purposes, a bedroom/sleeping room IS a habitable space. The requirement for a habitable room cannot be met with a "vent" or an "exhaust" system; the requirement is for "ventialtion" by means of a readily accessible operable opening to the outside air OR a mechanical means for delivering outside air to the room. When "egress" is used as a general term it can apply to any way of getting out of a building but national residential building codes like the IRC have two separate sections addressing this issue. The "Means of Egress" requirement is for a single path through doors and corridors with a clearance of 36" x 80" that does not pass through a garage. The "Emergency Escape and Rescue Opening" requirement is only for bedrooms and basements. The size of the opening can differ with the jurisdiction and also for renovation vs new construction but typically it is 5 s.f. for the ground floor and 5.7 s.f. elsewhere. The maximum sill height is 44" and the minimum dimensions are 24" high and 20" wide. The den can be considered part of the adjacent space if the separation wall is half open. The bedroom requirement can be avoided by using an opening larger than a standard door 40"+. Some jurisdictions will drop the escape requirement if there is no closet. It seems to me that the building official only told you that the room cannot be used as a bedroom so tell them it is not a bedroom, find a way to supply fresh air and get a permit. A bathroom exhaust fan with an integral fresh air supply duct might be adequate. Here is a link that might be useful: energy recovery bathroom fan...See MoreHelp living room design help
Comments (28)The house is a ranch 30x60 it had no flow, no hallway, you moved from room to room every room had at least 2 doors in it. It had a load bearing wall splitting it in half long ways. The front door opened into living room, living room had front door, side door and 2 doors into 2 bedrooms. We had a tree fall on our house so we used this as an opportunity to reconfigure the space to include a hallway, enclosed the porch on the side for laundry and pantry, added a vaulted front porch that opens into the foyer. It was a 3/1 that we turned into a 4/2. We needed the bathroom and bedroom more than we needed a bigger living room or so we thought. Here is a before with tree on top. Lol. After is without the tree. We may need to push the the living room and kitchen wall out on the backside of the house....See MoreA corner between den and kitchen, just off living room. Help!
Comments (18)Well, you're missing two chairs in your TV room area to finish that seating arrangement. And then I would probably use that space as a bar area. I would get a sideboard type piece of furniture and decorate the top of it like a bar....See Morechristiemb6
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoThe best I can do right now is add these 2 pictures that show a different perspective of the room. These are from the online listing, before we purchased the home.
christiemb6
5 years agosheloveslayouts
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoI had a condo with a similar layout years ago. I think you'll basically need to ignore the fireplace and look at the room as two separate spaces. On the right side near the kitchen, you could put a dining table/ game table / pool table/ foosball table and then on the left side put your sofa with a TV in the nook area.
If you were planning on cladding the fireplace in a new material, I'd encourage you to look into removing the hearth since it's taking up valuable floor space and not useful for seating. I'm generally very anti-sectional, but I think if that hearth was gone it could make sense to put an L shaped sectional (both sides equal) that goes under the window and ~ 42" in front of the slider so you can watch TV in comfort. Assuming this is your primary TV/family room.
christiemb6 thanked sheloveslayoutschristiemb6
5 years agochristiemb6
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agochristiemb6
5 years agochristiemb6
5 years agoFinally adding a photo of the family room (not the living room) with dimensions from our brochure. The short wall in the back is 13' and the wall to the left of the stairs is 5'.
gm_tx
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoWhat do you use the "Living Room" for? Could that room have the large TV for movies and whatnot?
If so, you could have a smaller TV in the Family Room, along with a game table in the large niche. That way, the TV is not the focus of the room, but you could still have a game on in the background while you're, say, playing cards or entertaining.
Here's two ideas. Not perfect, but maybe others can build on this as a start?
#1:
#2:
christiemb6 thanked gm_txgm_tx
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoOne more. I think this is similar to what benjesbride suggested above.
This setup would allow for a larger TV, but the furniture isn't centered around the fireplace.
#3:
christiemb6 thanked gm_tx
houssaon
5 years ago
PROFlo Mangan
5 years agoI have a different cut on the layout. But, measurements need to be verified, because based on the drawing posted and the windows and my knowledge of general sizes, I think the 17' side is the fireplace wall?? At least that is how I drew this up. I tried to keep the fireplace the main focal point and yet create a nice family space.
As I see the "nook" there isn't too much room there, but I could be wrong if some of my measurement assumptions are wrong. With a cathedral ceiling, one can get a feeling of volume, while the actual "floor space" is more limited than you think. That is the case with this space. So, this layout puts a game table in the nook and utilizes the rest of the space for furniture. I put a TV console on the wall to the side and I don't have a good feel for the windows on that side, but it might need to be in front of the window. One solution for that is to get a "pop-up TV unit, so when the TV is not being used, it can be lowered with a remote control and the unit looks like a nice console. A pair of swivel chairs would be best so a person can swing to the TV or fireplace or conversation area.
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Flo Mangan
5 years ago 
pat1250
5 years ago- PRO
Flo Mangan
5 years ago - PRO
Flo Mangan
5 years agoHere is layout "Option 2". I also like the concept of keeping the landing of the staircase open so the entry into the room is comfortable and doesn't present any danger.
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gm_tx