NEED Design help!! - narrow living room off kitchen
Hello Houzz Friends!
I need some advice on NEW furniture for our family room. It's off the open kitchen (remodeled) and includes a double wide sliding glass door along with an angled fireplace that I desperately want to redo (possible DIY with white marble tile and white wood). It's a builder grade fireplace currently and not pretty. We did the reclaimed wood wall ourselves. What suggestions do you have for comfy furniture? The furniture we have is over a decade old and purchased for a different home. It's really too big for the space but we've made it work. We're not in a rush but I'd love some other ideas...Thank you!! Julie
Comments (13)
cawaps
5 years ago
juliewolfe
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Need help for my open kitchen, dining and living room layout design
Comments (5)It would be possible to put a play corner in the first two drawings but not in alternative 2. I would recommend a corner of storage furniture to corral the toys. I am usually a fan of built-ins but not in this case because eventually the kids will outgrow their toys and you won't need that storage there anymore. The built-in exception would be a window seat under one of those windows on the plans. Some of the storage could be cabinets or bookshelves for bins or toys underneath a window seat. I'm not a fan for toy box style storage because they either become a black hole or the kids throw everything out of them looking for what they want and then do't put the rest of it back. As for the kitchen placement, near to the deck would be best in you like to eat outdoors on the deck or entertain on the deck. We entertain a lot and the kitchen is on the other side of the house from the patio. It's a real pain and a big part of my design brief for the architect was for the kitchen to be next to the patio. I even wanted a pass-through window from the kitchen sink to the patio for ease of clean up but unfortunately I wasn't able to work that out....See Moreneed help designing my living room and kitchen
Comments (28)I don't really know how to help you. The only thing you have really told us is that you didn't like it when I said steam punk -- which was a mistake on my part. I was tired and grabbing at straws for an old/new mix and that wasn't it. I said so, but you have ignored my input and now aren't responding to Beverly either. Beverly gives good advice but I'm not getting the feeling that it's going in the direction you want -- at least not all of it, but you aren't commenting on what you like and don't like. Doesn't matter if you like or don't like the suggestions -- you have to give your input to give them direction. We don't know what you have liked, what you may have added or done -- it's like picking straws in the dark. I thought you could use an armless chair, but they might not be as comfortable for sitting in for TV watching, reading or even conversation for a length of time. Your sofa has such large high arms that you don't want to match them or it will be all arms in a small room. If you do go with arms, you want to make sure they don't add up to overwhelming. Beverly was going with more restrained arm choices in more traditional styles (Of those, I like the upper right and lower left or 3 and 4 as more transitional choices and lighter arms). Have you picked something? As for your rug, going to a 10x14 is going to limit your choices and drive up the price. You may find that 8x10 or 9x11-12 is your largest option in a number of rugs. If you want less expensive options, I suggest Home Goods if you have one and Overstock as starting points. I bought one of my rugs from Pottery Barn and learned from my store's manager that they may have clearance items not displayed. If you go in and tell them what you are looking for (color and size), they can help you look and might come up with a surprise from the back. Takes a little hunting. The rug you like is pretty -- and not a bad price for such a large rug. When you get into the larger sizes, each step up in size is going to have a larger increase in price simply because the are of the rug increases so much and, when you get to the largest ones, there are not as many of them made. Try to forget that particular rug and just keep the general color and feel you have in mind and keep looking. Overstock has a number of rugs that come up in a 10x14 cream search. This one will give you a similar color with a smooth texture http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Safavieh-Vintage-Light-Grey-Ivory-Rug-10-x-14/9942299/product.html?refccid=BFFR2PQ7N5IK2VCINBGXPNCMMI&searchidx=27 This one has the color but goes to the opposite extreme in texture (you say no kids or pets?) http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Safavieh-Silken-Ivory-Shag-Rug-10-x-14/7554753/product.html?refccid=BFFR2PQ7N5IK2VCINBGXPNCMMI&searchidx=32 fluffy but more carpet and less wild (they have several variations on this theme) http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Safavieh-Milan-Shag-Ivory-Rug-10-x-14/9156576/product.html?refccid=BFFR2PQ7N5IK2VCINBGXPNCMMI&searchidx=40 Something with a little more design (verify the size -- it isn't showing up) http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Safavieh-Ultimate-Cream-Beige-Shag-R/6673457/product.html?refccid=BFFR2PQ7N5IK2VCINBGXPNCMMI&searchidx=9 Something more traditional and a bit aged looking for the idea of contrasts http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Safavieh-Vintage-Cream-Rug-10-x-14/9942321/product.html?refccid=46XQXUAHXSRIT6SKINUAUUJ4CY&searchidx=80 Something totally different that might play well with the stainless in your kitchen, especially if you add a backsplash http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Hand-tufted-Contemporary-Geometric-Grey-Rug-96-x-136/8177540/product.html?refccid=PPJDUZQP52NJN4COCC54FIYDXQ&searchidx=137 More traditional http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Hand-tufted-Contemporary-Geometric-Grey-Rug-96-x-136/8177540/product.html?refccid=PPJDUZQP52NJN4COCC54FIYDXQ&searchidx=137 And there are a lot more -- the idea is to look for options and then edit to what you like best, then edit again to get the ones that work together best to coexist in your space and create your look. The more you tell us, the more we can help you with the editing....See MoreNeed design help for porch/kitchen/living room re-do
Comments (3)maybe a better question would be: what design "styles" does this 'vanilla' house lend it self toward? If we stain the porch wood, we're craftsman which seems to not fit, right? man, i thought we had an idea of style, but this choice has thrown everything for a loop....See MoreNeed Help with Narrow Living/Dining Room Combo
Comments (4)You would want to place the dining room next to the kitchen where it fits logically. To shorten the space, I would recommend two colorful area rugs to define the dining area and the living area, which will give life and warmth. Please don't fall into the gray/neutral groove which is a dying trend that many still falsely think is fashionable. With a colorful rug you can choose a couch and chairs that have pretty colors, not brown or black leather which will kill a room design. Straight, classic lines that won't become dated are best for your furniture because they look good with everything and won't look dated in 5 or 10 years....See Morejuliewolfe
5 years ago
PROBANDD DESIGN
5 years agojuliewolfe
5 years agoMrs Pete
5 years ago
J J
5 years agojuliewolfe
5 years ago
Hello Houzz Friends,Thanks so much for your comments! I could only load 2 photos on my original post so wanted to include some more so you could see how the room works all together with the kitchen. I had not even been thinking about painting but now am thinking maybe a lighter wall shade would be good. Thank you for the the nice compliments! I wanted to address a few items:
The wood wall - we want to keep it - we built it ourselves from our old fence and love it. When it's lit from above it looks less dark.
The rug- I had it custom made for this room as this is where we all hang out and watch TV and we have kids - I wanted something that was huge and neutral (we have cats and a dog as well so this is very forgiving) and more like carpet than an accent rug. I wanted the gray floor to flow seamlessly into the kitchen to let the eye flow easily from one room to the next. (I actually tried a smaller patterned rug in here but we have a pool and it took a beating).
The fireplace - ack. SO do not like it at all and Ingrid, you are right - there are 2 competing focal points which I don't love. However, we do use it and it's not going to be torn out as I don't think we'll get the ROI for that project - so I have to make it work. Making it white was to tie it into the kitchen. It will likely be a DIY so I have to work with simpler materials (either paint which still leaves me with 12x12 tiles which I don't prefer) or DIY tile like Inoxia Speed Tiles (which I've read reviews of and seem excellent). So if I redo the fireplace - what do you all suggest to make it work with the kitchen?? (And I'm going to clear off the mantel of the trophy and the crock which contains the dog's fetch balls!)
The furniture - the consensus from you all is definitely that we need some new pieces and I agree completely. I like the suggestion of two chairs and sofa. Our challenge (which you can see better in these new pics I think) is that it's open to the kitchen so it's a pathway AND everyone wants to face the TV. I had thought about swivel chairs against the wall but think it will drive me crazy as they'd never be lined up. The challenge in this room is that it's for movie watching. Ideally it would be a large square room but alas it is not. My other rooms are much easier to design!!
Please feel free to share any other thoughts! Thank you!
Julie
grapefruit1_ar