What would you change about this midcentury modern living room?
This was my first idea after painting.
A couple pieces still to get: coffee table, credenza for the right of the fireplace, mirror above the mantle, and one more chair for a five person seating area.
Any other suggestions would be appreciated!
Comments (25)
decoenthusiaste
5 years agoArrange seating in front of FP. Center the rug with the FP, put the sofa perpendicular to the niche on the right and two chairs opposite. Change the rug to an MCM pattern with color to add some life to the room. Place it 12-18" away from the hearth. It should be big enough to slip under the front 1/3 of our sofa and extend past the two ends by a foot or more.
Hand-Tufted Gabriela Area Rug, Sunflower, 5'x8' · More Info
cmcgradycher
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Need help with living room flooring of a mid-century modern house.
Comments (14)I would go with terrazzo since going with wood would be a poor design choice. I am not a fan of wall to wall carpet for a variety of reasons so that wouldn't be an option for me. Terrazzo is both true to the period and would look great with that style of the home. It is also more of an investment to future buyers as anyone who is looking for a classic MCM home is going to be thrilled to find terrazzo. However, wall to wall would no doubt be cozier but would need replacing fairly frequently...See MoreWhat siding would you use for this mid-century modern split level?
Comments (11)I don't know where you are, but there is a neighborhood in north Framingham MA with maybe 100 of these identical houses all built in 1960-62. I just rebuilt one for my son. If you're close it might be worthwhile just driving around and looking at all the various choices people have made over the ensuing years, some good, some not so good. We kept the original cedar clapboards on his, there was nothing wrong with them. There had been a flat plywood panel between a couple of the upstairs windows which we took out during window replacement and just replaced with claps. It had rotted. The most important thing we did was to add 7" of rigid foam insulation on top of the roof-- it needed a new roof anyway. Those cathedral ceilings are a bear to both insulate and ventilate, so we went with a "hot roof". His heating bill dropped dramatically. There's a foam recycler in Framingham so it was also very cost effective. FWIW, because of the low slope we did a rubber roof....See MoreChanging style from traditional to midcentury modern/Scandinavian insp
Comments (4)HU-634etc., I don't think you need to stay away from bronze. If you do a search for MCM fire screens, you'll find a lot of brass and bronze. But typically, MCM fireplaces had built-in screens or glass doors or a large hearth with no screen at all. The trick is to find a fire screen that has the flavor of the era without looking dated since brass and bronze have fallen out of favor in the last decade or so. A bigger concern for me is that you are going from traditional to MCM, a transition that is not easily made. A house that comfortably hosts traditional furnishings is unlikely to adapt well to the simple sleek look of MCM....See MoreWhat would you change? How to modernize pool and patio
Comments (8)I would love to make this into the quintessential outdoor entertainment space. I wouldn't change what is there except remover the fence between the pool and patio. I see a great outdoor kitchen and a bar, both with counter or bar height seating. A few round tables with 4 chairs each around them - must be comfortable!. Add some paddle fans, a misting system. All seating must be comfortable. Around the pool I would have a couple of seating areas with 2 chairs and a small table between them so people who are swimming can sit and dry off or have a drink, also nice at night when it has cooled down and you just want to sit and enjoy the evening. On the far side of the pool I would create a fire pit and seating (far from the house and shed so you don't burn anything down). You could do a horseshoe pit, putting green or ping pong table. Don't forget an outdoor sound system. Think about how you will entertain, who you will have at your home and how you will enjoy using the space. No one cares how modern it looks when they are having fun....See MoreLiam R
5 years agodecoenthusiaste
5 years agoTwo chairs will be on the left side of the fireplace and the sofa will be on the right side, similar to this. You may have room for a sofa table if you don't like people seeing the back of the sofa when they enter the room. You can also reverse the sofa and chairs if you prefer the room to appear more open when people come through the door. If this is your own home, consider closing up the arched niches high on the wall opposite the fireplace and putting a tall piece of casegoods like a secretary or bookcase there to counter balance the fireplace visually and weight wise. Two console tables or credenzas flanking the fireplace would work well with art above them. Then you could use a mirror above the mantel.
Heather Garrett Design · More InfoJennifer Dube
5 years ago
PRODerek Tarr Photography
5 years agoHi Liam,
What a cool room with so many patterns and possibilities. Here are a few photos for your consideration. If I can mock up any others for you just let me know.
Kind regards,Derek
PROBeth H. :
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agofound a similar room set up like yours
If you did something around your fireplace in color like they've done here, and either art or a cool vintage mirror on the mantel, it would amp up your space quite a bit
Liam R thanked Beth H. :Liam R
5 years agoLiam R
5 years agoci_lantro
5 years ago
Laurie Lou
5 years agoLiam R
5 years agoci_lantro - it's a real fireplace, at least it used to be. Unfortunately, changing the fireplace around (other than painting) is beyond my scope right now.
@laurie: hmm, I'm receiving receiving conflicting information on this. I started with a 10x7 rug before I painted the room, but a friend told me he thought it was too big and I should go with a 9x6 just to define the seating area
- PRO
Beth H. :
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoLiam, rather than painting the brick, what do you think about getting a mantel (refer to the blue one w/the mirror) and painting that? Your place is from the early 20th century, yes? you could try some salvage places that carry early 1900's wood mantels and other home materials. I don't know if that one you have on there now is original. you'd have to strip off the white paint and look at the wood. if it's quarter sawn solid oak, then it's prob original.
Btw, if you stripped off the white paint on your front door, I bet you'd find some gorgeous wood underneath.
Are you renting or is this your home? if you own it, I'd try and bring back some of the original features.
the black/white tiles on the hearth were done at a later time. if you ever want to redo those, that would be great. you could get a solid piece of black marble, or basalt and insert that. or you could get those old victorian glazed tiles and use those. that's prob what was there to begin with. (see the last pic, above for reference)
my favorites are the blue mantel w/the antique mirror, and this one
I love the inky teal tones around the black fireplace and the white trim. finding solid black marble mantel piece would be rather expensive. lol. so you may be able to recreate the look w/wood or MDF panels.
Notice on this one even though the walls are white, they painted the fireplace section a contrasting color
I found this pic w/a similar sofa to yours. look at how they've decorated around it. again, a painted mantel in this style. I also like how they've done the cement tiles around the box. your black and white squares are retro, but remind me of a diner. you may consider changing those
decoenthusiaste
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoRug size determined by whether you want the seating grouped around it or grounded by it. Generally, the seating should touch the rug unless you have such an outstanding rug that it is to be the centerpiece while the seating fades into the background.
Liam R thanked decoenthusiasteLiam R
5 years agodecoenthusiaste
5 years agoLiam R
5 years agoChugging along. Fireplace painted, added two lamps and a mantle mirror. Another chair, coffee table, and credenza is next. Still can't quite figure out the layout.
decoenthusiaste
5 years ago
katinparadise
5 years agoLiam R
5 years agohousegal200
5 years agoSome thoughts:
--Leave the sofa where it is for your TV watching--this type of setup. Perhaps you intended your credenza to go in the nook with TV over it? If so, good idea.
Fireplace · More Info
Modern Eichler Living Room · More Info
--Place your floor lamp in the corner to the right of the window.
--Bring the chair closer to become part of the sofa area that will be reachable when you get a coffee table.
--Think about getting a narrow-sh MCM chest for next to the front door for keys, gloves, etc. with a round mirror over it. Craigslist is good for this, credenzas, and coffee tables, usually for no more $$$ than brand new. If you are going brand new, then West Elm carries a lot of this style.
--Get a great painting for over the fireplace.
--Liam R
5 years ago
Beth H. :