skip to main content

Design Dilemma Home Decorating

Furniture layout for long narrow family room

4 years ago

I am decorating my family room from scratch and I would love some input on layout. It is a long, narrow room (one of those typical New England colonial front-to-back living rooms) and is ideal for two zones. I’d like a TV/movie watching zone and am open to what to do with the leftover space. Ideal for our family would be a table to seat 4 for playing board games or doing puzzles, but I’m not sure I have room for that. Previously we just had two wingback chairs with a table in between as a conversation area in the back of the room (and no one ever sat there). I’m uploading a sketch of the dimensions as well as a couple of photos - pay no mind to the misfit furniture, those are things that don’t fit anywhere else in the house and don’t need to stay.
Our current cable outlet is on the 10 foot wall.
Right side of the sketch is the front of the house and that doorway leads to the foyer.
Left side of the sketch is the back of the house and that doorway leads to the back hallway.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

Ephma
Original Author
4 years ago
Oh I just remembered that the cable outlet is irrelevant because we don’t use cable anymore. Welcome to 2019 :)
Ephma
Original Author
4 years ago
Please let me know if there's any additional info that would be helpful! I could just use the same old layout I had in the past but was hoping for some fresh ideas.
Related Discussions
Help with long narrow living/family room
Q
Comments (3)
To help with the imbalance between door and fireplace I would put a sofa perpendicular to the FP on the dining room side, and two chairs perp to it on the north side. Center a coffee table with the firebox to give a feeling that all is in alignment, even though its not. The coffee table should be 18" or less from the sofa, and the chairs, if further away from it, can have their own side table (round if you angle the chairs, square or rectangular it they sit straight. Try a sofa table behind the sofa and a tall piece of casegoods on one of the solid walls. Lots of art.
...See More
How to arrange furniture in long/narrow family room?
Q
Comments (1)
Following
...See More
Furniture layout in long, narrow living room
Q
Comments (27)
So... If you are still interested in the Iris chair at all, just want to let you know the chair is actually grey, not brown. They are calling the color Pewter. It looks so brown on my monitor. Here is pic from customer review of Iris loveseat. This is the pillow that also comes with chair. (Doggie not included. 😂 So cute. Precious.) Anyway, even better. You could just toss a grey lumbar into sofa pillow mix - or just simply use only one grey pillow or throw if you prefer! As one example, this oversized lumbar from Target is fun. https://www.target.com/p/oversized-lumbar-velvet-throw-pillow-with-tassels-gray-threshold-8482/-/A-79587619?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df_free_online&CPNG=Home%2BDecor&adgroup=67-8&ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=bing_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000012733992&CPNG=PLA_Home%2BDecor%2BShopping&adgroup=SC_Home%2BDecor&LID=700000001230728&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=o&device=t&location=&targetid=pla-4585581967312127:aud-805670406&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1248099&ds_rl=1247068&msclkid=5d9112dca58b12e8c5d14d5a74840855&gclid=5d9112dca58b12e8c5d14d5a74840855&gclsrc=3p.ds
...See More
Looking for help with furniture layout in long, narrow family room
Q
Comments (8)
Just trying to think about how people really use their living room. TV mostly and everyone wants to face the TV which is understandable. Seeing more requests for at least one recliner in a room that can see the TV and this plan meets that need. If that is on your list, a recliner that swivels can be a good solution. The two chairs and table in the corner could be for gaming which is popular in some families. It's also a good place to spread out a magazine or newspaper if people still do that. My neighbor likes to watch TV with one ear and do a puzzle at the same time, so I was thinking about how she uses her room.
...See More
PRO
CDR Design, LLC
4 years ago
Here you go.
Ephma thanked CDR Design, LLC
Ephma
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks! I think that's along the lines of what I was thinking, but looking for a comfier arrangement. I'd like the seating to be more set up for TV watching, as we already have another room with a fireplace that is set up in a more conversational layout for entertaining. And I'd like a longer couch but have trouble with the windows being in the way. Sometimes I'm afraid if the couch is off center between those windows it feels strange to me (particularly when putting art on the wall), but if the couch isn't scooched over then I have trouble with the zones working out. I don't think I'd want an oval table - that seems more dining to me? I already have a dining room and a breakfast nook. But maybe an oval is all that will fit there - it's hard for me to tell what kind of dimensions that space can handle.
PRO
CDR Design, LLC
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Okay. Thanks for the additional info! Here is another idea. This plan offers 2 game tables behind the 2 sofas. The 2 sofas are centered on windows, but not centered on the tv.

I'd hang a huge piece of art between the 2 windows. You would see that as you entered. You need a wider tv console also. For end tables for the sofa, I'd use C-tables.

Related Stories

DECORATING GUIDES Divide and Conquer: How to Furnish a Long, Narrow Room

Learn decorating and layout tricks to create intimacy, distinguish areas and work with scale in an alley of a room

FURNITURE How to Arrange Furniture in Long, Narrow Spaces

By Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR

7 ways to arrange your living-room furniture to avoid that bowling-alley look

DECORATING GUIDES Ask an Expert: How to Decorate a Long, Narrow Room

Distract attention away from an awkward room shape and create a pleasing design using these pro tips

ROOM OF THE DAY Room of the Day: A New Family Room’s Natural Connection

By Becky Harris

Stone and wood plus earthy colors link a family room to its woodsy site and create a comfy gathering spot

ROOM OF THE DAY Room of the Day: Moody Blue Update for a Family Room

By Becky Harris

Comfort, function and style bring this room up to par for a stately Georgian home on Long Island’s Gold Coast

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

DINING ROOMS Room of the Day: Grown-Up Style in a Family Dining Room

By Jeannie Matteucci

Easy-care fabrics, a lighter color palette and a great furniture save help a Boston-area family get the transitional look they were after

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

DECORATING GUIDES Room of the Day: Something for Everyone in a Seattle Family Room

By Becky Harris

Family members downsize to a home that will shorten their commutes and give them more time together — much of it spent in this room

LIVING ROOMS Room of the Day: Nautical Chic Brings the Cozy to a Family Room

By Becky Harris

A hardworking room multitasks as a comfy gathering spot and home office in a onetime sea captain’s home

Sponsored

More Discussions

I need ideas for my living room and bar

4

What would you do with this table?

29

low dresser beside high boy

4

Cottage Sunroom/ Gazebo redecorating

10

What color shutters should I put in my house

1