idk what to do now

The rug color/pattern works with your sofa/chairs but isn't large enough for the room. Leggy seating looks better sitting entirely on the rug. What size is this rug?

Nice Space. Like all the wood. Like the tall blue vase on the hearth.

Would not paint the coffee table or any of your wood pieces.

Would probably remove all of the crosses except for the one large wire art cross (now over the fireplace) unless you use this room as a chapel. If, however, you're going to leave the tv in this room, consider hanging it over the fireplace rather than the wire cross art.

IF you want to keep the sofa facing the fireplace, you should move the sofa back to within an inch or so of the step off to emphasize that there is a step. A sofa table or pony wall height bookcase behind it if set on the lower floor would have a height that looks odd and on the upper entry level would be both too high and in the way of the entry. You could, however, add a floor to ceiling shelving unit behind the sofa-- just don't add so much stuff to it that you create a clutter vibe.

IF you leave the sofa facing the fireplace, you should clear any and all furnishings and art from beside where there is a step down so as to not have anything distract from the step or be in the way. One item you might add is lighting that can serve as a spotlight on the steps on each side of the sofa.

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You indicate you want two sitting room used as one dual entertainment venue. If you want truly helpful advise on that -- In order for anyone to be able to help you encourage foot traffic flow from one room to the other in any meaningful way - you may need to invest in a pad of graph paper and draw, to scale (noting measurements of room sizes), the floor plan of the rooms involved showing how they meet. Do indicate doorways and windows and the fireplace -- fixed features.

Is the fireplace centered with the front entry door unit, with sofa also centered with each of them or is there more room on one side of the sofa or the other for foot traffic?

One way to direct traffic beside the sofa would be to add an open railing or pony wall behind the sofa, preferably with floor to ceiling posts on each side.

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Are there any electrical outlets on the vertical part of the step down behind the sofa?

Your flooring is beautiful. Would not cover up any more of it than you truly feel you need to in order to create a conversation grouping -- such as by having the two chairs face each other, one on each side of the sofa at a right angle to the sofa.

Where your roll top desk is now located looks to be a good location for a round or square table that could be used as a card table or for board games -- and it could also be used as a serving table for parties that don't include a sit down meal.

To what room does the wide opening left of the fireplace lead -- is that also a space you want to be part of the party flow?

If the tv stays where it is, your seating needs to enable it to be viewed by those using most of the seating in the room. If you have two sofas, you might want to put them both in the isolated room that will not be used with the two you want to use for entertaining. Having the sofa face the tv makes sense.

Alternately, since locating the larger sofa seems more difficult, you might move it to the isolated room and use the smaller sofa against the step down between the two rooms thru which you want traffic to flow with the game table behind it. Then perhaps you could use your multiple pairs of chairs to create two-chair conversation groupings -- side by side or at right angle to each other -- with a table and lamp between them -- no rug needed in these rooms so you could use your rug that seems small for the fireplace room in the more isolated room instead .

Not a fan of the wire corner cabinet in the room with the fireplace. Would relocate it to a kitchen or laundry room or bathroom or pantry corner or even a hall corner not visible from that main living room. Would focus on placing furnishings with the same heavy or light vibe in the same room.

If you do draw, to scale, your floor plan of the spaces you've pictured, you can also use thicker card stock paper to draw to scale and cut out each piece of furniture you have and move it about on your graph paper floor plan.

It is unanimous that the wire corner shelf must go. Why not spend tomorrow doing that? Perhaps the items on it will look nice in the bow front cabinet. The aqua pieces present as a good color theme. I'd still like to see the two brown sofas in an "L" in the other sitting area, but I really do think the roll top desk is a better scale for the sofas in your family room. What are your thoughts on moving it to the buffet location? Are you considering selling the two ornate pieces from your dining room set? Never heard you comment on my suggestion to do so.

I truly think the space is really beautiful! Loved the progress, wouldn't change a thing, kind of. Perhaps, I agree with the lack of lighting problem. I feel like you should find some good modern lamps and add them. Also, have you thought about modernizing some of your furniture pieces? Like changing them or adding different types of decoration? Hope to see more of this, luck!

Your Three living need to have separate purposes that work together. Now nothing is working for me and I can't give you a fix without a floor plan of the rooms in relation to each other with the rest of the house. The entry needs to be an entry. Remove the curio. The previous owners had dining where Your sitting area is. It looks like the kitchen may be behind that. Move your dining furniture to that room. The dining furniture is too fancy for the casual couches you have in the family room. If you'd rather have your desk there, set it up to be an office. What ever... give it a purpose. I would consider moving the tv and console to the right of the fireplace making that whole wall the focus of the room. Please draw up a floor plan it will help a lot for us to give you the best solutions.

hey everybody! I'm sorry, I'm going to have to put the changes on hold for now. Have to get thru Thanksgiving. oh, if you're wondering, there is another formal dining area off the kitchen which has an open serving window-like area coming from the kitchen counter into that room. I don't know what it's called, but that's where we have our formal dining, but it won't hold our dining furniture. I'll send more pics and floor plans when I can. I'm getting a bit overwhelmed right now, but I already like the progress and I enjoy all of your feedback. Thanks!

I may have missed some of your comments, but I promise I will go back and read them all after Thanksgiving dinner. We are having it this Saturday and there are 40+ people coming. I'm having to rearrange to set up some temporary tables, so even if I had the time, it would be pointless to do much before then.

decoenthusiast I have posted the buffet and server for sale on marketplace but not sure I will get what I'm asking. Will post elsewhere after Thanksgiving. And I will reply to your other recommendations soon.

lamps: I have the 2 skinny lamps in the family room and 1 freestanding lamp in sitting area. I forgot to look at lamps while shopping for rugs. should I move 1 or more of those lamps into the big living area?

suezbell, yes there are multiple possible living areas: the one on question, the one with the roll top desk which was previous owner's dining, the one with a serving window from kitchen (not pictured yet - our formal dining, previous owner's sitting room) and the one with the double doors to the left of fireplace is the one we use as a family room (in pictures with recliners and sofa, and the out of place buffet and server - it's also our media room and houses a huge built where my husband has his huge tv and huge speakers - we also do karaoke - so it will require help eventually). hope that helps. wilk get pics and or floor plans after Thanksgiving

deco the rug in the entry room is 5x7 and the one on the bug living room is a 7x9 (approx). I couldn't find one locally any larger with the right color scheme and was worried about colors online.

also, I have to put up Christmas trees soon! I'm thinking maybe one where the corner wore rack is that doesn't belong.

You have a great new house for thanksgiving for 40. Great time to get input from family and friends and learn how things work for your life

yes, Cheryl! I'm so excited! and a bit overwhelmed, but it will all work out & definitely be worth it!!!! Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I think you are on the path to a nice transformation. Declutter, sell, donate (perfect time of year for that). And I do think your LR needs a much larger rug-- something that can fit the feet of the sofa AND chairs.

what if I move that rug to the sitting room which is open to this room? but, it may be a while before I can afford a larger rug. is it okay to go without a rug?

Yes

I'm not a pro, but I think the larger room needs a rug more than the other spaces. Can you return the 2 rugs you bought and get a larger one? Use painter's tape and make sure you have the right dimensions. You may need 9x12 or 10x14. Look for sales next week.

I could, but I can't find one locally, or at least havent been able to yet, and don't trust the coloring in online photos to order online.

I'm going to try to move the things from corner rack into curio. question is, can I still have tabletop family photos displayed somewhere? if so how?

The table by the blue chair will hold a trio of your favorite photos. If possible, layer them with a tall one behind two shorter horizontal ones. You could put a couple on your bedside tables. I wonder if the curio would do well in the corner instead of the bar table and stools. Perhaps the set would work in the sitting room since that's another football watching area. The rugs are definitely too small. You can order small door mat size versions of rugs online to see the colors correctly. They aren't too expensive to return if you don't like them, and then you can be sure of your selection. Maybe just hold off for now, and we can get back to it in early December with new rugs and a plan. Meanwhile, try the rug in the sitting room. Hoping to hear you sold the items. Did you check prices on Ebay before listing yours? That's a quick way to test the market.

Yes, I checked on ebay, but I don't know what they're actually called so I didn't find any very similar. I'm going to do some decor rearranging now, furniture rearranging will probably wait. thanks again for your input!

for now, what about this going where the crosses currently are? I think it's too small where it is anyway!

what I really want to do, eventually, is paint my own large wall hangings. so far I've only done small ones. here's one of mine....

Very much like your hummer art. You should do more.

Changing out small darker shades for larger white ones -- perhaps with straight sides -- might help improve lighting but you probably want "shop for lamps" to stay on your "to do" list.

Five days ago you posted a pic of a ?dresser? with a clay jug and a small lamp and a family picture atop it. There was a picture frame (with nine pictures in it) on the wall above it. If you can find similar ("cherry" reddish colored wood ) frames -- try WallMart -- then put as many of the family pictures you want to display in those same kinds of frames -- single picture or multiple pictures. With the holiday approaching, you could just (temporarily) set them any where you have a space for now but (after the holiday(s)) create a grouping (or two or more groupings ) of framed pictures with all of them.

You might consider the dining room for your family photo display. While I, personally, don't have a problem with people displaying family photos in their primary living room, some of the Houzz pros have recommended against it. Since the dining room is where family gather, why not gather the favorite family photos there instead -- at least until you're ready to display more of your own art.

Really like your floor and wouldn't worry if you don't have a room rug for any room. If you have a too small rug that will fit in the entry, you might consider just using it in the entry for now to protect your flooring from the high traffic you expect this holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Wow! Very talented. Reminds me of what my Aunt Betty used to do. Why not do a trio of different colored hummers to hang in a stack in your entry where the bow front cab has been?

Thanks! That was not freehand, I must confess! I used a projector. Does it drive anyone else crazy that this app doesn't automatically capitalize the first word in a sentence? I promise I know how to write - just used to texts automatically capitalizing!!! Like that idea, deco.

Updated decor, just working with what I already had on hand for our Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.

from outside our front door....

Missing one barstool that my husband is making repairs to later today.

showing how the floor drops, which presents challenges with furnishing some.

Already looks more inviting.

Does the sofa need all the pillows (i.e. is it a pillow back sofa)? If not, I'd remove the middle one. Enjoy your holiday meal.

Also, the corner to the left of this pic, that had the pub table before, will temporarily have a small table for some of my guests to eat at tomorrow. Right now it's full of clutter, so I intentionally left it out of pics. May move entryway curio and/or Christmas tree where pub table was or where it is now.

gcubed, thanks! yes, unfortunately it is a pillow back. it had 4 of the huge ones and 2 small ones, all the same colors just different patterns. I took one huge off and 2 small off and added the 4 small ones to tie in the colors. I tried rearranging but couldn't figure it out. any suggestions?

Just looks like only 1 person can sit on it the way it is! Unless all the pillows are removed. Don't get me wrong, I love decorative pillows. I have 5 on my lounger sofa. Everyone but me takes at least 1 or 2 pillows off to sit/lounge on it. If you are ok with people taking the pillows off, then it's ok. But maybe have a basket on each side of the sofa for storing them.

I'm ok with that until I figure out another option. thanks!

oops, apparently some of my pics didn't go through earlier.

showing how the floor drops, which presents challenges with furnishing some.

changed desktop... may change some more. added lime painting, not that it goes with the hummer, but it is another of mine and I think the colors go.

Cozy now.

Thanks! I bought this painting today, and my husband picked up 2 different lamps from the thrift store today.

Nice, where is going? Happy Holidays to u all!

I see progress. What did your guests say about the changes?

My guests loved it! I haven't changed anything else except for hanging the new painting. Oh, and I bought 2 lamps. About to do Christmas decor, then I will get back on it. :)

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