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Home Decorating Design Dilemma living room

Help with long, narrow open concept dining/living room & dead space

4 years ago

New home and really struggling with this open concept thing. It's basically a long, narrow rectangle and feels blank and flat and void of any character. But we're in it now and need to make it a home. We are clueless about design and decor and welcome any input. We've done our best with the living area, but are open to suggestions for how to improve things. Especially curious about what we can do with the dead space between our dining and living area? A bench behind the couch? Or an area rug? Look past the Valentine & birthday decorations; those are not staying! Dog beds need to be relocated too. Thank you!

Featured Answer

jmm1837

4 years ago

last modified: 4 years ago

Looks to me like you've done a pretty good job so far. I'd suggest a bigger rug in the living area, perhaps art on the walls beside the fireplace, and that mirror looks a bit high. Maybe a console table behind the sofa, but "empty space" isn't necessarily "wasted space."

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Comments (6)

erinsean
4 years ago
What would it look like to turn your table the other way? Nice room.
RPD thanked erinsean
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Its hard to tell the depth/distance, especially from the wall the dog food is to the back of the sofa. I also feel like you could afford to back up the sofa bit more. I think you could have the best of both worlds in the nook area with bench under the left window and a small table with chairs, you might be able to get a chair and an end table next to the door on the right.
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It's gigantic. I'd be trying like hell to avoid that. I'd use the dining table in the dining room for a combo desk /office. I'd buy more flexibility.......comfortable flexibility. A tv can mount flat to the wall, With an IR repaeater, it needs no console beneath. The cable box can go anywhere. I'd get a nice deep and comfy 84 inch sofa, put a console with lamps behind. Add two super comfy chairs and ottomans. A nice generous, light and open cocktail table. Lie down! watch the tube! Put your feet up! Add a little ottoman for a perch at the cocktail table. People love to sit and reach a snack. Add a low table between the chairs at the fire......open and light. Ten x 14 rug to ground everything. ( dotted line ) Go set yourself up in the dining room, to work, and just clean up when you have guests !! No matter the sprawl, no more than three folks will ever sit on that beast of a sectional : ) Two chairs and a total of three ottoman plus at least two on a sofa............for gatherings gives you seven seats. A smashing piece of art over the fire too.
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I have this same problem. Our living room is 11x20, with two radiators, two double width doorways and an extra wide staircase, and a corner fireplace. There's really nothing to be done but divide a space like that into two. It's half office and half living room, which means that practically we only have about an 11x8 space for a living room. At least you have a lot of wall space. I would use the sofa as a divider between the spaces, and a sectional would definitely be the best. Is there a doorway that we can't see on the wall past the stairs?
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Here is the current layout. Where the TV is now is going to be a fireplace in the near future. I have this as the focal point for the sofas at the moment, but because the room is so long there is a bit of empty space behind it. I have a console table back there currently. Wondering about added a shelf or plantstand or hanging plant, or just wall art to balance the room. Thinking also of hanging curtains as well. Will update again when the fireplace is finished. Planning to get rid of the tall lamp and replace it with a new one soon.
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Nelly Bluth
4 years ago
I would suggest installing a light fixture above the dining table, putting a console/sofa table behind the sofa and getting a larger rug for the living room area. Otherwise, the room looks good to me.
RPD thanked Nelly Bluth
Sun Flower
4 years ago
Consider a rug underneath your dining table or a runner for coming in from outside. How about a room divider behind the sofa? I'd personally move the pet beds to behind the couch and put a narrow table underneath your mirror with minimal decor of flowers, vases, and a photo.
RPD thanked Sun Flower
RPD
Original Author
4 years ago
Thank you all SO much! Really wonderful to read your suggestions and get input. Much appreciated. And makes me feel there is potential for this space. I never considered a bigger rug, but will do so now as that seems to be a repeated suggestion. We will also take another look at the the height of that mirror on the side wall (above the mantel is a actually a large framed photo that I blacked out for this post). We did experiment with turning the dining table the other way, but it didn't feel right and seemed to block the openness of the sliding doors. And I was leaning towards an upholstered bench behind the couch (for a casual spot to sit with the added bonus of storage for blankets inside), but perhaps that would be odd? Again, thank you all. Keep the ideas coming!
Seabornman
4 years ago
The sofa seems to cut off the openness and turns it's back on the world. Maybe a sofa table as you suggested or try placing sofas across from each other with a couple of lighter feeling chairs where the sofa was.
RPD thanked Seabornman

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