Congratulations! It's a pretty, bright space. I see you also have a family room. Will the t.v. be in there, or do you want one here as well? How many people would you like to seat? Do you already have furniture you'd like to bring into the space? Do you entertain a lot?

If you like built ins ... consider another:

Basically like the floor plan but do notice that you have a really tiny "foyer" and that your closet and pantry are narrow and deep. Would seriously consider changing that to

remove the front corner of the closet in the foyer -- enough to make room for a traditional hat rack --

https://foter.com/oak-coat-racks

and then add a wall behind it -- so no closet door opening into the foyer competing for space with the front door;

move the center wall between closet and pantry to a point where it will be in line with the wall between kitchen and dining area so you can more easily reach to the back of that pantry; and.

then open up the sides of both the rest of the closet space and the rest of the pantry space to dining room to enable you to create a built in china cabinet / side board / butler's pantry unit accessible to the dining area -- no need to crowd the dining room with additional furnishings.

https://www.houzz.com/photos/captain-s-residence-living-area-traditional-dining-room-providence-phvw-vp~388163

and you could still use the base cabinets as pantry storage.

I wonder if your family uses the adjoining rooms in any particular way that would influence the furniture placed: I mean how you go back and forth [between sunroom, kitchen DR, entry] ?

LR end that's by the entry -- something might be useful there for those that enter.

I notice your plan shows foyer as really tiny and that you have no front porch. If at some point you are considering changes to the exterior, adding a somewhat larger foyer in front of the one you have so you can move the entry door out to a new foyer front wall would be worth considering ... as would adding a shed front porch front porch with forward facing gable over the new entry foyer.

Also, you might rather have the laundry room door open to the back patio rather than to the front driveway area where it could visually "compete" with the front entry door as visitors decide where to knock.

Really nice sized back patio. As you get it set up for the summer, do consider posting pics.

Games -- do you need another area besides FR for that? -- or have a few chairs with table in middle of them.

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2 chairs by the foyer - could enlarge that grouping to 3 chairs, 4...

Once you hang drapes properly, there will not be room for built-ins around the FP. Please do remove the plate glass mirror though. The sunroom end of the space would be a better location for built-ins; perhaps on the wall shared with the powder room so you can put TV there. If you scale your furniture properly, you can get three different areas into the space. Try chairs and a game table at the fireplace, a small sitting area by the front entrance into the space with three or four comfortable armchairs, and a TV area in the back of the room with TV in a built-in on the wall by the hall/powder room and a small sofa and coffee table at the window. You may have room for a pair of small scale swivel chairs facing the sunroom. Scale will be everything here!

Beach Style Living Room · More Info

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Wow, thank you all so much for the ideas! To answer some questions - we are planning on using that sunroom area as a playroom in the short term as we have young kids. I don't see this as being a room that we as a family will spend a ton of time in, probably more so for when family visit as a place to sit. We do want to consider the little kids and how messy they are so functionality is huge.

As for TV that will be in the family room... which brings me to another question for you all because the family room is a doozy but has a TON of potential. We are planning on remodeling this room ASAP. We are thinking to put in hardwood floors, remove the wood paneling, though the paneling is from old tobacco barns that used to be on the property and are kinda cool that I would like to repurpose if possible. Here are some pics what do you all think?

That is a doozy. I am all for saving a bit of history but I think all that dark wood is pretty depressing . I think I would maybe leave the wall of wood around the FP but remove the rest and do you really need all those shelves .A bit of info as to your style would be good and also the measurements of the space . I think if possible the wall with the 2 small windows would be perfect for the TV with a nice low cabinet under it for TV stuff. Your FP reminds me a bit of ours we have that same weird little “mantel” that you can’t put anything on. The 2nd pic is before our renovation

Yes it is a doozy. I think you're right - I'm just going to lose the wood, its too dark. If we keep the build ins in the back I might leave the wood for behind the shelves. I like you idea of putting the TV on that wall. I was thinking about refinishing the fireplace so that it could better accommodate a tv.

As for my style we are located on the east coast in a beach town so I love coastal vibes - cool blues and navy as well as neutral colors. If budget were no question everything in my house would be designed to look like a serena and lily campaign!

Hi Katie,

I love that room. Yes, it had lots of potential. I wouldn't put a t.v. over the fireplace. I wouldn't mess with that stone either. Why? Well, you can make it look traditional/contemporary as in the pic from Patricia (above). It fits in perfectly with that idea. The grey stone on fireplace with an off white vibe - really cool. You might want to keep the wood on the bookcases to add a little interest to the walls after you remove that tobacco wood. (I would save that wonderful wood, btw). As far as the t.v., I think there are many solutions, even a built in to the left or right of the fireplace.. To tie into the rest of the house, I would match the wood flooring from the rest of the rooms.

following

PLEASE make every effort to find someone who wants it. In many areas your wood is much sought after, some dealers will happily remove it and cart it off...at no charge to you.

http://www.barngeek.com/Reclaimed-lumber-companies.html

FR - denim blue sofa, and all blues to keep 'a tight palette' to borrow from groveraxle [where is she?]. Obviously I'm trying to post coastal direction - a pop of orange, placed like a throw -

Because of floor color how about faded terra cotta and sky rug?https://www.houzz.com/products/loloi-traditional-terracotta-sky-5-x7-6-area-rug-prvw-vr~149925237

Loloi Traditional Terracotta Sky 5'x7'6 Area Rug · More Info

Lorell Wingback Arm Chair, Ocean · More Info

https://www.houzz.com/products/lorell-wingback-arm-chair-ocean-prvw-vr~138089268

more neutral than denim I suppose, in a soft grey-green - nice with stone fp. Good with creamy white also.

Amalia Sofa With Throw Pillows, Sugarshack Spa · More Info

Accent Chair in Earth Tone Finish · More Info

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https://www.houzz.com/products/accent-chair-earth-tone-geometric-fabric-prvw-vr~103053768

Or a blend-in color FR-

Sofa/Chaise BGDY · More Info

https://www.houzz.com/products/sofa-chaise-bgdy-prvw-vr~37768940

(Back to the original question)

Just keep in mind that a room as long as your LR usually has to be subdivided into two functional zones. You could make one grouping of seating at one end that includes the fireplace and the far end, and then maybe put some "mud room" furnishings at the end closer to the door to help with kid chaos. Or you could have one grown-up conversational area (couch or grouping of chairs) and one designated play area (with storage bins and a low table). Or a conversational area and more of a game or craft zone. The purposes of the zones will probably evolve as your kids grow as well.

Not a Pro.

I can see this in your room. Giving you the serene feel you want.

Some inspiration:

Barn House Project · More Info

ASAP so idea for FR - the dog will preside over - ;)

Possible on the ledge you could rotate what matted prints you find at art stores - large enough - double sided tape maybe -

Lighter colors already in the LR - have more coastal - maybe you'd use it more !?

for either room: W 87" / D 38" / H 36" / Kiln Dried Hardwood / cotton

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LR -- if not some chairs by front window // 2 sofas perpendicular, flanking fp, and a desk not large or odd, filling space behind a sofa.

My Houzz: Modern and Moody Nostalgia in Salt Lake City · More Info

Katie, congratulations on your home! It's fun to experiment - they say that furniture doesn't have to be lined up at the walls - I say that cause you 'liked' last post - maybe it'd work for you...

definitely think I need to avoid the walls since they are all over the place! I'm going to try some experiments with things I have and when I find a layout I like I might upgrade a piece or two! I'm loving everyone's wonderful ideas and want to see them keep coming!

Is the living room fireplace a wood burning fireplace that you will actually use? Is the cover in front of it a solid fit that will keep any warm/cool air from heat/AC system from going up the chimney? Since the living room is open to much of the rest of the house, consider having the living room fireplace converted to a gas log fireplace. No "smoking up" the more formal living space.

Put your more formal living room seating area in the front half of your living room. You could put a (round) table with chairs (that could be part of indoor/outdoor living and entertaining including the patio or, since it adjoins the kitchen, even be used as a family breakfast table) on the patio end of the living room between the fireplace and the door to the patio.

Rather than create built ins in the formal living room, you might consider enlarging your door to your patio and centering it. Alternately, on the exterior wall nearest the kitchen, you could create a home office area for your computer for communicating and meal planning -- even to be able to hear the news while you're prepping a meal and, instead of built ins, add furnishings suitable to how you will use that space -- perhaps including a barrister bookcase.

Is the family room fireplace is a wood burning fireplace that you will actually use? Is there a cover in front of it that is a solid fit that will keep any warm/cool air from the heat/AC system from going up the chimney?

Since the family room can easily be closed off from the rest of the house, keep that fireplace as wood burning fireplace but do add a suitable cover to the firebox to protect against having a spark start a fire.

In the family room, you could paint the beams the same color as the ceiling, however, unless it is damaged or there is another issue, consider keeping the paneling. Would put the tv in the family room on the wall between and below the two high windows opposite the fireplace. If the room is too dark, you could add light painted) colored thin wood (luan) panels to the wall behind the shelves without painting the walls ... or removable peel and stick wallpaper -- without damaging the value of the wood paneling and, potentially, damaging the resale value of your home. The base cabinets of the built ins could be perfect toy cabinets. You could also add doors to cover the shelving above and create yet more hidden storage.

Is that brick flooring actually vinyl rather than brick? Unless you truly hate the current family room flooring, consider keeping it at least until your children are older so that the family room can be where the children play without worrying about damaging the flooring. Adding a camera to the family room could enable you to watch over young children from anywhere else in the house.

Using the family room as a play area means you could focus on comfortable furniture there and put your more upscale furnishings in the living room and dining room where guests will more likely be entertained.

here's a few diff longer room layouts. a few have built-ins

When you're hanging drapes, do hang them all from the same height above the windows. Please avoid the sloppy drapes-dragging-the-floor fad.

While many believe that d rapes must be hung from a rod next to the ceiling, remember that hanging only a pair of drape panels that high will end up leaving you with bare wall above the top window frame and the rod. If, however, you use a double rod wider than the window frame, regardless of the size and shape of the window, with the rods wide enough for the drape panels to cover the side window frames. leaving the window panes and natural light visible, then you could add white sheers on the inside rod, the top of which could cover any exposed wall between the top of the window frame and the rod would also cover the top of white mini-blinds that will help you with privacy and light control. The sheers should be light enough to not block the air flow from the vents or be short enough to stop just above the heat/ac registers.