It looks like everything in this room is centered around that coffee table and maybe there's too much or too big/too small furniture and you lack some symmetry. Consider getting a longer desk, and double up on the art behind the desk. Move the sofa to where the chairs are fitting it as far back toward the window ensuring there's enough room for the drapes. Make use of the little table as a side table in another room and thrift more traditional tables to unify the room's theme. A nice narrow tufted bench could do double duty here as a coffee table/ottoman. place the chairs and some side tables on either side flanking the french doors.

Jacqueline we have some other glass tables that came with this house long oval glass top. We are concerned about putting sofa in front of window? is that okay? 😁...and do you mean to put chairs back in corners near french doors or still on rug? We were just playing with some other furniture that we have trying to make the space more friendly than desk in corner (where you see the index cards and white board) and then sofa up against desk wall....

trying to center this awkward layout AND still use it for work and music lessons.

Hi Amanda, I was also going to suggest that you try swapping the sofa with the 2 chairs. Normally I wouldn’t recommend blocking the window with a sofa but in this case it might be better since your sofa is currently blocking the entrance to the dining room.

Me three. Sofa in front of the window. And I think there’s too much furniture in the room. First thing I’d do is move the coffee table to another room as it looks to me like a knee-buster every time you walk through.

Also, it looks like there’s an ottoman on the floor to the left of your desk? Do you need that? I would remove that ottoman and then move the end table to the back left corner so you don’t bump into it as soon as you enter the room.

Just thinking...I understand you like the current location of your desk but was wondering have you tried placing the sofa where your desk currently sits? Then I would flank the chairs on each side of the entrance to the dining room and place your desk in front of the window. I’m not sure if thats feasible since I don’t know where all the power outlets are in your room.

@kiffkat yes, here is what it looked like before. But I don't like how we cannot open the french doors..the room felt squishy.

I realized I did not post a proper photo of dining room entrance.

Hi Amanda, I see how you tried placing the sofa on the back wall. But instead of the chairs across from the sofa, I was suggesting to move them across from the window and flanking the dining room entrance. Then try placing your desk in front of the window instead of next to your french doors. Would that arrangement work?

I just saw your latest picture of the dining room entrance. Is that a third chair?

no..I had already started rearranging based on suggestions.

@Jacqueline McClendon-Adams thank you for those suggestions..any idea what to do with the piano? There truly is no other room to put it in. :( Maybe we could squish it in our family room, but that is where the tv is etc.

Agree- trying sofa pushed back to window with some breathing room. Chairs with feet on rug with backs to french doors. If 2 chairs block the walk way between rug and piano, then maybe just one chair.

Thinking out loud, but could the desk be brought forward (as if part of the conversation group) and one upholstered chair be used as the desk/office chair? Large art behind the desk.

ETA: just looked at pics again, upholstered chair seats are probably too low to use as desk chair. BUT, I do think you may have enough room to have both chair at french door end- close together with perhaps a small drink table in between

just rearranged based on suggestions....I can use oval glass top table for coffee table (see earlier photos)...and find something cute for side tables for armchairs.

should I move end table between desk and sofa?

I like it! Well done! 👍

Looks better, but can you close the French Doors? Or are they always open I wouldn't have table between desk and sofa- it looks too crowded. Maybe a floor lamp there if need.

I'd use smaller C-tables or drink tables. Can the chair by the sofa be pulled in a little?

@gcubed the desk chair has to stay thanks to annoying back problems. ;)

If you don’t need the extra light, then yes, move the end table but it looks like its needed since there’s only one other lamp/light source in the room (from what I can see). It might be better to get rid of the end table with the lamp and replace it with a tall torchiere floor lamp instead.

yes working from home indefinitely for now at least. You are correct that there is no recessed lighting in this room so we only have the 2 table lamps.

@gcubed they normally could never open all the way based on our old furniture arrangement... my concern on pulling chairs in is that you will run into them even though currently the one looks out of place pushed back into the corner.

okay here is where we are at...2 pics..one of old oval coffee table and 1 of our 2 end tables pushed together to make a coffee table.

in the right hand corner we have some Elephant Ears coming in to winter that will stay as a house plant.

now what to do with all of the stuff on the wall that used to work when desk was on right hand wall.

I personally like the 2 side tables together. I would have a small table by the piano chair that can hold that lamp but would have it along the wall, vs pulled out. And consider a floor lamp between sofa and chair that has 2 lights that can be aimed at each seating area, like this (but maybe different finish/style):

Dainolite 2 Light Floor Lamp with Black Shade, Vintage Bronze 1680F-BK-VB · More Info

Hi it looks sooo much more inviting and open! Great job! Not sure where to place the other stuff on the wall. Hmmm, if it must stay, could it fit somewhere back near the guitar? I love that your family is so musical! 🎸 🎹 💕

how does it feel? I love the new arrangement! when your ready, consider painting the walls. Be brave and go dark for drama, inspiration, and mood. It will contrast the light sofa, table tops, chairs and blue medallion, and recede the desk and other dark elements. Or go light and the opposite will happen. I like the gold floor lamp some one suggested, but get two to place in opposing corners, or either side of the desk.

much better! how does it feel??

@kiffcat thank you! Ha..we try..all of the kids have some kind of music lesson..guitar, piano or voice and they do enjoy it..but I don't enjoy harping on them to practice. 😂

@jacqueline we do love it.. but I don't like that I can't look out the window. Though this is a temporary thing as we ultimately want to do something like this and then float the desk in front of it and get rid of the couch completely and get 4 new chairs and a tufted ottoman.😂😂

So we are trying to just make due until we tackle that project hopefully this fall/winter.

It does feel so much more open though with the French doors being open all the way and just rearranging in general.

super thankful for this community that helps a gal out when she decides to move furniture at 10 last night and realizes it's a fail and needs help. :)
😂

Ready to start over? Take everything off the walls, remove the French doors and put the piano left of that opening. The rug is on the small side, so try it under your dining table or master bed. Then eliminate the desk, tables, shelves and lamps. Put the sofa on the end wall and lower the photo/art to 5" above it. Flank it with two pretty floor lamps. Put this coffee table 18" in front of it so the desk opens to allow you to work facing the front window (back to the dining room.) Store the laptop and work items in it, close it up and roll the desk chair into the dining room and out of sight when entertaining. Pull the pair of chairs within 18" of the coffee table, facing the sofa. The bottom part of the table can be used separately. Pull it toward the window or even right of the foyer opening, and get a couple of cool floor pillows for the kids so they can hang out there. Stash the pillows in the hall coat closet or under the stair well when you're entertaining, sliding the bottom table back under the desk portion. Now you're ready to update your wall art and shop for a bigger rug.

Nesnesis Modern Round Lift-top Nesting Wood Coffee Table with Drawers, White/Black · More Info

My goals were to use what you had available with little to no purchases. you have not 1 or 2, but 3 focus points/uses for that room. the window, piano and desk. you could arrange the furniture around the window but the sofa is too high and large and the desk and piano would need to be pushed into awkward corners. when you consider new furniture, pick two areas you want to focus on. window and piano? then you can build your seating around that and get creative on "hiding" your 3rd use of the room with something like a lift top coffee table to double as a desk and then return it to a conversational setting by letting the top down. mid century sofas can come with lower profiles that can fill the room with seating and window viewing pleasure. I don't know what your other rooms look like, but I'd be happy to help you 😉

@Jacqueline McClendon-Adams I think we will eventually move the piano into the dining room, which is our least used space when we aren't doing Covid-schooling. Ugh. And then we will have it be a library with a desk..but we dont' want the desk to be a focal point and at the same time it needs to be a real desk as we work from it 8-10 hours a day. But we have no idea of furniture placement when we do that. We were thinking we would put the desk on the diagnol in the corner near the french doors? And we would get rid of the sofa.

The built ins (sans tv) and some amazing cozy reading chairs :) is my inspiration. So I will definitly need help when we do the library..I'll attach a pic of our dining room which is where we will just make the piano work when we move it.

Kalorama Park Rowhouse · More Info

current dining room which is directly off living room:

I meant to say we would get rid of sofa when we turn it into a library. But if we move piano out what furniture placement woud you suggest? Sorry about the confusion. :)