Can someone help me tone down too formal living room with poor layout?
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
We’ve been accumulating things in small house for 25 yrs. since retirement and quarantine, I’m more obsessed with dissatisfaction with this room. Too much furniture, not welcoming. Need edit, maybe reupholstery. Art work important, authentic with history for me but maybe makes things too formal. Open to any thoughts and suggestions. My taste has never been traditional, but here I am. Help me change the vibe please. I am going to try to post pics. Thank you.
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Please help me layout my living room
Comments (15)Thanks for all of the ideas!!! I knew I'd find some good advice on GW. Let me address the tv issue. We like its present spot (but can move it down) because you don't see it when you walk into the room. The cable box and DVD player are stashed in the closet directly behind it so no media console nor visible cables (the tv will be moved over the ones in the photo) neither. In our last apartment, the tv took center stage and we definitely watch tv less now. If it were smaller, I think it could go elsewhere and not be such a focal point, but a 46" tv is not so easy to work with. Here are extra photos give you a sense of the rest of the space. That is not a clear table, we haven't gotten our tabletop yet! LOL In the corner, we've put stacked chairs and a media console temporarily. We are planning to put an upright piano here. Tibbrix - interestingly, the glare hasn't bothered us. Maybe because it's winter and often overcast and snowing? But once we get our window treatments, we'll just close them to watch tv. That particular window is quite small and doesn't have a great view. The view's actually great from the kitchen and dining area! I think we're okay with losing the view from the living area. Aside from the glare and loss of view, do you see anything wrong with having the sofa with its back to the window? Olychick - thanks for "validating" my sofa and its placement! I've been back and forth about it, sometimes I think it looks great in the space, other times I think it's too big. I think your idea for tv placement is interesting and could work if our tv were smaller. Ours is such a behemoth... Celticmoon & Camlan - I saw in another apartment something along the lines of what you both suggest. They utilized the back 2/3 by the window as their living area (two sofas facing each other) and the remaining front 1/3 as a kids' play area. There was no tv to contend with. I thought this looked great, but couldn't think of what we'd do with that extra space. Your suggestions are definitely giving me some ideas though... Teacats - you said to float the chair under the mirror. Where would you put the mirror? I thought about a sectional, too. The only thing is we would want it to be flexible in that it can be rearranged to a different configuration for a different space. We may live here for as little as 5 years. Everyone's ideas have been really helpful! I'm planning to move the sofa with DH this weekend so that it faces the tv. I'll try it out both 2/3 of the way back and all the way back and let you know what we think. I have a couple questions for now - 1. Mirror being too high. Our sofa back is only 31" high and if the mirror is hung much lower, you could see the reflection of the back of our heads when we're sitting there. This is weird to me. Another reason I hung the mirror high is because I read that with low ceilings, you want to hang mirrors/art on the high side because your eye gets drawn upward, which makes the ceilings appear higher. What do you all feel about that? 2. One thought I'm having is to put a different kind of seating where the chair is where DH and I could sit together to watch tv in its current position. It'd have to be big enough to accommodate both of us, but not a full-on loveseat, which would not look right in the space. Something sized between a loveseat and a lounger. Should have a back and arms for comfort. Does what I'm picturing exist outside my mind?...See MoreBlank Slate - Help me decorate my formal Living/Dining Room (pics
Comments (6)Now I understand where you are headed. My suggestions will not be matchy matchy and are pretty eclectic in nature. So, hopefully you will get some ideas you may not have thought about. Let's start with the DR. Drapes: I like dramatic so, if the rug has bronze that would be my first choice though there is nothing wrong with gold. I like plain simple drapes. I think drapes like blacksplashes should not be a focal point of a room when you have other beautiful things going. They should help frame the room like the color on the walls do. You may not need pinch pleated drapes. It would save you money not to have the pinch pleats. You need to decide if you want to run them from ceiling to floor or with a rod (I saw some beautiful rods at Calico Corner's. I think JCP carries Kirsch hardware also) above the window not from the ceiling. Dining table: I notice most people select wood to use with oriental rugs. I am working with a designer for my family room and breakfast nook and he just taught me a good lesson: Print rug-glass table, solid rug-wood table. He said you want to show off the beauty of the rug at all times from every direction. They do make some very large glass tables that you can use with 2 wooden pedestals for support or a great square base. If you are having a lot of guests for dinner like Christmas than you can add a folding table and use the same table cloth. This is just a suggestion. You can use wood but I always like to share new knowledge when I learn something. I still like crystal for chandeliers in dining rooms. In this case I would use crystal with some funky lamp shades to add a little fun into the room. You may find these at Home Goods or on line. I would try leopard for shades. It's hard to visualize if this will work without actually seeing it in person. Maybe someone will photoshop. Do you know the size of the table you want to use? I also think you may be able to find dining room chairs on ebay or a used furniture store that might be in decent condition or you can buy them new. Remember the chair wood does not need to match the wood of the table. There is more interest created when they don't. Here is another idea for chairs: you can used entirely different ones for the head of the table. Actually, I am pretty good at decorating eclectically. My friends are always looking for my eye. The designer I am working with always says to me "what do you need me for". Well, he is a great buffer between me and my BF whom I share my new home with. He has made my life so much more easier and is worth every penny. I am also learning alot about decorating from him....See MorePlease help me with furniture layout in our living room
Comments (30)In my opinion you could go neutral sofa, neutral lounge chair, and green or patterned accent chairs. Would you want a pattern on your accent chairs? Or would you like to keep pattern to the rug and curtains and accessories? Another thing to think about is armrests versus no armrests...I think no armrest would look cleaner for the accent chairs, but I don’t think they would be super comfortable. Here are some options...See MoreFormal Living Room Furniture Layout Help!
Comments (28)I just rearranged a living area in our open concept summer home. The long sofa was placed by the movers facing the fireplace. With a large ottoman between the hearth and the sofa, To the right an left of the sofa were fieside chairs. The traffic pattern from the bedroom wing hallway to the dining/kitchen area was behind the sofa back. On the opposite side of the spacious main room was a seating area focused on a wall mounted tv. The arrangement seemed logical and we lived with it for two years with the sofa directly facing the large stacked limestone fireplace wall with sliding deck doors to left of fieplace and a floor to ceiling fixed picture window to the fireplace's right. But two other pieces of furnture were irksome: An two-level open buffet server housing turntable and amplifier placed just beyond the fireplace seating area along the fixed picture widow begged to be along a solid wall; and a chaise along the entryway wall that deserved a window view. While my husband was outdoors mowing, so as to not bother him with my variously shifting experimentations, I shoved the sofa aside and tried a direct swap of the chaise with the sever; that further obstructed the floor to ceiling window and crowded the piano and secretary desk along the far wall beyond the fireplace seating. But the pushed aside sofa was an inspiration! Newly angled with one side arm by the hearth, the sofa back angled the traffic pattern to the sliding deck doors (formerly occupied by one of the side chairs and an end table). I shifted the ottoman to align the new angle of the sofa. Then relocated the two unmatched large side chairs to positions parell to and across from the angled sofa. One side table with drink coasters atop sits between the chairs. The lower backed chair (matches the leather sofa and ottoman) angled at the right corner of the fireplace hearth encourages the light and view of the floor-to-ceilng picture window without being pushed up against the window; while the highbacked fireside chair further distinguishes the sitting fireplace area from the piano and tall secretary on the back wall beyond the fireplace seating area. Incidentally the chaise, placed behind the sofa back as would be a sofa table, is a perfect view through the sliding deck doors and out the far dining window to the great outdoors. My husband entered and agreed entirely that the new arrangement was a vast improvement. Moving the long sofa from directly fronting the fireplace to a side position opened up rather than blocked the fireplace seating area; defines yet invites onte into the fireplace area for relaxing, chatting; and created a more welcoming atmosphere in the entire open area. The traffic flow from the bedroom wing is still defined by the extent of the angled fireplace seating - the side arm of the high back chair and the angled sofa end table. My point to your similar spacious main floor living area is, both your sofas and chairs an be positioned to enhance the fireplace seating and socializing. These can be effectively and aesthetically gathered around the fireplace in a fashion other than large sofa facing the fireplace, and surprisingly other than at square or right angles! Try re-positioning all and don't hesitate to angle the larger piece along natural traffic flow patterns. Then fill in with the chairs (or chair)....See MoreRelated Professionals
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last monthAlso from my thread today…let’s not fill our minds with fear and anxiety. Stay present. Take care of yourself, and others as much as you can.
lolainlasvegas thanked liasch- last month
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- 28 days ago
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lolainlasvegas thanked ladma- 28 days ago
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Haha… it was an actual scream fest? An ice cream fest… That’s hilarious. What good therapy! Nothing like that happening here in Canada. Just a bunch of people being really depressed… and posting memes like this. Here’s a great recipe for an apple strudel cake shared by a friend of mine. I think we need an excuse to eat cake.
lolainlasvegas thanked liasch - 10 days ago
Happy day before thanksgiving guys. I have processed This Terrible Turn of Events at least for now. My intense anger and frustration pretty much back of mind. Just figuring out way forward for survival. Now Now, I can appreciate inspiring stuff offered by dsimber and liasch. Thank you. Mainly, I am very relieved to know that so maany Houzz friends are like minded so I dont have to be completely paranoid. Often Often, the geography is scary. So So, thanks guys for speaking up❤️❤️
Right now, my comfort, as always since 2016 is Hallmark. I never used to watch, now i am addicted. I have been nagging dsimber to subscribe for $8. Meanwhile Meanwhile, lots of good stuff on tv. Just watched Christmas Waltz. Love it. Another favorite is Its Christmas Eve. Too numerous to mention.
Anyway, hope everyone good. I just made cranberry sauce.
Here is beauriful image liasch shared awhile back. Could not get on your thread earlier.
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Happy USA Thanksgiving! Glad to hear people are doing better. I can’t believe Advent is this weekend. I still have fall and Halloween stuff up.
Here’s a guest for your various banquets… meow…And a picture of my birthday cake which was last weekend. I think it was at least 75% buttercream frosting. 😂
Enjoy! Nom nom nom…
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Well if you want to feel encouraged about contemporary politics just read about the fall of the Roman empire in Germanica and ruler of the moment, Varus…lol… May be around the first century BC?
Cheers…🤪
Lola, I said I was going to get a smaller tree this year and I didn’t. Hopefully I won’t be kicking myself. Here are some nice little trays that I ordered on Amaze On with the birthday money my older son gave me… And a picture of Saint Nicholas (the European version). This is right around the time that he officially makes his visit in Europe. He definitely is more equipped for the rugged life than our fat jolly old elf Santa. I kind of like this version…
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