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Home Decorating Design Dilemma living room

Layout of family room needs help

2 years ago

Hi everyone. I am working on a project to update our family room, but am stuck on the basic functionality of the space. We are currently rebuilding the built In to the left of the fireplace to be similar in style to the right side (good-bye tube TV design feature!). This opens up the floorspace and gives us more options for layout. Currently it feels a bit unbalanced and I feel like we can make this area work more for us as the center of our home and where we spend the most time.

How we use the space/what we need:

-Open space for play

-Need more seating space for when we have guests (+1-2 spots)

-TV: not the primary focus but needs to stay in space and make some sense in the layout (console table, built in, or fireplace mounted. Ideally would like to gain a sight line to the TV from the kitchen).

-Ideally bring sofa away from window - I love our view out the window and don't like the current obstruction, would like to be able to sit and enjoy the view more.

-Pathway with the love seat feels very narrow from the entryway to the kitchen

-Open to adding new furniture to the space

I've attached a couple pictures and rough layout. Next task will be figuring out new paint, carpet, fixtures to brighten the space up but wanting to start with envisioning the total space. Thanks in advance!!!

View from Kitchen:

View from Entry:

Comments (4)

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BeverlyFLADeziner
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
You have your wish list and then there is the matter of square footage in the space.

You can add two guest chairs, provided they are not too big, on either side of the fireplace.

You might want to convert the area below the large screen TV to some type of storage for the toys. That's it.

I would repaint the room. What appears to be greenish mud color is not doing the room any favors. Adopt a color that doesn't work against the carpeting & stone in the room.

Excited to share that Beverly of FLADeziner won Best of Houzz Service 2022!
Kat thanked BeverlyFLADeziner
Kat
Original Author
2 years ago
Hi Beverly - thanks for your comment and COMPLETELY agree the paint color from the previous owner is awful! We'll be painting and re-carpeting once the built-in work is done.

I was thinking if we altered the new built in to have no shelves, I could put a TV to the left of the fireplace in the built in. I could move the couch over to wall where the TV is, then maybe angle the love seat + another chair in front of the window (i have an oversized leather chair i love reading in but have no space for right now!). I'm worried this might space things out too much since the room is wider than it is long.

Even though I'm not a big fan, I've also wondered if a sectional would suit us better in the space? Or once the built in is finished, it will free up a bit of space for a guest chair to the left of the fireplace per your suggestion.
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I like your current arrangement. For more seating, you can use two longer sofas in the same arrangement. Or a sofa with two chairs as you have it but without the ottomans. That leaves room for a backless bench type of seating to face into the conversation area that wouldn't interfere with the TV. With any options, your seating area is rectangular, so a rug would be fine to use. You may have room for a narrow console table behind the sofa facing the tv, if you place a sofa there.
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it's a bit hard to answer in the abstract (i.e., are there other sitting rooms someplace?). my starting point would be adding more seating -- some day you may want to watch TV with more than two people at a time, or even have a conversation there! put a couch on the wall that has the play mats currently (without measurements, I'm just assuming there's still clearance to walk through -- otherwise, a pair of chairs with a table between them), and get a larger rug to unify the whole seating area/conversational grouping. if the current couch is too far from the TV for comfortable watching, you could move it up close the fireplace, leaving a walkway behind to the sliders. but again, I'm just guessing at scale here. otherwise, TV might be better lowered. I'd also switch the blue art behind the couch for the brown piece over the fireplace which will put both in better proportion to their settings.
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kandrewspa
2 years ago
Once you change your built-in, move your furniture around and see what you like. Sometimes there's no substitute for trying things on, and moving furniture around is free. You can buy articulating arms for the TV so you can pull it out and angle it while you're watching if you decide to put it in the built-in. New paint will really help you like the room more.
Kat
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you kandrewspa! That is a great point on the articulating arm. I was thinking it would have to set in the built it, but that would help with concerns on the viewing angle. I cannot wait for new paint :)

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