Furniture placement in small living room with a lot of openings

last year

My daughter and her boyfriend are renovating a small home with a family/living room that is 11x17. The issue at hand is the placement of a sofa, chair, coffee table and television. There is a fireplace between 2 single French doors on the largest wall. They're considering drywalling over the fireplace to put a full size sofa on that wall otherwise there doesn't appear to be a wall it can go on. This will be used for lounging so they want a full size sofa with a tv across from it. See attached floor plan and photos of the home when they purchased it. NOTE: the wall that has the sofa on it in the picture has been opened up 8' at the far end for an open concept to the kitchen. The stairway wall where the sofa is shown in the first photo is now only 4' long with an open railing (3'-4') to the stairs. They are considering covering the current fireplace to put the sofa on and doing a tv and electric fireplace on stairway wall. (see example in 4th photo)

Questions:

1. Furniture placement (full size sofa, chair (ottoman) coffee table, TV on Wall -which one)

2. Should they cover the current fireplace to put sofa on that wall and put the TV and maybe an electric fireplace on stairway wall (where sofa is currently pictured)

Featured Answer

Janie Gibbs-BRING SOPHIE BACK

last year

Respectfully,...

I would never dream of dry wall over a pretty FP just to put a HUGE sofa in a small room so that I can watch TV..

Is this their forever home?

Is there another room to set up for media or is this it?

Comments (19)

PRO
RL Relocation LLC
last year
Honestly, not every house was made to be open concept. What did they really gain by opening that wall? a view to the patio door?

Looks like they have a way to the backyard from the sliding doors so if they loose the fireplace, they might as well also remove that second back door. this would at least give the room some more wall.

Otherwise I would go back and add back, 4 foot of wall and have a 4ft opening, over have a crunched in living room. with no options.
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emgovi
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
I don't disagree but the demo has been done at a big expense and the header was placed to open the wall. All of that is water under the bridge. So what is a solution?

@RL Relocation LLC This is their only living space. The floor plan is of the entire first floor.

Back door cannot be closed as it is in brick and would be a huge expense to finish it.

@Janie Gibbs-BRING SOPHIE BACK The sofa isn't going to be HUGE. Just a regular sized 3 person sofa. The existing fireplace wall (if covered) is still only 8' with doors on either side. Other wall has a window and french door in front of it and stairway wall is only 4' long then the railing.
elcieg
last year
last modified: last year
That is a gas fireplace, correct?

Don't cover it...it, and the French doors are what make an ordinary room special.

Remodel the fireplace and put the t v over it.
Janie Gibbs-BRING SOPHIE BACK
last year
emgovi

Honestly, If it were me, I would BEG them to stop chopping up this cute little house anymore..esp if it is not their forever home. That is the only solution.

They do not know what they are doing. I'm sorry.

People WANT a FP, it is a huge asset to any home.

Does your daughter understand the fire codes associated with dry wall over a FP?

For the first time ever in my whole life I am going to suggest a TV over the FP and be done with it.

But for the love of GOD, please stop chopping up this sweet little house!
freedomplace1
last year
^^^ @Janie Gibbs-BRING SOPHIE BACK 1,000%
freedomplace1
last year
last modified: last year
Did my earlier comment(s) post? They are not showing on my end. Might be a delay.

ETA: (These new comments seem to be loading - so here is the one I posted earlier. I‘ve deleted the duplicate posts.)

From a practical perspective, as well as from an Eastern Feng Shui perspective - I would say absolutely no to putting a sofa on the current fireplace wall. The sofa would then be in the entry path of the front door/entry, as well as being in an awkward position sandwiched in between what appears to be two doors leading to outdoor spaces. And all of this so they can take the long wall - main wall of the room - for a tv?

They can put the tv over the current fireplace on a drop down mount. mantlemount.com

And Amazon.com also carries this Mantel Mount line, as well as others.
emgovi
Original Author
last year
Geez no need to be so harsh. The demo is done. No options offered only comments on renovations that has already been done.
The request was for furniture placement options and assistance not ridicule of what has already been done at a major expense in todays market.
I get it don’t cover the fireplace! It was a question not a determined factor.
btydrvn
last year
Sorry…This is a frustrating dilemma for sure….the floor plan and the pictures suggest it may be best to put the two focal points together…( fireplace and tv)…in which case you may be able to put in an L-shaped sectional ? Long side facing the tv …this position could even include a reclining section in the long side of the sectional facing the tv..choosing a contemporary sectional that is comfy but not overstuffed will also help to keep it more in scale with the narrow room
Janie Gibbs-BRING SOPHIE BACK
last year
NO one is "being harsh" or "ridicule" and yes, we all have suggested the tv over the FP in regards to furniture placement.

You are reaming on us because you're not getting the answer you want.

Take a deep breath, show this thread to your daughter once you are calm.

We all understand how frustrating demo is.

But you need to accept you are not going to get many posters here who is going to go along with the idea of covering a FP for "furniture arrangement."

You asked and we politely answered.
btydrvn
last year
Another space saving option is to have an ottoman or two…that you can place a tray on …for extra room for drinks etc..especially if room for end tables is tight
PRO
RL Relocation LLC
last year
Agreed, not being harsh, but honest. Tv over the fireplace it is!
emgovi
Original Author
last year
Thank your the helpful replies. Okay so TV is to go over the fireplace keep existing fireplace. Where do you put the sofa then? I don’t know if the floor plan shows that the wall across from the fireplace is only 4 feet to 5 feet long. There’s a railing that is open to steps for the remaining 3 feet closest to the closet and front door.
PRO
RL Relocation LLC
last year
The sofa goes where it was before, it might have to go toward the railing, it might have to hang into the opening. you will want ottoman.

maybe you just have to go out of the box on the sofa

https://www.castlery.com/us/pla/todd-side-chaise-sofa?material=light_gray&orientation=right_split&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=16397275598&utm_content=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrs2XBhDjARIsAHVymmQJX2ouQWWqfrCNnNFtdSWzscHKocJBmejwbhL8pIC5YpeEMxrx3iMaAg5KEALw_wcB
PRO
RL Relocation LLC
last year
https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/the-best-sofas-for-your-small-space-36633746
PRO
RL Relocation LLC
last year
https://www.westelm.com/products/andes-sofa-h1844/?clickid=S6lRHixraxyNUNkxoFybuU6sUkDyMaT8rRgSU00&irgwc=1&cm_cat=10078&cm_ven=afshoppromo&bnrid=3917500&cm_ite=apartmenttherapy.com&irpid=10078
Nancy R z5 Chicagoland
last year
It would be a crying shame to destroy value by eliminating that beautiful fireplace.
emgovi
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
@Nancy R z5 Chicagoland If you read the entire post, I already stated that they are not destroying the fireplace.
Christine Francis
last year
Spend a few hundred to have a home stager come in for furniture placement

Furniture placement in small living room with a lot of openings

Janie Gibbs-BRING SOPHIE BACK

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Furniture placement in small living room with a lot of openings

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