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Design Dilemma Home Decorating

living room design

last year

We just moved into a new house. Living room has 12ft high ceilings, lots of windows with natural light and orange wood trim. Walls are cool gray. It open concept living room/ dining room/ kitchen. We live in Canadian Rockies.

Not sure how to decorate it. Or place the furniture.

advise need what to do with the oversized mantel for balance and impact. I’m thinking a painting of some kind? What color would give the most impact with the warm orange wood trim?
what to do with the little corner just behind the arm chairs?
where to place the sideboard/ buffet

(Please ignore the little table - a proper coffee table is arriving on Wednesday. I’m going after modern farmhouse/ mid century modern style.)

Comments (14)

Susan
last year
I’d turn the living room rug 90 degrees, then swap the sofa with the chairs. That way the seating area will be a little more open and roomier. The sofa will fit better in front of the waist high ledge. The chairs can be separated and angled a bit and the small table can go between them. I’d also move the dining chair at the head of the table near the window to the opposite end so it is easier to access/sit down/enjoy the view. We can’t make any suggestions regarding the sideboard until you show us pics of the rest of the area.
HU-538255924
Original Author
last year
This is great. Thank you! The mountains are visible from the windows which the sofa is currently facing (not the opposite window). I will move it on the opposite angle as suggested to see if that works better. Thank you! I attached more photos of the whole area.
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Would family like table and chairs by the end wall [65"] Cheap idea for curtains not your question.... each 1 for each 100"W, 1 for each window and 2 for side wall's window. "Weighted hem and unlined 100-inch-by-96-inch panel is made from 100% polyester that is easy to wipe clean and thick enough to keep the light out. Its wide grommets make it simple to slide open or shut." https://www.houzz.com/products/neutral-gray-grommet-doublewide-blackout-curtain-single-panel-100x96-prvw-vr~132700550 https://www.houzz.com/products/oriental-weavers-highlands-gray-blue-area-rug-6613a-7-10x10-10-prvw-vr~151744605
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Chairs on the sides of front door feel awkward and won’t provide conducive seating. Can the sectional be moved down closer to doorway and suggest an l-shaped sectional to accommodate more seating and help balance that wall. Like below but sectional’s short side at other end. Think an occasional chair (swivel for viewing tv, as it would be on opposite corner). Maybe in the bottom left corner in your diagram, a narrow cabinet could be added for jackets and to help balance, add large art on other side of the narrow window. The long wall facing front door will need art proportionate to wall and make sure rug grounds the seating area.
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MCM pictures for inspiration? I am more of a traditionalist, so it was interesting to look at MCM on Houzz. I found quite a few examples and think maybe you are putting the cart before the horse so to speak! Select your rug first any foremost, and do it in person so you can see the actual colors and size. The size of the rug should allow for all the furniture to sit on the rug, or just the front legs of all the furniture pieces....find THE rug, then select furniture, paint, accessories from there....but the rug seems to be the first thing chosen for MCM aesthetics. 1. Rug similar to one suggested in comment above; right on! 2. Three colors in area with subtle rug.....aqua, lime yellow, all alligned on the color wheel....any three colors in a row could work. 3. The rug with solid colors of furniture in green blue grey all next to each other on color wheel. Rug is amazing. Or this could be a broadloom carpet cut and bound to fit? 4. Rug is it! 5. Rug is great! Furniture lay out stunning too. Using colors opposite each other on color wheel for max impact. 6. Monochromatic; easy to select and work with.....black and white are your neutrals and frame the space. 7. Again the rug, with simple furnishing and lots of white frame. You are going to have a lot of fun with this!
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Comments (48)
@Kristen Hallock well then, you are kinda set! You can get used to having a bookshelf there for a bit. That will help you find just the right new one to go with the floor lamp back there if you still want it. I mean, it depends on whether it really matters now if that corner is just a tad darker. You may instead want lighting that is directed into the new storage unit so you can better see what's there. Maybe you will want a second Christmas tree in that corner. 🤔 I really like your sectional moved more to the middle of the room. It's amazing to me how it makes that space seem so grand and welcoming. Actually a bit surprising the difference a few feet can make, don't you think? How does the family feel about it? Are you comfy with it yet? We haven't done any entertaining since 2019 and didn't do a lot before then. However, we like having a table behind the loveseat that faces the TV. We can have fondue there together while we watch a favorite movie. We can work on mindless projects there while watching a soccer match. Sometimes I just like a change of view while teleworking. The table is just the right height to set a mug on when we sit on the loveseat. The coffee table requires leaning forward, and I'm too lazy. ☺️ I am glad about this new arrangement for you. Now, do you think you want a runner between your short wall and the sectional? Or do you want bare floor there? Or are you going to look for an area rug that goes almost to the walls in all directions? What do the pros think? And if you get a runner and smaller area rug, should they match? Or should they be very different? This could be a very interesting discussion! Can't wait to read what the pros say about one rug or two, matching or contrasting.
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ShadyWillowFarm
last year
Congratulations on your new house!!! It’s really beautiful. As long as you are not running around naked on your main floor, I would ditch the miniblinds and use sheer curtain panels. It will be more attractive, let in light, but you won’t be anything other than a fuzzy shape to someone who is passing by. And Yes to a nice piece of art over the mantle. What about something with greens, golds, maybe a hint of orange?
ShadyWillowFarm
last year
Just browse around.
ShadyWillowFarm
last year
What color are your walls?
HU-538255924
Original Author
last year
Thank you. Those are custom Hunter Douglas shutters it looks like , not regular blinds…I don’t like them much either..I’m thinking to add nice linen style curtains (I added already 2 panels to the window by the kitchen (leading to patio). How ever I feel like I need to raise them
Above the top window. However ceiling are so high it will a be challenge to find anything fitting the length and not cost thousands of dollars. What would you do with the curtains on the right side window, which is shorter and falls just above the ledge? Go with shorter length curtains?
ShadyWillowFarm
last year
You want long curtains- there is a curtain guide floating around that someone will kindly post I am sure. The corners may be a bit of a challenge too, the curtain experts will give you advice on that too.
HU-538255924
Original Author
last year
Walls @shadyillowfarm - walls are gray. Neutral gray.
Susan
last year
I don’t see a spot for the sideboard…
HU-538255924
Original Author
last year
@Susan- I know. I have to fit it somewhere as we don’t have much storage space here at all :(
skynina
last year
Is there room to face the sofa in front of the fireplace with the sideboard as a sofa table, then place a chair on each side of the fireplace angled toward the sofa?
HU-538255924
Original Author
last year
Yes. I will try that :). Thanks
littlebug Zone 5 Missouri
last year
In your first picture it appears that all the furniture is setting on rug-islands to keep from falling into the ocean. LOL flashback to when I was very young! Seriously, there’s no need to squeeze the furniture onto the rugs.

Nice place! Mountain views sounds wonderful.
HU-538255924
Original Author
last year
Yeah, we just randomly threw the furniture. I still struggle with the scale of the room as everything seems bigger, higher, wider then our previous place. But thank you- you made me laugh @littlebug :)

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