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Home Decorating Design Dilemma living room

Focus wall in Great room without fireplace or TV

last year

I am building a new home in Florida. One side of the GREAT ROOM is open to the kitchen and another will be open to the sliders leading to the lanai. We will not have a fireplace and do not want a television in this room. I need ideas for the focus wall. I can only find focus walls with a TV or fireplace or both. How do you decorate the large wall the couch will face and make it enjoyable?

Thank you for all ideas>

Featured Answer

nhb22

last year

last modified: last year

Because of your island being seemingly close to the living area, that's a very hard space to figure. Also appears to have little room for walkways.. I have done a mock-up of what I think I would do.

Dark Blue = Couch (you could possibly have room for a sectional. I am just not sure of space and balance.)

Dark Brown = Sofa table and end table

Light Brown = Two side chairs, possibly swivel rockers.

Light Blue = Large Ottoman

Cream = Built-in (it could be stopped just past the side chair, or continued on along that entire wall.)

I feel sure that someone with more experience could come up with a better plan!!!

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Comments (12)

nickel_kg
last year
last modified: last year
Look for a design book published before 1950 -- before tv's became commonplace.

For here, you'll get more specific ideas if you show a floor plan. For instance, why is the couch facing a wall?
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
I need to see the plan to even begin to answer this question.
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I was at a friend's house and they had a built in similar to yours. They had the TV on a sliding shelf in the built in and pulled it forward for viewing , but then had the option of pushing it back all the way and actually had doors that shut to hide it. That may be overkill to close doors to hide the TV, but it looks like you could have a retractable shelf in your built in for the TV. Can you do without the loveseat in the room? I think the loveseat interrupts your flow into the room, both physicially and visually. Instead, how about moving the chaise where the loveseat is and maybe getting a nice upholstered swivel chair to put over on the fireplace side which could be turned to face the TV or the fireplace. It could be placed close to the couch and angled in so it doesn't block the fireplace. Or, if you aren't set on having a chaise, an upholstered swivel chair could be placed on either side of the couch-nothing too big. That would leave the entryway less blocked. I think that would made the room look larger. I really like to look into a room and see an unblocked expanse of floor all the way to the other end, if possible. With a chair on either side of the couch with a small table between each chair and the couch, you'd only lose one seat from what you have now. If you really want something to recline in, consider a smallish lazyboy for one of the side chairs. We love our leather lazyboys. Also, I would move the grouping as far back toward the breakfast nook as possible. I love the built ins, the fireplace and the glass doors out to the deck. It's going to be lovely when it's all furnished.
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Your sketch (or your builder's) has three separate, individual and unrelated elements: the walls, the fireplace and the casework for the TV. Nothing dominates--everything competes visually. Dominance is one principle for good design. Cpartist's sketch is much more unified: fireplace and casework are unified together and dominate the wall, leaving only a small portion of the wall visible. For increased dominance and unity, you might consider some type of fascia or crown molding which is in keeping with your house architecture. You could align it and run it full-width, across the top of the door and all casework. An option for the heavy-appearing masonry above the mantle would be to use wood paneling, finished to match your casework. In choosing your design and finishes don't forget to coordinate the door and frame to the left, if there is one. As for the TV, I'm not sure how far away the kitchen actually is from the TV location, but even if you can adequately see the video, I'm not sure you will be able to hear the audio, unless you have wired speakers in the kitchen. What are the chances of a well located and designed TV in the kitchen--perhaps a flip down flat screen under an upper cabinet? Good luck with your project.
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Jenny Kakases
last year
what about one big wall painting or wall art along with shelves? i would also consider placing one or two Barcelona benches to add more comfort and versatility to it :)
HU-550955939 thanked Jenny Kakases
Olychick
last year
If I had windows/door out to a lanai, I'd probably figure out how to arrange the furniture to face that - perhaps with the sofa's back to the wall and fabulous art above it. Pics and or floor plan will help.
HU-550955939 thanked Olychick
nhb22
last year
last modified: last year
HU-550955939 -

Below is an inspirational photo for the family room in the house that we built. Instead of the T.V., we hung a painting in that space. Our shelving is wider, making the middle section the same size as the two adjoining sections. The built-in is painted white.

While we have the built-ins as a focal point, we also have a fireplace wall, flanked by two sets of French doors, on one side of the room. And a T.V. on the opposite side of the room. The 4th focal point, opposite the built-ins, is the kitchen. Our two sofas and two side chairs float in the room.

Here is another inspiration photo that I was playing around with before we built.
HU-550955939 thanked nhb22
HU-550955939
Original Author
last year

Here is the floor plan.
HouseofGodsmith
last year
If I didn't have a tv or fireplace, I'd have two couches facing each other. If you have a nice view and want to stick with one couch, arrange it facing the view.
HU-550955939 thanked HouseofGodsmith
HU-550955939
Original Author
last year

These are pictures from two model homes for this design. In the middle picture, the wall seems so blank to me with the large picture off to the side.
Olychick
last year
last modified: last year
It looks like the middle pic shows a set up for a tv over the sculpture. That's why it's blank. If you won't have a tv, that plan could work simply by moving the art over the console or if the art is large enough you could skip the console. I would then get a piece of furniture, tallish, like a modern china cabinet or book case and place it where the art is shown.

The sectional haters are certain to post how much the hate sectionals, but I think your space would be perfect, as shown in that middle pic.
HU-550955939 thanked Olychick
lucky998877
last year
Isn't your view toward the lanai? Why even plan the wall as a focal point?
Kendrah
last year
Large art, bookshelves, credenzas with art or mirrors above, large floor plants next to an oversize photograph. The ideas are endless. I lived without a fireplace or TV for decades.

Not knowing your style, here are quite random rooms that have strong focus walls sans TV or FP.

Willamette River Home · More Info

DreamHome 2014 - Living Room · More Info

Modern Home | Kimberly Demmy Design · More Info

Shingle Residence · More Info

Custom Bar · More Info

Rising Glen, Hollywood Hills · More Info

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