skip to main content

Home Decorating

How to decorate the living room wall?

last year

Hello, I am looking for your help with the decoration of my living room wall.

We live in a townhouse in the San Francisco Bay Area. Real estate is very expensive, so we are hoping to maximize the usage of all spaces.

We used to have a sofa and two chairs in the living room, like below, with a round coffee table in the middle, and two ottomans on the side (not shown in the drawing).

However, we found that we almost never sat on the sofa. We decided to sell the sofa / coffee table and just left the two chairs in the living room. The two chairs are the Room & Board Wynton recliners, and we LOVE them!

Functionally, the living room works great for us. We like sitting on the chairs to read books or watch TV, and we finally have the space to do stretches which is very important to us.

My only issue is that the wall where the sofa was looks a bit empty. The paintings on the wall looked great above a sofa, but feel a bit out of place now that the sofa is gone.

I have thought about a few options, for example to put a bench or a sideboard against the wall, but feel like we really don't need anything there functionally, and we prefer to keep the room a bit empty for our stretching exercise.

What do you think? Can you advise us on how to decorate the wall? For example, if we change the paintings to a big one, will it solve the problem?

I attached a few photos for your reference! Thank you in advance!

Featured Answer

KW PNW Z8

last year

Ying Wang, Is that triptych art hinged together or connected? Or, can it be slightly spaced apart? I was thinking about creating a gallery wall but I think that art needs to be a stand alone piece as you have it. Perhaps lower it a tiny bit & space the pieces a bit apart if possible. IDoes your stretching exercise space require the rug? My thought is to move both chairs forward sitting them completely on to the rug so they’re closer to FP - but not too close for TV watching. I think that would create a cozy comfortable spot with a purpose & not look just empty. & waiting for sofa. The area behind chairs would remain study area with desk shown on floor plan but also now have enough floor space for becoming the area for stretching exercises. That floor lamp looks jammed against wall - slide it forward to be the reading lamp for chair closest to wall. Or, set it between the two chairs close to the table between the chairs. The cord could be hidden under rug. What is the star in corner?

Comments (6)

Ying Wang
Original Author
last year
Hi KW, thanks for the advice!

The 3 pictures on the wall together forms a beautiful image of the Summer Palace in Beijing. If we use these pictures, they need to be together as shown. I do have some large size artwork, mostly framed antique posters like below (dark background and dark frames). Will it work?

I moved the chairs forward and moved the floor light between the chairs. What do you think? There is sufficient space behind the chairs for our stretching exercise.

The star in the corner is a light that my 9-yr old loves. We love to decorate our home with the arts & crafts. Happy to move it to another place if it is out of place here:-).

Thank you!
Related Discussions
Living room wall how can I decorate this wall.
Q
Comments (2)
We need to see the entire room. Please post pictures of the other walls. First, you need a wider TV console
...See More
How to decorate my living room wall
Q
Comments (12)
Hi @groveraxle, Thank you so much for the suggestions! For the layout, I tried the angling before this layout but it just doesn't feel right with the whole flow. I will definitely try to move the plant and see how that looks. Thank you for brining the curtain up too! I felt the same way but my husband doesn't want to move it just for 2 inches. With your comment, I successfully convinced him! :D
...See More
Need advice Boring living/dining room wall
Q
Comments (14)
you have a neutral background in both rooms that is quite monochromatic. both rooms need a punch. I see your quartz countertop on the peninsula that is gorgeous and adds a pop on the kitchen area.... consider a low, narrow, but long console for the dining room wall to help with storage and adding some accessories on the top to add some personality and personal flair. above the console I would suggest a large, bold piece of art that spans the length of the console. another option would be to replace two of your dining chairs that are closest to the wall with a long bench with a back on it with upholstery to add some texture. still add the bold art. in the living room, like the idea of a large photo gallery wall.
...See More
How should I decorate this exposed brick wall in my living room?
Q
Comments (6)
ugh, Houzz failed to post my comment from before. I recommend large, tall open shelving, but sparsely decorated so it doesn't seem too cluttered. you can DIY this by buying 3-4 ladder shelves. they could be pushed together or spaced a few inches apart. there are kinds that lean, and kinds that are straight. get really tall ones for your space-- which you'll need to bolt at the top so they don't tip over. if you didn't want to bolt into brick, there are kinds that anchor to the ceiling and floor. I believe some types don't bolt to the floor, but grip it instead. these kinds of bookcases can get pretty expensive -- you have to contact special places that will supply you with tall enough poles. not usually something you can just get off of wayfair. but they are really stunning! https://www.archiproducts.com/en/products/bookcases/floor-ceiling-mounted
...See More
KW PNW Z8
last year
@Ying Wang - Hello! My reaction to this new arrangement is that it gives a feeling of comfort & coziness to the space. I do love those white chairs. The Star - absolutely must stay put if it brings pleasure to your child. It is not out of place - I was just curious about what it was. A light! Must be pretty at night when the room is in dim light. The triptych of Summer Palace in Bejing is pretty. Do you have a smaller wall space to hang it where it can be viewed up close? The posters are intriguing as I do love vintage and antiques. You mention they are all framed with dark frames so I’m imagining they’d create a very interesting gallery wall that would add much interest to the large open space on the wall and, if they have pops of color such as the one you show, a grouping of them would add energy to this space during day time with the natural light coming through the sliding door. Think about removing the Palace picture & arranging the posters (how many are there?) on the open wall space & hang them both higher & lower than the Palace picture is. To create a mock up & avoid damaging wall with holes, I like to cut paper the size of the art & tape paper to wall in various tryout arrangements. I lay the art out on the floor first then copy that arrangement with paper taped to wall. If you have an even number & they’re all the same size, a symmetrical arrangement would be good. If not the same size, be creative & try to use the same spacing between edges of frames. Also pay attention to the images - when viewing sometimes a piece just looks better in a higher or lower position in the overall arrangement. Have fun with it if you do that!
Ying Wang
Original Author
last year
Thank you KW! You gave me a lot to think about and experiment!
tracefloyd
last year
last modified: last year
Tapestry, Kilim, Macrame.
Ying Wang
Original Author
last year
Thank you!

Sign Up to Comment

Related Stories

COLORFUL HOMES The Best of My Houzz: 10 Living Rooms With Wall Colors to Love

By Laura Gaskill

Jet black, Meyer lemon yellow, mossy green — these spaces make a statement with bold color

KIDS’ SPACES An Unconventional Approach to Teen Room Decor

By Apartment 46 for the Home

Wall-to-wall posters and riotous colors? So not cool. Find out how to give your tween or teen a room that's truly awesome

HOUZZ TOURS San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2011: Living Areas

By Lily Gahagan

The City's Top Designers Share Ideas for Living Room, Dining Room and Kitchen

COLOR 9 Decorating Ideas for White Living Rooms

These inspiring living rooms show how good an (almost) all-white room can look

MORE ROOMS One-of-a-Kind Decor for Above the Bed

By Love Your Room LLC

That Headboard Wall: It's the Perfect Spot for an Accent All Your Own

LIVING ROOMS Room of the Day: Living Room Decor Marries a Couple’s Individual Tastes

By Becky Harris

She likes Southern sophisticated; he likes modern. See how a designer combines their favorite styles in this Atlanta space

DECORATING GUIDES Weave Decorating Magic With This Go-Anywhere Interlocking Pattern

Bold and graphic or muted and subtle, trellis patterns are a great addition to a room and are enjoying a style moment right now

LIVING ROOMS Love Your Living Room: Boost Interest With Architectural Details

By Elements of Style

Ideas for working with trim, textures and walls to give your living room more visual impact

ROOM OF THE DAY Room of the Day: Connecting With Style in a Former Social-Club Lodge

By Jeannie Matteucci

Bold red walls and elegant touches create a distinctive living room that packs a visual punch

DECORATING GUIDES 16 Great Ways to Use Living Room Corners

By Becky Harris

Are you wasting the space where your walls meet? Check out these cleverly occupied corners to decide

Sponsored

More Discussions

Help choosing fabric

2

decorating ideas

5

two planters in either side of front door or one?

14

Home Office Help

9

Custom curtain tiebacks in NYC

2