Furniture placement for small living room/entryway

[urbancowgirl]

Hello!  DH and I recently moved into our new home and we are having trouble deciding what furniture to put in our living room.  It's about 10 x 15 and it also serves as an entry from the front door.  We want it to be our "no TV" room and we'd like to put two comfortable upholstered chairs in it.  As you can see from the pictures, it's pretty much a blank slate.  We are going to paint it a light color because the house is a little dark.  How would you arrange furniture in this room?  My idea was to put a love seat on the wall all the way to the right.  I would have the two chairs face the love seat.  However, DH thinks the room is too small for a love seat and two chairs.  DH would rather put the two chairs in front of the windows facing in, but I think this will leave a lot of open/undefined space. TIA for any advice you have!

This is what you see when you walk in the front door, which is all the way to the left of the room.  The entry to the kitchen is at the top right side of the room.  I want to keep the table in the room because I like having a place to drop keys and mail.


I walked straight forward from the front door to take this picture.  These are the two windows in the room.



This last picture is facing the front door and was taken from the entry to the kitchen.

[stephm0188]

I kind of think loveseats are impractical. I don't know of many people who like to sit two to a loveseat, and it's not like you can lounge on one the way you can a couch.

I'm going to assume that it's probably a somewhat high traffic area since it's attached to the kitchen as well. I see you mentioned wanting to keep a table there for mail and keys, but I think you would be better served with a more substantial piece. Maybe a secretary with a glass cabinet for display, or some sort of console or buffet. Something with more weight visually. Then I'd do two chairs, a comfy ottoman, and if space permits, a low bookcase.

[urbancowgirl]

Yes, it is a high-traffic area because the rest of the house is past the kitchen. That's a good point about love seats. I wanted more seating in the room and I think a larger ottoman could fill that need. I also like your idea about having a more substantial piece for keys and mail. That would help to balance the furniture. Thank you!

[lys]

on the wall by the doorway I would set that up as a foyer - with table, place to throw keys, take off boots etc.
Two comfy chairs and table with lamp for reading
Low bookcase
Large potted plant
Artwork
area rug near chairs

[TBM]

Mar 21, 2013 16:40:33 GMT -5 stephm0188 said:

I kind of think loveseats are impractical. I don't know of many people who like to sit two to a loveseat, and it's not like you can lounge on one the way you can a couch.

That thought is so foreign to me.   My mom has a loveseat, a matching sofa and two chairs in her living room, and it seems like the loveseat is the most popular piece of furniture.    Maybe it is just our family that likes to be that close?  I don't know...it seems like friends and neighbors go for that spot too.   Maybe it is just a comfy loveseat, although the sofa is the same so it doesn't explain why the loveseat gets more love.

[new2this2]

Mar 21, 2013 22:06:12 GMT -5 lys said:

on the wall by the doorway I would set that up as a foyer - with table, place to throw keys, take off boots etc.
Two comfy chairs and table with lamp for reading
Low bookcase
Large potted plant
Artwork
area rug near chairs

I was thinking the same thing. I like loveseats but I don't see it being super great in this room. If you get this stuff set up and still have some room you could do an ottoman or two for extra seating without taking up much space.

If you think a loveseat would be more useful for your family you could easily swap it out for the chairs.

[midwest07]

To clarify, is there a doorway directly ahead when you come in through the front door, or just the one over to the right to the kitchen? I am just trying to get a sense of where the walkway(s) needs to be when people come in the front - is it two paths or one?

Just don't make it into a dining room like YHL!! I think that is the strangest use of a front entry room.

[emoflamingo]

My living room at our old house had no real "entry" so I created one using a couch as a barrier. Perhaps you could put a sofa table and couchloveseat sticking out from the wall area by the front door, an end table on the wall, then another piece (depending on which one you put to create the entry) by the front window and two separate chairs on that other wall. KWIM? Since it's not going to have a TV, you could

(I have pictures of my old house in the bio section. If I ever get around to finishing some stuff and cleaning up my new house, I'll get pictures up there for that too.)

[emoflamingo]

TBM it gets so much love because it's a loveseat. (Haha get it?) My grandma's house is pretty similar, but the recliners fill up first, then the loveseat. And we fit 3 lol.

[TBM]

Mar 22, 2013 10:53:24 GMT -5 emoflamingo said:

TBM it gets so much love because it's a loveseat. (Haha get it?)

 You really are sleep deprived, aren't you.  

lol


My Mom's living room is the room without the TV, but it is the room people are most likely to hang out in...even without recliners.

[urbancowgirl]

Mar 22, 2013 10:39:38 GMT -5 midwest07 said:

To clarify, is there a doorway directly ahead when you come in through the front door, or just the one over to the right to the kitchen? I am just trying to get a sense of where the walkway(s) needs to be when people come in the front - is it two paths or one?

Just don't make it into a dining room like YHL!! I think that is the strangest use of a front entry room.

There actually is a door on the left wall that leads to the master, but it's not directly in front of the front door.  No one entering the house (other than H and me) would typically take that route.  Most people will cross over to the right to get to the kitchen and the rest of the house.  
 
Ha ha, definitely no plans to make it into a dining room!

[urbancowgirl]

Mar 22, 2013 10:51:48 GMT -5 emoflamingo said:

My living room at our old house had no real "entry" so I created one using a couch as a barrier. Perhaps you could put a sofa table and couchloveseat sticking out from the wall area by the front door, an end table on the wall, then another piece (depending on which one you put to create the entry) by the front window and two separate chairs on that other wall. KWIM? Since it's not going to have a TV, you could

(I have pictures of my old house in the bio section. If I ever get around to finishing some stuff and cleaning up my new house, I'll get pictures up there for that too.)

I thought of using a love seat/couch as a barrier to create separation, too.  But for some reason, DH is really anti-couch/love seat in this room.  He thinks it will feel too cramped.

[urbancowgirl]

Mar 21, 2013 22:58:21 GMT -5 new2this2 said:

Mar 21, 2013 22:06:12 GMT -5 lys said:

on the wall by the doorway I would set that up as a foyer - with table, place to throw keys, take off boots etc.
Two comfy chairs and table with lamp for reading
Low bookcase
Large potted plant
Artwork
area rug near chairs

I was thinking the same thing. I like loveseats but I don't see it being super great in this room. If you get this stuff set up and still have some room you could do an ottoman or two for extra seating without taking up much space.

If you think a loveseat would be more useful for your family you could easily swap it out for the chairs.

How would you arrange the two chairs?  In front of the windows or against one of the walls?

[TBM]

How are you planning to use the room? Two chairs on the same side of the room, facing the same direction as each other doesn't sound very conducive to conversation.

[softspot]

I would do: two largeish chairs with table(s) in the window corner, facing the master bedroom (I think?) in an L shape with a rug underneath. Or three regular sized chairs in a U shape facing the same direction. Then a big padded & upholstered ottoman a little further out, but still on the rug. I would make the entry on the wall by the front door & master then add a hutch/desk/bookshelf on the wall with the kitchen opening. Oh, and curtains of course.

[emoflamingo]

Ours was 12 x 17 and it was not too small. Hell, we had a computer desk and an entertainment center in there too. Can you measure out the average size of a loveseat and tape the floor? Apartment sofas are smaller than average as well.

If I were home, I'd draw it out on the computer for you as ammo.

[urbancowgirl]

Mar 22, 2013 11:21:39 GMT -5 TBM said:

How are you planning to use the room? Two chairs on the same side of the room, facing the same direction as each other doesn't sound very conducive to conversation.

Mostly for reading and getting away from the TV.  I would angle the chairs like softspot suggested so that they aren't right next to each other.

[urbancowgirl]

I like the suggestions to put a table for keys, etc. on the wall next to the left of the front door.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure if it will work because there is a weird built-in platform there.  Just another part of the room that we have no idea what to do with! The former owners put a grandfather clock there.  And based on the cable hook-up, looks like someone else used it for a TV.  

Take a look.  This is facing forward from the front door.  The door leads to the master.  Gotta love old houses!

[auntie]

It could work if your furniture is small enough in scale.

I'd create a foyer space by floating a love seat with a narrow sofa table directly behind, rather than on the wall as it is now, perpendicular to the wall where the door is. This will create a "hallway"; maybe even define that space with a small rug/runner. You could create a gallery wall on the wall opposite the sofa table.

That boxed platform is wack. If you have to live with it, make it look intentional. You could put a large potted plant or a collection of tall vases with twigs/seasonal decor on it to soften that corner.

Than I'd add two smallish occasional chairs with a table between. You might find a unmatched chairs more appealing. I like upholstered myself, but one of them could be wood or have only a padded seating surface. If you have room, a small movable surface like a poof, chest or small cocktail table could provide a surface for drinks and or color/decor.