Help my living room/entry way

[namasteak]

We are in a 1930s house with only 1 living room which also happens to be our entryway.
maudefindlay said to post for ideas so here it goes!

view from stairs
View from fireplace

We moved the desk in here for construction of the under stairs storage so it won’t stay but I kind of like how the cabinet looks to the right of the couch.


To the left of the bench is a nook for coats and cubbies for the kids backpacks (still under construction)



I thought about getting rid of the white shoe rack so the other cabinet can be by the front door but then what do I flank the fireplace with? Keep the cabinets by the fireplace and get 2 console tables? Keep the shoe rack and get 1 console table?

New coffee table is on the way (round & black) & Wall decor is on the list too .

I’m open to getting new covers for the couches .

I have rotated the rug so it takes up space in the “entry area” in front of the shoe rack but it looked weird.

The couches could go about 6” away from the wall but any further blocks some of the fireplace and makes tv watching weird.

We had a sectional but it kind of closed off the room so I’m not sure that’s a good idea.

We are painting it a warm white (alabaster or white dove).

[ny96]

If I were you I’d get rid of the sofa near the window and replace it with a chair, and get rid of the white cabinet. Can you replace it with some baskets under the bench? Also the rug seems a bit small for the space. Our house is from the 40’s and our living room is similar. Here is a photo from the listing of our house when we bought it.

Attachments:

[namasteak]

ny96 I like how you have a lamp and plant in front of your windows flanking the fireplace! That’s a great solution to “what do I put there if I move the cabinets”

The rug is actually huge (it goes all the way under each couch) and could rotate to go in front of all the furniture. But that looked weird too.

[pierogigirl]

I'd probably do built-in bookshelves on either side of the fireplace.

Put a large picture/art centered above the couch on the wall and a grouping of smaller pictures/art on the window couch. Edit: I also like the idea of getting rid of one couch and putting two chairs there. However, we have a couch and two chairs and the couch is definitely the preferred seating in our house.

Shorter bench by the nook and put the tall plant on the floor with maybe a floor basket for storage, if needed. I'd put several smaller pictures/art over the nook or one large picture/art. The one picture there is very small in that wall space.

I'd keep the shoe cabinet. The light switches make that spot difficult, but I'd consider moving the cabinet over a few inches and hanging a round mirror centered over it.

[cherry1111]

Jul 13, 2022 15:43:10 GMT -5 namasteak said:

ny96 I like how you have a lamp and plant in front of your windows flanking the fireplace! That’s a great solution to “what do I put there if I move the cabinets”

The rug is actually huge (it goes all the way under each couch) and could rotate to go in front of all the furniture. But that looked weird too.

I think something different on each side of the fireplace like a plant and a lamp would look great.

[namasteak]

pierogigirl I know all the stuff up there is not the right size but I honestly started to hang stuff all over the house and got frustrated so I stopped Instead of Moving things around🤦🏻‍♀️

Love the idea of small bookcases - do you think it’s ok if they are only 8” deep? Any deeper would project past the fireplace.

[maudefindlay]

I like that your ceiling fan is white, it let's other parts of your room stand out. Young House Love has a fireplace in their bedroom with windows on either side. They put white Bestas on either side and plan to do the built in hack where they add filler pieces to the side and a continuous baseboard along the bottom. Obviously I don't know the measurements of your space, but maybe something you could do and extra storage.

Beyond that I love ny96 furniture placement ideas.

[tarzanswife]

I would do the following:

-Get rid of sofas and get a sectional and put against wall across from the front window.
-Get smaller bookcases for either side of the fireplace. Put baskets on bottom shelf for storage as needed.
-Move shoe storage over and hang a round gold mirror over the shoe storage. Add small floating shelves on either side with plastic succulents, small books or small framed photos.
-Keep round coffee table but get a few larger pillows to go on the ground around the table for little butts to sit on.
-Get a table for behind sectional that has a bowl for keys and misc items. Bottom will have baskets assigned to each kid with storage for backpacks and kid crap.
-I would get rid of the high bench and get something like this for under the nook for kids and adults to sit and put shoes on organizational bench
- I would do a family photo wall behind the couch like this one Family photo Wall
-Under the window that is now across from the sectional I would do a rattan floor basket for rolled up blankets and maybe a smaller basket next to it to collect toys. 
-I would also get a new rug and focus on colors that pop more like greens and golds and use them for accents. For example, throw in a few gold picture frames on the family photo wall, get blankets that have green and gold in them that go in the rattan basket. Get a wooden bowl for the key bowl and throw pillows with some green and gold and keep the couch color neutral.

When I did my family photo wall I got all my frames at Ikea and it looks great. The photo wall doesn't have to be all the same sizes, mine are all different and the frames are different. I recommend framing all the photos you want to use and then laying them out on the ground before you hang them up to get the correct positioning, take a photo of how the photos are laid out and use for reference when you are hanging them up.

[namasteak]

Jul 13, 2022 16:06:02 GMT -5 maudefindlay said:

I like that your ceiling fan is white, it let's other parts of your room stand out. Young House Love has a fireplace in their bedroom with windows on either side. They put white Bestas on either side and plan to do the built in hack where they add filler pieces to the side and a continuous baseboard along the bottom. Obviously I don't know the measurements of your space, but maybe something you could do and extra storage.

Beyond that I love ny96 furniture placement ideas.

As much as I like the besta idea we have 43.5” of space and the besta units are 23 5/8.

[namasteak]

Already so many good ideas! Thank you!

[sdlaura]

We have a similar entryway with the stairs on one side and the living room on the other side, and we have a sectional. While it closes off the space on the one hand, it also sort of defines the living room as a distinct space. And I find it easier to watch TV with the couch facing the TV vs. on the sides. It's a C shape with the tall sections along the back window and the walkway, and the chaise side along the front window.

[namasteak]

Jul 13, 2022 17:45:35 GMT -5 sdlaura said:

We have a similar entryway with the stairs on one side and the living room on the other side, and we have a sectional. While it closes off the space on the one hand, it also sort of defines the living room as a distinct space. And I find it easier to watch TV with the couch facing the TV vs. on the sides. It's a C shape with the tall sections along the back window and the walkway, and the chaise side along the front window.

Good point. ITs so weird to me that the door opens JUST to the side of the stairs. Its off center just enough you can't put a runner down in the "entry area"

[okla]

I would:
Rotate the rug so it runs longways in the room.
Get rid of the couch under the window. Get two comfy chairs with ottoman poufs to face the fireplace/TV. Move the bench currently by the stairs to under the living room window and put a long cushion on it, almost like a window seat. Put a tall plant in the window to the left of the fireplace, leave the cabinet on the right. Move the shoe rack over a tad with the round mirror as a PP suggested. Move the green art above the couch.

[simpsongal]

I think pulling the couches off the wall, rotating the rug, and adding a plant (maybe removing a cabinet piece or two) would do wonders and take minimal effort.

Window treatments would tie the room together and draw the eye up too. maybe a curtain on each window side since you have so many windows.

That nook will be awesome and essential .

[Roc A Bee]

Does the couch in front of the window work if you rotate it facing the fireplace? I’d place it there with the bench behind it like a sofa table.

I’d rotate the rug. I agree some curtains and pattern will warm up the space. I’d simplify the mantle. I’d also move the art to the other wall and move the shoe cabinet down and hang a round mirror for a more entry way feel.

[namasteak]

Pulling the couches about 6” away from the wall and moving both cabinets away from the fireplace is already such an improvement. I still need to center the rug, take the shoe rack down, the computer goes back to its room and find the new decor/table .





Has anyone built a console table before? I need something pretty narrow and long to go behind the couches.

[namasteak]

Thoughts on these coffee tables? I’d probably get the first one in black.
Love the base on this one.

Both are about 10” bigger than what we have now.

[gerberdaisy]

Jul 14, 2022 13:06:38 GMT -5 namasteak said:

Thoughts on these coffee tables? I’d probably get the first one in black.
Love the base on this one.

Both are about 10” bigger than what we have now.

I like the first one! Considered getting it for our living room too,

[simpsongal]

namasteak, I like the visual space of the first coffee table, I fear the second would weigh the room down.

Much better w/the couches off the wall! Unless you need them, I don't think you need consoles, the empty space is fine. You could probably cheat the couches away from the fireplace a bit too just so they're more centered on the rug.

[namasteak]

Jul 14, 2022 16:09:35 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

namasteak, I like the visual space of the first coffee table, I fear the second would weigh the room down.

Much better w/the couches off the wall! Unless you need them, I don't think you need consoles, the empty space is fine. You could probably cheat the couches away from the fireplace a bit too just so they're more centered on the rug.

We don’t need them but I think it would stop the kids & dogs from moving them out of place so much 😂

[sdlaura]

We have this long/thin console table. But we have it in the hallway where you now have the bench. We have baskets on the bottom for shoes.

www.westelm.com/products/profile-console-h4570/?catalogId=71&sku=5316911&cm_ven=PLA&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=Furniture%20%3E%20Console%20Tables®ion_id=669090&cm_ite=5316911_14463142072&gclid=CjwKCAjwoMSWBhAdEiwAVJ2ndueFz2DPgxWMmkv6YKpoKbHtQYScOrdTqS32NL2bsnQaP_75YJx9ChoCXNkQAvD_BwE

[af1212]

Jul 14, 2022 16:18:44 GMT -5 namasteak said:

Jul 14, 2022 16:09:35 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

namasteak, I like the visual space of the first coffee table, I fear the second would weigh the room down.

Much better w/the couches off the wall! Unless you need them, I don't think you need consoles, the empty space is fine. You could probably cheat the couches away from the fireplace a bit too just so they're more centered on the rug.

We don’t need them but I think it would stop the kids & dogs from moving them out of place so much 😂

If the problem is that they would shove them back, we put blocks of wood behind the feet of our couch when we wanted it a bit off of the wall.

[heygrey]

Jul 15, 2022 12:26:00 GMT -5 af1212 said:

If the problem is that they would shove them back, we put blocks of wood behind the feet of our couch when we wanted it a bit off of the wall.

This is exactly what we did behind our couch because we needed to be able to close the curtains. Scraps of 1x4 were perfect to keep it just off the wall a bit.