Arranging furniture in a large living room

[urbancowgirl]

Hi! Lurker looking for advice. H and I are considering putting in an offer on a home that has one huge living room (20x24). We really wanted two living areas in our future home, but this house has everything else we want so I want to try to figure something out.

The room has a lovely fireplace and built-in bookshelves. We'd want to put a TV in the room. Since the room is so large, I'm having trouble picturing furniture in the room. I want to make good use of the space since it's the only living area. One whole wall of the room is the fireplace and built-ins. The wall to the right has two windows. The room is open to the dining room on the left and open to the entryway on the fourth wall.

The current owner has a TV between the two windows and a couch and chair set at an angle facing the TV. This arrangement sort of "ignores" the fireplace. I'm thinking we could put the TV in the same place, but add two chairs facing the fireplace. WDYT?

I know I'm putting the cart before the horse, but we're really excited about this place! TIA! Oh, and here's a tiny picture.

[urbancowgirl]

And here's the wall with the windows and TV.

[mrs.jacinthe]

That room looks like it's just screaming for two separate seating areas. I'd put one facing the fireplace wall and another (and the tv) facing away from the fireplace. That way you have a conversation area and a tv area, all in the same room.

[hereonceagain]

Definitely needs area rugs to define the areas. Any chance of you using a sectional? We have a large area too and the sectional really helped break it up.

[urbancowgirl]

I like the idea of having two seating areas. Maybe we could define them with rugs? I'm not crazy about sectionals (usually because they're too big for the room!) but in this case maybe one could work.

[boiler717]

I think you have two options. First would be to do two seating areas. Maybe a chair on either side of the fireplace with a couch facing it. Then have another couch facing the TV. I wonder if the couch facing the fireplace will block the window/door.

You could also position a low sette or backless chaise in front of the TV (almost like a bench but maybe with higher sides. You could still see the TV over it but when you need more seating without using the TV you can. In that case I'd do a couch parallel to the TV across from the bench/chaise/sette and 2 groups of two chairs -- one set with a chair on either side of the fireplace and one set with on the other side of the couch mirroring this, facing the fireplace.

[MrsAxilla]

Nov 13, 2012 12:43:08 GMT -5 hereonceagain said:

Definitely needs area rugs to define the areas. Any chance of you using a sectional? We have a large area too and the sectional really helped break it up.

I'd suggest a sectional, too. We have a large living area and we have an awesome sectional that divides the room nicely. We initally considered two seperate seating areas, but each area would have been small, and overall the room looked crowded.

[urbancowgirl]

Which way would you guys face the section? Toward the TV and fireplace?

[mrs.jacinthe]

I would put a sectional facing toward the tv. Put more smaller, cozier furniture facing the fireplace.

[mrs.jacinthe]

Also, LOL at "put more smaller" Really?

I need some coffee or something. LOL