Help with Narrow/Awkward Living Room!

StinaMcB

Hello all! Our new living room is really hard to arrange/design. I've been searching the internet for ideas and came across this forum - had no idea it existed, so glad I found it!

It's long and narrow, with an opening to the dining room by one end, a large bay window on the other wall, and and opening to the foyer (point-of-view from where the picture is taken). The PIP is how the owners currently have it. It's super-traditional, and we want to make it more modern. Out with the bulky furniture and heavy window treatments, and replace the oak with white trim/crown molding, and paint it a light, cool color.

But that's where we get lost. Any suggestions on layout?? We were thinking of putting our media console/TV where the loveseat is currently, next to the opening of the dining room (which won't be our dining room, but a reading nook/play area). But, it's awkward because then we have to put the couch across from it off-center, which makes the bay window awkward. I'm also afraid of crowding the room with too much furniture...

We thought of putting the TV above the fireplace, maybe put some shelving/built-ins on the side for media items...but the furniture layout would still be an issue if we did that.

Any suggestions? Anyone have a similar room? We are getting all new furniture for this room, so no suggestion is too crazy TIA!

 

formerlyGDaisy09

we have a similarly long/awkwad living room.  We've rearranged the furniture multiple times, I'm most happy with our latest arrangement from right after we took the christmas tree down.  we have the TV on one of the short walls (thats where the cable comes in. Our 3-seater couch is at an angle in one of the corners opposite the TV and the recliner is angles in the other corner on that wall. the love-seat is at a 90 degree angle to the 3-seater couch, the TV isn't really viewable from this couch, but that is the dog's seat of choice and if we have people over this set-up is more conducive to conversation (and unless it's a movie night we aren't going to watch TV when we're entertaining.)

A few notes, I have tod DH on several occasions that I wish we had mounted the TV on one of the long walls (would allow for more furniture arrangements centered around the TV).  and uppon arranging the furniture this time noted that it might have been better to have 2 love seats and 2 chairs as opposed to our current 3-seater, loveseat and recliner, if you're furniture shopping that might be helpful.. 

StinaMcB

Thanks for the suggestions! I have been contemplating about not getting a couch at all and going with a love seat and a few chairs, so that helps. I actually forgot about figuring out where the cable comes in. The owners have the TV on the short wall next to the opening to the foyer (can't see in the pic). I'm not a huge fan of that because then the room has polar opposite focal points - the fireplace on one side and the TV on the other and I struggle how to make it feel cohesive...

formerlyGDaisy09

where the TV goes is key, the furniture can get moved around, but moving all the cables etc with the TV is more difficult. We mounted our TV on the wall, pretty much solidifying that that's where it is staying. 

formerlyGDaisy09

Also, had we thought more when we moved in we could have run the cable through the basement to a different wall.

StinaMcB

Definitely helpful that you pointed that out...good thought about maybe seeing what we can do with the basement ceiling....

StinaMcB

Just found this this blog post that has some great ideas for a room like mine! This idea may just work...wanted to share if anyone else has a similar awkward room:

formerlyGDaisy09

Love that!