PIP living room help and s/o of furniture against walls.

GingerSB

Any advice? This is kind of a spin off of the below post - re: furniture against the wall. I don't see how it would look good to move the couch away from the wall? And I don't know how else the room could really be rearranged.

Any other ideas on how to make the room look better? I was considering panels but I do like the clean look of just the blinds in this room. TV isn't going anywhere until it dies, and then it won't be replaced. I am hoping soon :-)

 

 

 ETA: the room is approx 12x 17

 

 

TarHeels&Rebels

Have you tried it with the sofa facing the fireplace and the two chairs at the end facing back toward the photographer?  I don't know how the long sofa is, so that may not leave room to walk.  If I were starting from scratch in that room and had no furniture to work with, I would buy a sofa I was sure would allow room to walk around and put a console table behind it on the kitchen side....  pretty much the same thing I said for the post below that started all this.

For decor, I think replacing your 3 too-small pictures with bigger items will help.  Lamps and a coffee table will help the room feel cozier.  A rug and panels would bring in another layer of color and pattern.

socal_bride

I would try placing the couch facing the fireplace with the chairs in the corners by the built-ins. then add a console table behind the couch. 

socal_bride

and definitely add drapes. creates layers, texture and interest.

GingerSB

I thought of that set-up but I do like that its an open room and that people can talk to me from the LR when I am in the kitchen. If they were facing the fireplace, we'd lose that. 

 

TarHeels&Rebels

GingerSB:

I thought of that set-up but I do like that its an open room and that people can talk to me from the LR when I am in the kitchen. If they were facing the fireplace, we'd lose that. 

 

But they can sit in the 2 chairs that would face the kitchen...

It'd take 5 minutes to move the furniture around.  Give it a try for a week and see how you like it.

GingerSB

TarHeels&Rebels:

For decor, I think replacing your 3 too-small pictures with bigger items will help.  Lamps and a coffee table will help the room feel cozier.  A rug and panels would bring in another layer of color and pattern.

I agree they are too small. I was thinking of doing a gallery wall. Dh is against buying pictures for the sake of pictures. He wants to buy art that is meaningful for us. This means no new art for a while. i think he's being silly. I was thinking of doing a gallery wall with family pictures or something.

I don't really like the rug-on-rug look. 

Thanks, keep the advice coming :-)

 

 

 

GingerSB

TarHeels&Rebels:

GingerSB:

I thought of that set-up but I do like that its an open room and that people can talk to me from the LR when I am in the kitchen. If they were facing the fireplace, we'd lose that. 

 

But they can sit in the 2 chairs that would face the kitchen...

It'd take 5 minutes to move the furniture around.  Give it a try for a week and see how you like it.

I'll give it a shot. I also fear the TV will be too high.  If we were doing the room from scratch, i would have put in a sectional vs what we have, but we are stuck with it now. 

GingerSB

socal_bride:

and definitely add drapes. creates layers, texture and interest.

Any advice on colour palette?

I tend to like beige, LOL. I like soft, calm, breezy. Not big on lots of colour. 

 

 

Fields*of*Gold

socal_bride:

I would try placing the couch facing the fireplace with the chairs in the corners by the built-ins. then add a console table behind the couch. 

This is what I would do too!

TheBridesMom

TarHeels&Rebels:

GingerSB:

I thought of that set-up but I do like that its an open room and that people can talk to me from the LR when I am in the kitchen. If they were facing the fireplace, we'd lose that. 

 

But they can sit in the 2 chairs that would face the kitchen...

It'd take 5 minutes to move the furniture around.  Give it a try for a week and see how you like it.

I agree with TH&R  (on this and all of her other suggestions)....it is worth a try.

 

TarHeels&Rebels

GingerSB:

TarHeels&Rebels:

For decor, I think replacing your 3 too-small pictures with bigger items will help.  Lamps and a coffee table will help the room feel cozier.  A rug and panels would bring in another layer of color and pattern.

I was thinking of doing a gallery wall with family pictures or something.

 

 

I can't tell what the existing pictures are, but if they have something to unify them (theme, color, frames), you can use them to start and add in family photos.  Even if he says no to official art, he surely can't object to pictures.  When things are in bloom, even consider going to a park and taking your own photos and blowing them up - that's better than bare walls.

apugglesmom

GingerSB:

I agree they are too small. I was thinking of doing a gallery wall. Dh is against buying pictures for the sake of pictures. He wants to buy art that is meaningful for us. This means no new art for a while. i think he's being silly. I was thinking of doing a gallery wall with family pictures or something.

 

Do you have any pictures of your travels or maybe of flowers in your yard or anything like that? Or what about doing some DIY art? Canvas is pretty cheap and can easily be made in to beautiful art.

You don't have to buy art, you can make it with things you enjoy and/or love.

GingerSB

TarHeels&Rebels:

GingerSB:

TarHeels&Rebels:

For decor, I think replacing your 3 too-small pictures with bigger items will help.  Lamps and a coffee table will help the room feel cozier.  A rug and panels would bring in another layer of color and pattern.

I was thinking of doing a gallery wall with family pictures or something.

 

 

I can't tell what the existing pictures are, but if they have something to unify them (theme, color, frames), you can use them to start and add in family photos.  Even if he says no to official art, he surely can't object to pictures.  When things are in bloom, even consider going to a park and taking your own photos and blowing them up - that's better than bare walls.

Thanks. One of them is a watercolour painting. The rest are all family pictures. All are black frames.

 

 

TarHeels&Rebels

socal_bride:

I would try placing the couch facing the fireplace with the chairs in the corners by the built-ins. then add a console table behind the couch. 

Ha   Great minds think alike!

GingerSB

OK. here it is with your suggestions.

I don't mind it at all.

The only problem with it I have is that it requires me to buy new furniture. We currently only have side tables, with no coffee table. With this set-up, 2/3 side tables are not usable which means we'll need both a console for behind the couch, and a coffee table.  And if I actually centered the couch, then 3/3 side tables would be unusable. 

SailorGray

GingerSB:

OK. here it is with your suggestions.

I don't mind it at all.

The only problem with it I have is that it requires me to buy new furniture. We currently only have side tables, with no coffee table. With this set-up, 2/3 side tables are not usable which means we'll need both a console for behind the couch, and a coffee table.  And if I actually centered the couch, then 3/3 side tables would be unusable. 

Are two of the side tables square and matching? You could put them together as a coffee table or as a sofa table (behind the couch). They may be a bit high as a coffee table, but you could play around. I would also move the couch up a little closer to the fireplace.  In terms of the art, have you thought about putting the two small pieces on the same wall and left the other wall blank for now? You could also re-frame them in larger frames/mats to give them a larger appearance. That can get pricey, though.

I really like it set up this way!

TarHeels&Rebels

GingerSB:

OK. here it is with your suggestions.

I don't mind it at all.

The only problem with it I have is that it requires me to buy new furniture. We currently only have side tables, with no coffee table. With this set-up, 2/3 side tables are not usable which means we'll need both a console for behind the couch, and a coffee table.  And if I actually centered the couch, then 3/3 side tables would be unusable. 

Center the couch on the fireplace. I know you did it for a walkway, but when you do my second tip, I don't think you'll need as much walking space.

I think I see 2 rectangle end tables and 1 round?  Put the 2 rectangles end-to-end behind the sofa and see if they could work as a console.  Worth a shot.  And leave the round end table over by the windows where it this.  With the rectangle not blocking the end of the walkway by the sofa, there might be more room to walk and it'll work centered.

I also can't tell how far away the sofa is from the chairs.  If they seem like you couldn't talk, pull the chairs off the shelves some and push the sofa into the room more.

For a coffee table, you could use an old trunk, an old kitchen table with the legs cut down, or something second-hand.

~NB~

socal_bride:

I would try placing the couch facing the fireplace with the chairs in the corners by the built-ins. then add a console table behind the couch. 

This, and add drapes as socal_bride said, and a rug in the center. I'd also fill in the nitch above the fireplace and hand a picture there, and move the TV to the wall on the right side of the picture.

EDIT: Try turning the sofa at an angle, and the chairs also (to face the sofa) and get the end tables out of there.

Joanis018

Here are my thoughts:

I like the set up better with the couch facing the fireplace.  I imagine this also makes for better tv watching.

I wish you didn't have all matching furniture- this is just what I would do, but I would sell the two leather chairs and buy something else.

Crate and Barrel:

 

 

CB2:

 

west elm:

 

As for art, hubs and I like to frame maps of places that are special to us.  It's cheap and meaningful.

You can see in this picture 4 of the 5 frames have maps in them (NY, LA, San Fransisco, and my home town.  We also have a vintage map of London framed on a bookshelf)

 

I would also put some sort of console table behind the couch.

Joanis018

TarHeels&Rebels:

GingerSB:

Center the couch on the fireplace. I know you did it for a walkway, but when you do my second tip, I don't think you'll need as much walking space.

Agreed.

I also think you have way too many side tables in there.  If those chairs get any I think sharing one in the middle is plenty.  And I also agree with pp's you need a coffee table.  Shop Goodwill, Craig's List, get an old palette...

 

GingerSB

Here are updated pics. I would love to replace the chairs but there is no way Dh will go for that. He is very much into using what we have, vs. replacing good items.

 

 

 

SoftSpot

GingerSB:

Here are updated pics. I would love to replace the chairs but there is no way Dh will go for that. He is very much into using what we have, vs. replacing good items.

I think this looks a thousand times better already.

Bringing in color doesn't necessarily mean bold colors, it could be subtle. Like the other posters said, you need texture. You need pillows, pictures, curtains, etc.

 http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?GrpTyp=STY&ItemID=1d20b9a&deptid=70751&NOffset=2&dep=WINDOW&catid=70821&cat=Curtains+&pcatid=70751&Ne=5+961+1031+971+586+8+1545&N=4294953318&SO=0&cattyp=RLE&Nao=0&PSO=0&bcCat=3&cmAMS_T=XGN3&cmAMS_C=MERCHA&cmAMS_Z=XGN3TOPOFRESULTS&CmCatId=70751|70821

The Abyss green maybe although I love the rust

 http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?GrpTyp=STY&ItemID=1a1f1ff&deptid=70751&dep=WINDOW&SO=0&cat=Curtains+&NOffset=2&x5view=1&pcatid=70751&Ne=5+961+1031+971+586+8+1545&catid=70821&N=4294953318&cattyp=RLE&Nao=23&PSO=0&bcCat=3&CmCatId=70751|70821

 http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6E.aspx?GrpTyp=ENS&ItemID=17c6daf&DeptID=70751&CatID=70821&SO=0&Ne=5+961+1031+971+586+8+1545&x5view=1&NOffset=2&shopperType=G&N=4294953318&Nao=44&PSO=0&bcCat=3&CmCatId=70751|70821

SoftSpot

Pillows

 http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?GrpTyp=PRD&ItemID=1c9d40e&DeptID=71371&CatID=79683&SO=0&Ne=5+1031+966+18+904+1545&x5view=1&NOffset=2&pagesize=1&shopperType=G&N=4294937346&Nao=0&PSO=0&bcCat=3&CmCatId=71371|79683

http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?GrpTyp=PRD&ItemID=1c9ce77&DeptID=71371&CatID=79683&SO=0&Ne=5+1031+966+18+904+1545&x5view=1&NOffset=2&pagesize=1&shopperType=G&N=4294937346&Nao=0&PSO=0&bcCat=3&CmCatId=71371|79683

 http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?GrpTyp=PRD&ItemID=184186a&DeptID=71371&CatID=79683&SO=0&Ne=5+1031+966+18+904+1545&x5view=1&NOffset=2&pagesize=1&shopperType=G&N=4294937346&Nao=0&PSO=0&bcCat=3&cmAMS_T=XGN5&cmAMS_C=MERCH&cmAMS_Z=XGN5TOPOFRESULTS&CmCatId=71371|79683

TheBridesMom

I like the curtains and the teal accents...you just need more in the living room. 

I would love to see something that color on the 'console' table.  I think you need something  a bit more substantial on the table, too.

I agree w/pp about adding more texture and maybe more color.  The two little throw pillows that you have just don't show up very well.  They just seem mostly beige and kind of blah.  

Do you have any throws or something from another room that you could bring in?  Or maybe a table or chair from another room that you could switch out and make it less matchy.

I really like the change that rearranging made.  It's a good start.

Joanis018

Looks way better already!!

socal_bride

I think it looks so much better already!

smallysmallz04

Your updates look great! Such an improvement!

SailorGray

1) I love that you took everyone's advice and we got to see it through the process

2) it looks awesome!!  

HesitantBride

LOVE this virtual redecorating thread!  Go D&R nesties!

And to op, I think these changes look wonderful.

TarHeels&Rebels

Looks tons better already!

I agree with TBM on more color.  For turquoise, you could always buy some $1 vases and $5 lamps and other things at Goodwill and spray paint them all with the same turquoise spray paint.

I love that the end tables worked as a console!