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July 8, 2012

Living Room Help

Please ,Oh wise readers, can you please help me with my Living Room?


It is lovely to live in a house that is over 100 years old. I love the charm and the wood work and the high ceilings. What I do NOT like is that I do not have a whole wall to speak off! I either have a fireplace, radiator, door or window on every wall! Oh and I hate my couches too! So I need your help. I am tired of the arrangement that we have had for about 8 years!! I know that is shameful for me to admit. I have tried many arrangements and it always has to go back to the original because my TV was chained to one corner due to the Direct TV wire etc.  but we just switched to cable and I got the cable guy to leave like 20 feet of extra cable!!!! Woo Hoo! So I decided to try and re-arrange but I don't think I like it 100%.  Here are a few before looks:


 View from the Dining Room


 View from the Foyer


 View from the Fireplace looking into the Foyer


View from the radiator looking into my Dining Room
See? NO UNINTERRUPTED WALLS!

Okay so this is what I came up with. I apologize if this is less than inspiring!
 Switcheroo of the TV to the radiator wall and put everything on an angle. 

 I kinda hate that I have to decorate around the TV and the giant sofa. I think next time I will purchase a love seat and two chairs. Looking for something a little retro....

 Notice the strategically placed bug jar? It just works in this space!

 My Ski Pole Lamp had an Olympic Sized accident in the form of a 13 year old with sized 9 Mens shoes tripping over it two days into its glory.  So until I can get to it to fix for real it is being held together with tape and embroidery hoops in true DIY style!


 Not sure I like the angle. Leaves that area behind it looking very wonky and empty. I did find two lamps at the local thrift store and will add those later so that should help take up some visual bleakness.

Wait till you see 'em! Huge! and Genie Bottle like! and Delicious!



Okay, so now you got the tour. Any advice would be helpful and appreciated. 

And obviously necessary......

Always being renewed,


7 comments:

  1. Hi Kim -
    Ok - here's my 2 cents!!! First of all what a beautiful room you have to work in!!! Your fireplace it's amazing -
    Can you not put your t.v. above the fireplace?
    Then you could put the big couch and the love seat facing each other on either side - with a table inbetween. (The back of the couch facing the window and the back of the love seat facing the dining room )and put the console table behind the love seat so that you are looking at something of interest from the dining room - other than the back of furniture?
    Is there another room you can keep the chair in?
    Your home looks like a wonderful place!
    :)

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  2. My advice:
    To help with the walls, hang curtain rods from one end all the way to the other of Main wall or two. Bringing it up to ceiling level. The radiator could easily be disguised with a built around seat.
    You should arrange the sofa with the length of the room, the end facing the open arch and fireplace. Pair with two armchairs facing in and a long table between. Mount the TV above the fireplace (if there is brick back there, hire a contractor). TV's should never be the focal point! But sometimes we have to place them dead center.
    And finally, I'd suggest a large area rug to bring it all in.

    Good luck!
    Christine, the Crafty Woman

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  3. To by honest i would start by getting rid of the TV! I hate that device ! But, i guess that is not an option ! How about using a beautiful room divider to the door you use the less and place your TV in front of that ? And then place your furniture as is works the best for you. Maybe add some color in the room to spice it up!
    http://bisozozo.blogspot.com/

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  4. I agree with other comments here. If you could, mount the T.V above the fireplace. And also if you could come-up with a clever idea to have a detachable cover for the radiator that can be a space saver (like a shelf, table or seat) at the same time in the summer or something. I would put some color by putting-up curtains depending on which color of your choosing.

    It was fun letting us be a part of this! And I awarded you with

    One Lovely Blog and Very Inspiring blog award . I hope you could come by and check it out :)

    xo
    Myric

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  5. Man you guys are awesome! I appreciate all the comments and ideas. I do think we have to move the TV to the fireplace. Just been avoiding it since it is brick. I am going to paint, re-do this room sometime in the future but the space just needed to be tweaked since I was so sick of it the same way. I am my own worst follower. I am always saying add color and this room is beiged to death I tell ya'! This might be a great Winter project! Thanks again everyone for your suggestions!

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  6. I see a problem with mounting the tv above the fireplace and placing the couch and love seat on either side- u will have to turn your heads to watch tv someone will always be with a crooked neck- been there done that not a good idea for functionality. I like the way you have it now the problem I am seeing is your beautiful picture collage needs to go on a smaller wall somewhere especially somewhere u can stand in front of an look at since so many of the frames are so small maybe move those to the wall next to your archway going into the dinning room and leave the space above the tv blank take those two larger pics that are on that tiny archway wall and put them behind the couch and move your large flower display to the other side of the mantle closer to the lamp also on the table behind your couch put the books under the lamp it is off scale to the towers jmo hugs R love your orange wall in foyer way cool

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  7. Here's my two cents - we move every two years, so here's what I'd do without having to bring in a handyman. The first thing I'd do is to take down the picture from the top of the fireplace. It's too high for the sitting room, and instead of making the room look restful, it's forcing you to want to stand up to look at it. Perhaps hang it behind the TV (not central, but to balance the lamp on the other side of the fireplace. Hang it so that it's easy to look at from a sitting position - the position you will most likely be in in this room.
    Move the gallery hang (behind the TV to the opposite wall, behind the large couch as a feature, and to ground your main sofa. It should also balance out the large dark shape of that gorgeous cupboard in the corner. These two small changes (OK, moving the gallery hang may not be that small - all that measuring and stuff uggh), may make the room feel more balanced and restful.
    My 'go-to' book for arranging furniture is 'Use What You Have Decorating" by Lauri Ward. All the top decorating mistakes and how to fix them. Good luck

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