Wednesdays remain about you, our readers. We’d love to share your contributions here – do you have a rant or rave to share about home decorating? How about a short cut or tip, a favorite resource, or a dilemma that seems insurmountable? Go ahead, try your hand at writing a mini-article to share your thoughts…..we’d love to hear from you.
Struggling with Furniture Placement Issues
A recent request for help came from Jenny H. who has a very long narrow living room. She wrote: “My living room is 12′ wide by 24′ long and has 2 doorways on one wall with windows on the opposite long wall. I have one uninterrupted wall and a small window on the opposite short wall. My sofa is currently on the uninterrupted wall and I can’t figure out how to float it in the room without blocking entrances. Any tips for furniture placement or color would be appreciated.”
Jenny's living room
The doorways are on the wall between the sofa and chair, opposite the 2 windows. She has since repainted the room a lime green then again to a warm golden color.
Jenny, it seems the golden color would be a good fit to work with the dark furniture as well as pick up the golden tones in your flooring. There are a couple of ways you can “square up” the room and reduce the bowling alley feel. Since your furniture is a little overscaled, it doesn’t seem like you have room to use the diagonal, to move the sofa away from the wall, put something behind it like a sofa table or bookcases. That will push it away from the wall and shrink the length of the room. Leave 12-18″ between the sofa and bookcases so that would move the back of the sofa 2-3′ into the room.
Another way to reduce the bowling alley feeling would be to get a square or round area rug to help define the seating area. Don’t get a stripe pattern (unless it goes crosswise to the room, not lengthwise). Paint the wall behind the TV a shade darker than the other walls to visually bring it “into” the room, feeling closer to the seating area. With all your openings in the walls, it’s difficult to add another chair and I’d be cautious about adding a large ottoman which would fill up all the center space. Is there room for a console table along one of the wall segments? They are generally 4-5′ long and you could slide a couple of smaller ottomans under the table and bring them out when needed. Plus a console or chest would help break up all the tall doorways by introducing a variance in height.
Reader Ideas?
How would you suggest Jenny solve her dilemma? Do you have a way that you’ve handled a long narrow room that you feel has worked successfully? Here’s the place to share your design tips so Jenny can maximize her space. Also, do you have any suggestions on color combinations or ways for her to use color to enjoy her space more? Jenny obviously isn’t afraid to try new paint colors – what would you suggest in this room?
We look forward to hearing your suggestions – and I’m sure Jenny appreciates any time and ideas you want to share!
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I had a similar living room at our last home. One thought is to turn the chair toward the couch. Add another chair of similar size and put the round table in between the 2 chairs and make a conversation area. Add a rug to pull the chairs/couch together. On the wall opposite the maroon wall – in between the chairs/couch – hang the television – so it will be a tv area and a conversation area. In the back by the window, if the room is deep enough, add two tall bookcases – which could flank a window seat you mentioned in your post. So, then you would have a reading/library area and a conversation/tv area. If there is not enough room for the bookcases, then some matching shelves on each wall would be nice.
I sent this dilemma. Since my first question to Terrie, I have thought about putting the sofa where you see the lamp on the black table at an angle so it faces the large picture window that is cut off in the picture.
In the corner where the TV is, I would like to place the chair somehow so it’s arm is near the arm of the couch, somewhat making a L (upside down L) shape.
On the maroon wall, to the left of the curtain, I wanted to hang the flat screen on a swivel mount.
I loved YDH’s post about a window seat. So, I want to place a cubby bench in front of the window. And on each side of the picture window, where there are about 30″ inch walls, matching book shelves on each side, one being under the TV on the wall.
Behind the couch in this picture is a long wall, to the left of the wall is an entry way to the hall and on the right of the wall is the front door (which we RARELY use) I thought about placing a large bookshelf, a vase with a plant on one side and a coat rack on the other closest to the door.
In the picture, to the right of the couch is the 30″ wall, where i want a short book shelf, that is between the pic window and front door. I thought about angling the laptop desk I have to view the pic window. Hence using all my floor space.
I know i am babbling…. but I keep getting new ideas every time i read a new YDH post.
Currently my living room is a golden yellow and my curtains on the large window are a wine red.
Hello Everyone!
I used a large mirror on my long wall which makes the room look wider than it is. If you chose to go with the couch up against the long wall and place a table behind it, as Terry said, maybe a mirror above the table would give your narrow room width?