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Design Dilemma
grainne831

Sitting room Help

grainne831
10 years ago
Hi we have our sitting room almost complete but just not sure how to finish it. Need help with furniture positioning, pictures on wall. Am also thinking about changing the colour to maybe a light shade of grey but am open to suggestions. Room just dosnt seem cosy or homely enough

Any help appreciated
Thanks
G
Featured Answer
  • PRO
    ASVInteriors
    10 years ago
    Can you bring your sofas inwards a bit - pushed back makes it look more like a waiting room, and even though it seems crazy, by bringing them in "floating" you will give the impression of more depth. Please turn your armchair at an angle so that it is not lined up in a row. (You may have to experiment to get this look right).
    Try placing the sofas opposite each other as well (even if you walk into the room and walk around, this is not bad as you immediately see the "frame" of the room)

    I would add side tables or a coffee table so you can place a tray or coffee books to bring in visual interest..
    Also, may I suggest you lower your mirror and try hanging it horizontally as it is too high and draws the eye upward rather than to the mid point of the room.

    If you could get a media cabinet for your TV and fit it in the space behind the fireplace it would look more "finished"

    Comments (22)

    • myfavoriteapp
      10 years ago
      Soft grey would be beautiful. I love your room. The sofa is just right but the rug is a little small. If you want cozy I would go for less contrast.

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    • Sheila Rowan
      10 years ago
      One good rule of thumb is that front legs of the furniture should be on the rug - in this case the rule means that you need a larger rug. The room also seems lacking in pattern, so maybe get a rug with cream, red, brown pattern in it. I hope you can use the red rug somewhere else. A larger picture over the sofa would help the scale also. Put some color on your mantel - red candles, tall brown vase, etc. If the wall across from the fireplace has a loveseat and armchair side by side, I would try pulling the armchair out into the room more. You need a more substantial piece of furniture to house your TV; the current one looks cheap compared to the rest of your nicely appointed room. Each chair should have a nearby table for drinks, books, etc. Look at West Elm for modern coffee and side tables. And finally, something living and green (a big potted plant) would enliven the space and complement all the reds. I think you are off to a beautiful start!
    • mefor
      10 years ago
      If you move the furniture in as ASVInteriors suggests, you can use the existing rug. Unless you are looking to change more than just the paint color. Light grey is very current, not necessarily warmer than what you have, though there are warm greys. Could I suggest a very pale blue for ceiling inset? If you are keeping existing drapes, maybe pull them to the sides and take off the tiebacks. Looks more up to date to let them hang straight down. If not a coffee table, then perhaps an ottoman in a soft or textured fabric to offset the very smooth leather seating.
    • Elizabeth Smith
      10 years ago
      I think you should replace your curtains with something more up to date. Perhaps a navy geometric pattern, and do from ceiling to floor, to make the room look bigger
    • ljs03rgp
      10 years ago
      light cream/tan for the walls with a slight gray hue to it white ceiling and the small band that goes around the ceiling in a darker gray pull your furniture away from the wall and bring closer to the fire place on the end,put a sofa table behind it and a need of new curtains something off white sheer with design in the gray hues love the red and couches r a ok
    • bevballew
      10 years ago
      Agree furniture needs to be pulled in.
    • hellodesign
      10 years ago
      Since it looks like you like the modern aesthetic, I would paint the walls a dark gray with some blue tones and replace the drapes with something more modern and white. Gray/red/white is a great color scheme. I also agree that "floating" the furniture in a conversation area around the fireplace will make it much more cozy.
    • PRO
      What's Inside Design Ltd.
      10 years ago
      Good morning,

      You have a great start here, and I agree with many of the comments above!
      I would suggest:
      1) Adding pattern in additional throw pillows
      2) I would remove the white chair from the room
      3) Bring your personality into the room with the artwork you choose. (Be bold) :)

      Please post after pictures! :)
      Caroline
    • hellodesign
      10 years ago
      This is the type of look I was imagining:
    • PRO
      Carolyn Albert-Kincl, ASID
      10 years ago
      I would remove the small mirror that is between the windows in order to extend the drapery rods wider so that more of your windows are exposed . I'd definitely allow the draperies to hang straight and just brush the floor.

      With your beautiful fireplace, I'd likely place your sofa and loveseat facing each other in front of the fireplace, with a large coffee table between them. I'd move the chair to another room or get a matching chair and move the loveseat out of the room and place the two chairs opposite the sofa.

      The TV would get updated to a wall hung model that I'd place opposite the fireplace, over a media console.
      You need some artwork to hang to left of the fireplace.
      Carolyn Albert-Kincl, ASID
    • PRO
      What's Inside Design Ltd.
      10 years ago
      Here's a quick visual I put together for you. (Insert your own personality!) :)
    • grainne831
      Original Author
      10 years ago
      Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions

      Yes will arrange the furniture closer to the rug and away from the wall but the room isn't that big so wont be able to put in a sofa table behind or even walk behind
      The chair is usually facing inwards but gets pushed back by family when watching tv
      Totally agree that a larger picture above the couch would be better..maybe even one with a bit of colour
      Still like the idea of grey but am afraid that it will result in been cold looking....not brave enough to go with your colour suggestion @hellodesign!
      Would love to have a housing unit for that tv...not sure what type of unit to go for ...built in or stand alone
      The wall behind the two seater and chair is completely bare and would love something for it...not sure about putting tv on it as suggested by @Carolyn Albert-Kincl Design ...this would require a lot of rewiring and would be difficult to watch with the suggested seating layout
      Need to work on my mantle also....I don't have anywhere for my pictures so that's why they are there. Would like something bigger and eyecatching up there with ,as suggested ,a bit of colour
      Definitely need some side tables too
      And I thought I was nearly finished!
    • mefor
      10 years ago
      No one is ever finished really, and if you are ( or you're really close) you come on here to help someone else!!
    • PRO
      Carolyn Albert-Kincl, ASID
      10 years ago
      For your TV, if you have an Ikea near you, they have great looking media consoles at fabulously low prices.
      Once you pull the sofa forward to meet the loveseat, a round end table at the corner where they join would look good as a change from the straight lines. You'll be able to use a table lamp there, and then on the other end, I would put just a floor lamp and no end table. With the sofa and loveseat together, they will be able to share a coffee table.
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    • bevballew
      10 years ago
      What about tv on opposite side of room, couches facing each other and the large chair where the tv is now. Only thing watching tv from couches would require laying down facing tv. Not sure about it but just a thought.
    • PRO
      Carolyn Albert-Kincl, ASID
      10 years ago
      Getting the right size of coffee table to fit a sofa and loveseat that are in an L formation is tricky. You want the table to be 18" in front of both, but centered on the sofa, and you may not find the exact fit, but measure, please, so that you at least come close
    • PRO
      Daniel Dionne Designs llc
      10 years ago
      I second Carolyn's motion to check out IKEA for a media cabinet although I feel you will need something around 30-36" tall with this particular TV. It appears to me that you have two matching loveseats or small sofas. Is this correct? In any scenario, if you want cozy, several have already offered thoughts that will help. First, although ideal, I do not feel that your cocktail table has to center on both upholstered pieces. You could center it on the fireplace and work from there, whether parallel or perpendicular. I agree that the upholstery needs to come forward and that the two large pieces should create an L formation. the chair should go to the left of the fireplace, at an angle. I know: Now it is partially in front of the TV. If the TV is on an appropriately scaled media piece, this allows TV viewing over the chair back from all seats in the room except the chair. At risk of being presumptuous, I would suggest that the TV need not be visible from EVERY seat in the room. Greys are definitely hot right now and I love them, but choose wisely. Greys combined with this intense red and black can plunge you squarely back into the 80's. Consider very warm greys, mocha's or green-greys. When you land your color, paint the walls, out onto the underside of the tray and onto the front facing edge of the tray all the same color. This will enhance the architecture of the tray and unify it as an architectural UNIT, enhancing the volume and dimensionality of this feature. As for the pale blue, I must say, I don't understand that at all in this room. (No offense mforr) Now, add a texture to the highest central section of ceiling. Think, grass cloth, faux finish or just a deeper version of the wall color. I agree with Carolyn that the panels are covering too much of your window and that you should consider losing the tie-backs, which are a bit cutesy. In a perfect world, or if you are up for it, I would replace them with something visually lighter, something with a large open airy pattern. I would make the cocktail table metal and glass or wood and glass and modern, even sculptural. (maybe a Noguchi repro?...) Large scaled art on the long wall, as suggested earlier and some greenery. You have a great foundation on which to build. Good Luck!
    • mefor
      10 years ago
      No offense taken, I assumed she was getting rid of red and lightening up the room.
    • decoenthusiaste
      10 years ago
      You need art over the FP since the mirror is reflecting just walls and ceiling. If the view out the back is nice,you might hang vertically between the windows with a nice chestjust 6" below it.. Loosen the drapery and let if fall freely to the floor. Extend the rods so the panels just cover the window frames. Reverse the large and small sofas, pulling them away from walls and onto the rug, which might need to be turned, or replaced, to be adequate for all the front feet to sit on. Pull the chair into the grouping for a "U" in front of the FP. Add a coffee table and two end tables
    • pcookie
      10 years ago
      Love the plans that are in the works and you're off to a great start already. The color I would suggest is a Sherwin Williams paint color called Loggia. It is a taupe-y gray, but warm and accessible. Very versatile. This layout very is similar to my own. I have a sofa table behind the sofa btw two windows, with a table lamp anchoring one end and a cluster of tall candles on the opposite end with a round decorative mirror between the windows. Good luck!
    • grainne831
      Original Author
      8 years ago
      I have finally gotten round to changing the wall colour but not really happy. It's a lot darker than I was hoping for so now I'm thinking I need to change the curtains as it's all very dark. Anyone any suggestions .... Am thinking ones similar to wall colouring silvery grey?
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