10 yrs and I still can’t get our living room right - HELP PLS
Hi Houzz! I am making my family of six crazy with this living room - dining room and the changes that inevitably happen every four months :) I desperately need some expert opinion on layout - even to give me a plan to fulfill over the next year...be forewarned - this is no easy feat!!!
A bit of history:
Last year, the grandish piano found itself in the dining room 1) because I was sick of everyone dumping their stuff on the table when they got home and 2) to create a music room and 3) to keep food off the couch during weekends. With four kids 17 - 10yrs and only one living space the living space is our family room, game room, Wii room, work out room, homework/ computer rm, and now dining room. Challenges/Questions: 1)
where to put the tv?? This is probably the root of our problem - I don’t like to see the tv but it just seems most practical over the fireplace and I keep avoiding that option - we watch occasionally
2) I love art and books and have some great pieces but few walls without windows
3) no storage in this house!!
4) no freakin entry - seriously ??? That would be a deal breaker in my new wisdomed self!
5) we use the couch for family nights it it is down (constant fluff work) and is just big
6) I would like to move the piano back in and originally had it under the elk as that space is eaten!! But I love it most in the corner on the left side surrounded with windows and enjoying the view while playing
7) the Elk!! Truth be told - I cried when that beautiful beast took an entire corner of our main room as we unfortunately do not have tall enough walls to mount over the fireplace!!! Ugh - I did ask about raising the roof I married a hunter - enough said. We do eat healthy meat.
I tried a bookshelves on the main wall rt of the entry but it was dark and made the room feel small. (My bedroom became the library as it is quite large)The room is heavy on the elk side and especially with the piano under it and could not find a balance except to put something dark on the indent side of the fireplace which also balanced the entry door - the windowed corner always feels unbalanced.
A friend just gave me the new beige leather couch, marble coffee table, side table and shelf that she did not need. With all that being said - pls help me with layout ideas - I can get rid of everything but the elk (but it can move) the walls are hand oiled (outlawed now) and turned out too caramel but it looks nice - can work on color change as well. I like the chocolate in the dining room. Travertine is in the kitchen, and baths. Light beige window moulding also runs throughout the house.
Comments (58K)
DD Deco
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PROFlo Mangan
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Comments (5)You are not an idiot and any feeling you have, you are entitled to have. However, if the feelings are destructive and there is no solution, then you shouldn't hang on to them any longer than you have to. I know it's hard but try to remember that you can't change your mother's husband or what happened. You can only change how you deal with it and by letting it eat you up, you are giving him a level of power over your emotions and life that he doesn't deserve. Focus instead on your mother's life and your interaction with her. I'm sure she knew you loved her and was proud of you. Although it's not easy to face, it's not uncommon for spouses of very ill people to develop other relationships, especially if the illness lasted for years. I'm not making excuses for him and his actions since your mother's death are tacky. But you can hope that while she was alive he treated her well and made sure she was cared for properly. You say he was a louse and she didn't see it but you also said you are just now finding out some of the details of his affair. Maybe he wasn't a louse to your mother. Her things don't matter and his actions don't matter. All that matters are your memories of your mother. Remember what she taught you and how she made you feel. Know that she would want you to be happy and to have a great relationship with your husband. She would want you to feel peace. You'll always miss her, but I don't think any mother would want her daughter to feel such turmoil 2 years after her passing. You are a good daughter for caring so much. If you can't let it go, then try to figure out how you think it should be resolved. What could he give you of your mothers that would make you feel more closure? What could he say or do? If you can figure it out, then it's worth a try to tell him and explain your issues. If there's nothing he could do to change it then you have to figure out what you need to do to move on....See MoreCan't get this room to look right!- Need help. Long!
Comments (51)With all of the built ins, this is actually a MUCH smaller room than it appears to be, and that you are trying to arrange furniture for. And that is why the furniture feels crowded. Crowded, not cozy. The desk and ladder visually blocking the door makes the space feel like there is no room to walk. That may not be correct based on your comments, but it is absolutely the first thing you notice and it sets a tone for the room. The hard lines of the large beautiful desk make the only spot really suited to it in front of the windows. It overwhelms the space if you want comfy seating too because it doesn't leave enough room left over for anything but a small loveseat or oversized chair where you have the desk currently. And the large sofa overwhelms the space if you want it as a more officey area. There isn't room for both functions because of the built ins. You've got to pick one large piece to embody the main purpose here. Either the large desk or a large sofa. Not both. Both don't work with the available floor space. Unless you switch to a small scale writing desk and a smaller scale sofa, and maybe not even then. No extra chair at all. It's already too densely populated. And I agree with the others that the ottoman is visually too bulky and casual for the room. If you choose comfy seating as the room's primary purpose, then I'd choose a sofa that had a matching ottoman to keep the visual clutter at a minimum. All of the different books when they go in will up the noise considerably and you want to try to minimize that effect....See MoreCan't live with my living room...Layout help please?
Comments (12)justgottabme: Yes! excellent plan! The Tv needs to be in that corner next to the fireplace -- either mounted on the wall or sitting on a console or cabinet. Having a cabinet in that spot would anchor that whole corner. And more excellent ideas above too! Love the idea of bookshelves in each of the corners -- perhaps just try basic Ikea Billy shelving -- or other build-it-yourself shelves (try stores like Targer or Walmart)-- just to see if that plan will work for you? Or look for vintage shelving or bookcases on your local Craigs List! Swivel chairs can be found -- check your local Craigs List! But for now -- once you move the TV -- try placing one sofa facing the fireplace -- and another one facing the window -- forming the classic L-shape....See More10 yrs of renos.......ugh!! and still not done
Comments (13)My heart goes out to you. My last house felt like the work would never end and it really took a toll on our family life for several years. I entirely understand how renovations can lead to immense stress and depression. Would it help if you shared your progress here? "Blog" about it through the forums and let us cheer you on! After years and years of reading these forums (though rarely posting until recently), I continue to be amazed at how enthusiastic and supportive people are here. PPs above have given excellent advice for how to get started (whether DIY or with a contractor). Make posting photos and detailing your progress here part of the experience. Lots of people have been in your shoes and survived, or would love to have such a project but never will get the opportunity, we will follow along and keep you motivated!...See More
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