Need serious help with Living Room plan!

7 years ago

Hi all, I've recently moved into a new house that needs some serious work doing to it in terms of layout and design! Any help with how I could design and utilise the space would be greatly appreciated as I'm seriously stuck! I want it to be a standard living room with TV, sofa some chairs etc. Please help!!

The front door opens into the living room with the stairs facing (on the other side of the room) There is a large bricked area with a redundant fire in and quite a bit of space under the stairs.

let me know if you need any more information :)

(Sorry about the mess, we've just moved in!)

Featured Answer

Carolina

7 years ago

Hi,

It's a challenge, that's for sure. Would it be an option to remove the door into, what I think must be, the kitchen? Here's what I would try to do: I used this sofa and these chairs to give you an idea of the sizes of the furniture that's in the floorplan. They are not too large and have visible legs, so you can see under them, which gives a more spacious feel.

I would remove the little structure/cabinet that's next to the front door, to open the room up a bit more. Mount the TV on the fireplace wall (assuming that you have to keep it, at least for now). And I think that you could have a shallow cabinet on the first stairs landing (I don't know the technical term, I'm not English) for shoes and 'stuff'.

A storage bench in the bay window would be a practical addition too.

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Comments (21)

PRO
User
7 years ago
Have you got an actual plan of the room including dimensions? It's a lot easier than pics, although pictures are helpful too.
A B
7 years ago
Yes definitely need a floor plan with this room! Also does the fireplace and all that brick work need to stay?
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fayebartfaye
Original Author
7 years ago
Apologies!! that would be helpful wouldn't it!! lol.

i'm unsure about the fireplace, I need to get someone in to take a look. There is an external chimney so not sure if we would need to keep some kind of fireplace for the structure?
A B
7 years ago
Ok I thought there were funny angles but I think that's just the camera. I'd remove all that fireplace and put a corner sofa there. I'd have a coffee table and rug there too to zone that area. I'd put a storage unit with tv on under the stairs. I'd have a little chest of drawers or console table with maybe a large vase of flowers in the bay window to draw attention to it. I'd also try and squeeze in a little bit of shoe and coat storage by the front door if possible
fayebartfaye
Original Author
7 years ago
Thank you so much Jen! I love the sound of that idea, we have really struggled to imagine how we're going to make it all work because of the nature of the space. We are desperate to get the fireplace knocked out to give us more options! We have drawn it out and will definitely consider that layout :)
PRO
User
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
There are two different ages of brickwork on that Chimney stack, neither of which seem quite old enough or the right dimensions for what would have been there originally. I suspect that there may be even older brickwork further back, behind it, and that at some point it's been extended slightly in to the room. The fact that it's across the corner is going to cause problems, as i suspect there must be another fireplace in the room upstairs and that will need supporting before you can remove the one underneath, as it is almost certainly structural.

It would extremely rare if it wasn't. |t doesn't mean it can't be removed, but it requires submissions to building control at the council and a knowledgeable builder - I suspect it would cost you around £2000 tops.

If you can't afford to remove the Chimney stack, then the only other option is to block it up, plaster over it and use it as another wall on which to have furniture.

A sofa facing the stairs is a good idea. You would probably have enough room on the 'fireplace' wall to put a good size snuggle chair, and then maybe another armchair facing the stairs.

Alternatively, you could look in to amending the Chimney stack to incorporate a space for the T.V and use what looks like a decent space under the stairs for a small sofa to face it.
fayebartfaye
Original Author
7 years ago
Thank you very much for your advice!!

There is indeed a fireplace above in the upstairs room. I think due to the cost we may just board over the existing fireplace behind.

Am I right in thinking that this strange little corner wall of the fireplace would not be structural (due to its strange angle). I'm very tempted to start piecing it apart to see whats behind but don't want to run the risk of pulling a wall down!! lol

Thank you so much for taking the time to get back to me with this :)
PRO
User
7 years ago
No, the whole thing will probably be structural as it's not abnormal to have corner fire places. There are 6 cottages in our road with them! Is there one in the room beyond going the other way? Can you post a pic of the outside??
fayebartfaye
Original Author
7 years ago
oh wow really, lucky I didn't start picking the wall apart then!! The wall behind is a normal wall, nothing cornered off! I have attached a picture of the other side of the wall (the outside wall)
Thanks again :)
PRO
User
7 years ago
I was a little confused when you said there was an external chimney - ( that's one that runs up the side of the house - not just the stack on top) The one you have is an Internal Chimney with the stack on top. Therefore, that is definitely an internal structure, so would need bracing as afore mentioned due to the other fireplace upstairs. I know it's a pain, due to the size and shape of the room, but such is life.

Carolins plan is exactly what i had in mind. Then i had a bit of a further play - as i do!

I thought, why not embrace the quirky layout?

Put a whole big cupboard under the stairs for storage

( shoes - coats - broom - mop? )

Leave the space at the end of the stairs for a big old standard lamp.

Get a corner sofa, but turn & face it to the fireplace. T.V on the Fireplace ( seems such a shame to rip out a period feature - you can always render and paint it, open it up - would look lovely!

Stick a chest under the window.

etc

Not adding the cupboard seems a waste of space, especially when you need good storage in most houses. Yes you could put the sofa under the stairs, but i think the cupboard makes it look a lot nicer - you can even extend it to take up the whole wall - masses of storage then. I think the room can take it, it's plenty big enough.

It just looks dark and dingy, Once it's painted and the fireplace rendered and painted too, it will look a lot larger!
fayebartfaye
Original Author
7 years ago
Sorry for the late reply. Thank you for all the different designs!! It has definitely given us some food for though :).

I'm happy to keep the fireplace, I'm just hoping the ugly brick boxing off the corner can be removed (hopefully revealing a beautiful old fire!!).

We have recently had someone in to remove the gas fire so hopefully we can get a structural engineer in pretty soon to give us an idea of what we're working with!

I think we are definitely going to have a large cupboard boxing off under the stairs and will more than likely have the TV over the fire. I just hope we can get rid of some of this brick!!
fayebartfaye
Original Author
7 years ago
Also thank you Carolins, we are now looking into shallow cabinets for the bottom of the stairs! :)
Carolina
7 years ago
Hope you'll find a gem under the brick :-)
PRO
Phipps Building Ltd
7 years ago
Sunnyside Project · More Info

How about this idea ?
fayebartfaye
Original Author
7 years ago
Oh wow, I love that! that could work very well. Maybe with a little cupboard on the end to store the vacuum etc. Thanks so much !
fayebartfaye
Original Author
7 years ago
Ps. As a builder, would you think the bricked fireplace would be structural? I've done another post on it. i'm desperate to piece it apart myself but am scared incase I bring the ceiling down!! :)
PRO
Phipps Building Ltd
7 years ago
You ve removed the gas fire. can we have a pic of what it looks like in side.

The chimney on the roof looks like a long rectangle so presumably some one has turned the fire place to face the room in the living room.? is it the same angle in the room above. ? there does seem to look like it is structural but not at that angle but to change it back to a corner fire place would be a mistake, you will need a guy from a fire place shop to tell you what type of fire you could have depending on the flue size. then either go for a build in off the ground modern look or an open hearth with a log burner in it. or whatever style your going for ?
fayebartfaye
Original Author
7 years ago
I've attached the pics of where the gas fire was and the fireplace in the room above :)
fayebartfaye
Original Author
7 years ago
I see what you mean, if it where to look like the room above it would be stuck in the corner !
PRO
Phipps Building Ltd
7 years ago
So no Gem in there then.!

Your next issue is what design ? What Is the flue size ? and is the flue safe for which ever design you go for ? Your local fire place shop supplier should be able to give you suggestions.

Terry