Off centre fireplace and awkward entry door
We recently moved into a beautiful old tenement with amazing high ceilings and an old fireplace.
However, the fireplace is off-centre, the door is at the back and side of the room and there is a long radiator on that wall. The previous owner had electronics fitted to mount the TV on the fireplace which perhaps limits the possibility of moving the sofa away from the wall.
We would be willing to replace one or both sofas we have as they have seen better days but have used them as a starter set until we could make informed choices. Advice on possible arrangements would be incredibly helpful.
I have always wanted a full wall of books so we have bookshelves to go on the wall behind the floral sofa though that could be changed if people have other ideas. Also we then probably wouldn't want a full sofa there so we could access those shelves?
The issue is balancing the room and keeping pathways clear while also being comfy.
Any and all advice appreciated. Again, the pictures may not give the best indication but hopefully someone has an idea out there. Thanks!
Comments (15)
cheddarmum
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Lounge diner with awkward door position
Comments (2)Does anyone actually play the piano? If not move it out of the room. If yes can you move it to the "awkward space"behind the "awkward door", I hope it wont hinder access to the 2 light switches in that corner. Can the door near the armchair be made to open outwards instead of inwards into the living room? If yes then move the piano to that area instead repacing the armchair. Once piano is out of the way try and see if dining table can be rotate to fit in that space, if so you will have gained some space in the living area. Get rid of the fireplace and mirror and wall-mount the TV in that position. Will allow TV to be seen from seating position and minimise glare or backlight in case you open the windows in the dining area or in the sitting area. If you placed the piano in the armcahir's place you can keep the current sofa and its configuration. Move armchair to current TV console position. This will create a centre area for kids. It would appear to me your kids are quite young. You might consider investing in a thick heavy rug to place in the central place area. For side tables i would suggest nesed sidetables which you can keep in one area and remove and use as an when needed. (inserting an image later) If you moved the piano in the awkward space. I would suggest investing in a new slimer sofa or instead in a series of discrete seperate armscahirs whcih can be moved about easily. Oh and too maximise space i would have gotten rid of the table based lighting and preferred wall mounted ones. Similarly wall fixed shelves rather than tables, especially with babies to avoid the risk of things being pulled over. (one of the other reason i would suggest wall mounting the TV rather than getting another console)....See MorePlease help! Long, awkward shaped living room, not sure what to do!
Comments (8)Hello Heidi, Firstly it's a great room and lots of potential here. You could paint the feature wall with the fireplace a slightly darker shade of something that compliments the sofas.. In this way you instantly create a focus for the room and the fireplace does just that. I'd like to suggest that you place the sofa in line with the fireplace. Then 1 armchair I would angle to the left of the fireplace if you're looking at it. The book case is a reach away when wanting to read but I'd turn it round to frame the doors.. It might be a nice idea to actually move the other bookcase over to place on the other side... ie where the chest of drawers is.. So they both frame the doors... Paint the mirror frame and hang this... Keep some space free on the mantle as this gives the fire room to become a bit more expansive... Why not place the chest of drawers to the left of the fireplace behind the armchair... You can house toys and things here. It's both elegant and a good way to frame the fireplace as you don't have a chimney breast.. On the other find a low side table or a low cabinet.. You could house the television on this pretty much as it is currently.. Keep drinks in the cabinet or something, so they have functions and multiple uses.. Differing heights adds to interest here and it could be good to hang that 1 picture on the rear of the sofa wall with the others... Then there is a bit of room for the little one's to play as you can place the little white table and chairs near the window where it's warm with the rad. Find a nice lampshade for the central light and then place the table lamp close to the sofa.. possibly one with the armchair.. So you have pools of light in different areas and the room is ambient. You may find you do without the central light all together.. So really the key here is that I don't think you need to buy anything else and indeed I feel it would spoil the flow to add more seating.... Scatter the cushions so they are fewer, one or two at 1 end and 1 or two on the armchair.... maybe make a seating pile for the little ones with any left over.. : ))...See MoreOff-centre doors onto garden? Weird?
Comments (7)Our units will be all along that left side wall with utility cupboard at end. No units at all on any of the walks on the left side. We also have all the space under the stairs for storage/pantry/fridge-freezer (?) Currently the stairs are open and we can stand under them, we plan integrated units under stairs. Also considering an island, parallel to the left side run if units. Now to try a layout! MATH -how did you do up those sketches so quickly?...See MoreOff centre fireplace
Comments (4)Hi, I don’t see a problem with the fireplace not being central to a sofa. Looks like a lovely room. Could you post more photos, so we can get a better idea of the entire room? A sketch with dimensions and location of doors and windows would be useful too....See More
minnie101
7 years agoHi. It's a beautiful room. How deep are the shelves? Are they to fit wall to wall? I've found a pic showing shelves adjacent to a fire with a similar gap between fire and shelves. Ideally I would have them wall to wall and take them over the top of the door. Again if possible I'd move the tv here and fit it on a swing arm bracket and paint the back of the shelves a dark colour so the tv blends in. In terms of layout I would have the sofa where the brown one is but In a lighter colour so it's not quite as dominant. Add an upholstered footstool in front for extra seating (a glass table would work better but consider if you need extra seating). You could also add a slim side table on the rhs of the sofa for a lamp. You could have an accent chair on either the left or right side of the fire facing the sofa. Zone the seating area with a rug something close in tone to the floor or it could make the room feel smaller. Add a large mirror over the fire. If the tv needs to stay here you could add a much larger mirror behind the sofa, floor standing would be good, but bear in mind it would reflect the tv and you may need to change the radiator! I like the table in the bay, perhaps move the flowers here and consider painting the chairs lighter, in the future clear chairs may be good, ghost etc as they don't visually fill a space. IF you can I'd find another home for the furniture in front of the recessed cabinet.
amiduncan73
7 years ago
Stephen Edwards
7 years agominnie101
7 years ago
Carolina
7 years agoCarolina
7 years agoCarolina
7 years agoamiduncan73
7 years agoStill want to get these sofas replaced and need to tidy up a bit but I'm definitely feeling like I have made some progress.
denise7125
7 years agoCarolina
7 years agominnie101
7 years agoCarolina
7 years ago
PROFeature Radiators
7 years agoChanging to a vertical radiator should help a lot. It will free up wall space for the sofa and look much better. I would recommend a steel column radiator like our Classic as pictured. Give us a call on 01274 567789 if you need a help sizing up.
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