TV, couches, bay window and fireplace. How can they all fit nicely?
Richard Trafford
10 years ago
I'm in the process of renovating my first home.
I'm at the point of wiring the power and television sockets in the living room and so need to seriously consider where everything will be.
I am struggling with making a decision and could do with advice....
The room is small approx 3.4m x 3.6m plus a bay window and fireplace.
One option would be to have just one couch, located in the bay window, and have the TV against the longest wall opposite. Or vice-versa.
This would be fine for my girlfriend and i, but guests would effectively never be able to use the room. And if kids come along...
I do have another living space in the open plan, so it wouldn't be the end of the world. But it would be a shame not to be able to share the lovely log burner that will eventually be fitted.
The next option would be to have 2 couches. 1 in the bay window, 1 in against the opposite wall, and a TV above the fireplace.
I know all the cons with having a TV above the fireplace. I don't think it's ideal, and i would much prefer a nice piece of art above the fire, but I think it offers a practical solution.
A TV in one of the alcoves is the least favourable option. It would be fine for people sitting on one couch, but not the other.
What are your thoughts?
I'm at the point of wiring the power and television sockets in the living room and so need to seriously consider where everything will be.
I am struggling with making a decision and could do with advice....
The room is small approx 3.4m x 3.6m plus a bay window and fireplace.
One option would be to have just one couch, located in the bay window, and have the TV against the longest wall opposite. Or vice-versa.
This would be fine for my girlfriend and i, but guests would effectively never be able to use the room. And if kids come along...
I do have another living space in the open plan, so it wouldn't be the end of the world. But it would be a shame not to be able to share the lovely log burner that will eventually be fitted.
The next option would be to have 2 couches. 1 in the bay window, 1 in against the opposite wall, and a TV above the fireplace.
I know all the cons with having a TV above the fireplace. I don't think it's ideal, and i would much prefer a nice piece of art above the fire, but I think it offers a practical solution.
A TV in one of the alcoves is the least favourable option. It would be fine for people sitting on one couch, but not the other.
What are your thoughts?
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Comments (6)
Shauna Cowley Filtz
10 years ago
sunnydrew
10 years agoRelated Discussions
Views, Fireplace and TV layout help !
Comments (5)Great comments thanks. Interesting to consider breaking the area up. So far we'd been focussed on as open plan as possible with quite a contemporary 'free hanging' type woodburner Fire. But maybe we could utilise the old timber chimney to create a separation between The dining and living areas open on all four sides. I've attached a picture of it (actually there are two there right now, bit tricky to see in the photo but hope you get the idea. This 'barn level' is what will become the floor of the plan you're considering). I like this idea of using this, could make a great centrepiece and use some of the existing traditional building materials which we'd like to maximise but probably it makes my layout dilemma even harder as when facing the fireplace (which would have to be further left than on the plan I guess) we'd be facing completely away from the view and probably TV. Mmm more thinking needed but nice idea. Maybe the 'mobile' TV stand idea could help this. The other slight consideration is that one day the place may be rented to a chalet holiday company so the dining and sitting spaces have to have enough room to seat 12-14. Meaning we can't break it up too much. All views very welcome. Would love to hear your thoughts. Many thanks. Richard....See MoreTired 3 bed 1900's terrace. How can I make the exterior look nice?
Comments (18)Hi I’m also a developer/PRL, and the best price of advice I was given when I was starting out was to remember that on low to mid range profit projects (if not all projects) controlling your spending is the most important thing to remember, and every £ you spend is a £ less profit. I too hate uPVC windows and would not have them on my own home, but many people do like them and see them as a positive when it comes to buying/selling – just look at the houses either side of your house, and I assume along the whole of the street; people do like them! With my developer head on I would suggest that you try to work with what you already have - clean the uPVC frames inside and out with a solvent based professional cleaner, these really shift dirt and marks, and to a certain extent make scratches less noticeable as it removes the ingrained dirt. Replace the interior handles – new ones can be found online at around £1.99 each if you bulk buy. Replace any worn seals with a new universal fitting seal (approx £16 for 20m). If any of the windows are blown/misted, look at replacing the sealed glazed unit instead of the whole window, again the sealed units can be found quite cheaply online. With regards to your porch, it looks like it is integrated with the front window, so removing it would be a time consuming and costly job, so I would leave it as is and possibly look at just replacing the outer door, ideally one with a glazed panel to give a bit more light. I know you said you don't like uPVC doors, however, composite doors are more expensive. As you won't be living there does it really matter if you install a white uPVC door, as long it is the most tasteful and least offensive one you can find. An alternative would be to install fully glazed French doors with both sides opening, which would possibly mean that the doors can open inwards. All of these can be bought online and be fitted yourself – however, you will need to check if you will require a FENSA certificate issuing for the work, otherwise this could cause issues when you come to sell. I wouldn't advise painting the uPVC, as it is really difficult to obtain a good finish, and nothing looks worse than poorly finished paintwork either inside or outside. As others have said, remove the nets, put up some nice curtains (these can be removed and reused on other projects), don't worry regarding privacy, as again you will not be living there, and it will allow more light into the room. If the privacy angle does bother you, you can always put a plain white voile (costs around £2 per m, and a couple of £ for the rod) up at the window with little or no fullness, which gives a more modern, less fussy finish. I would move the dustbins to the rear of the property, and put a couple of large pots in the front garden – I tend to use Olive trees as they can be shaped and don't mind too much if they aren't watered regularly – these can also be removed and used on other projects. Hope this helps – and good luck for the future!...See MoreHow to dress bow/bay window with Curtains and Blinds
Comments (9)Shutters are a classic, timeless look that goes well with various interiors. I found a few client photos with windows similar to yours. We had another client who opted for a boxed pelmet with pinch pleate curtains which could work with your window. It creates a very clean and elegnt look. Plus voiles for extra privacy but still allows light in. Similar but with a voile curtain To save on costs you can forgo the pelemt box, pinch pleats or eyelets look stylish as is....See MoreHelp with tiny open plan with bay window
Comments (12)Wow @rinked! Thank you very very much for taking the time to shaffle the furnitures around for me. That's great!!! :) Really really appreciate it!! I do hope I won't lose the cosy feeling of the living room to be honest but I really feel I lack space to move around right now. From time to time, we also use the place to host any guests over with an airbed or use it to put laundry to dry so space is really vital to us. The sofa is actually orange, see photo below, and I don't really like the colour so I was thinking to buy a sofa cover to dress it up. I have heard designers advise to use light colours for the couch so not sure if I should pick a beige or a light pattern like the ones below. And I was also thinking of a rug as well so I guess the best thing is to first buy the sofa cover and then move to the rug to match everything. You can find the pictures of the different cupboards below: I do know and understand that this is far from ideal... But when I bought everything I was just in a hurry to do so since we didn't have ANY storage within the place. I do want to repaint them at some point but not sure this can be done within the house and we don't have a garden or so. Looking forward to your answers people!!! Your help is valuable and greatly appreciated!!! Really praise google for finding you!!! :D...See MoreRichard Trafford
10 years ago
decoenthusiaste
10 years agolast modified: 10 years agoRad in the bay to knock off the chill. Put a nice cover on it. Perhaps a built-in settee like one of these that are vented for the rad. If not seating, then put a nice game table and chairs there for entertaining and family time. One sofa and two chairs (all small apartment size) will be most flexible for arranging and rearranging. You've only shown us 2 walls, so hard to advise much more. Comment and use the AI button to add more pix.
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