SFGate

Robin Kuppusamy We have a soda separating our eat in kitchen and living room. It's the perfect way to divide the space for us. We can see from either room to the othe without awkward dividing doors.

Robin Kuppusamy *sofa not soda

hmschoolmom One suggestion would be to take the love seat and chair into the fireplace room. Place the love seat across from the fireplace, put the chair to the right of it at a 90 degree angle. Use the table (with the stereo) in between with some sort of lighting. Take the sofa table and place it behind the love seat.

Leave the large sofa in the tv room, and perhaps center the tv on the wall across from it. Find additional chairs to flank the couch.

Ellan Maynard Build a banquet in the bay window and upholster it with comfy cushions. Add some Roman shades to the breakfast/dining nook windows. Pull the table in a bit closer and perhaps add two wicket chairs instead of the straight back chairs to supplement the banquet seating. Get a wicker sofa, old or new, and paint it white adding comfy cushions related to those in the banquet. Have it face the fireplace. Paint the brick on the fireplace white or a cheery bold color. Ditch the overhead light on the fan and use nice lamps on end tables flanking the wicker sofa or loveseat. Aim for sort of a keeping room/sunroom effect in the room using sunny colors and . Instead of the two tables flanking the fireplace, consider simple builtins to create a big of a cottage look- and extend the trim work over the mantel and paint it all a rich creamy white. The room will look pulled together if you improve the fireplace wall.

claudiann How many people watch tv at one time? It looks as if you have seating for seven.Do you need that many seats? If not I would bring the love seat into the fireplace room and have it face the fireplace. It doesn't look like you can see the tv from it anyway. I would put the computer somewhere else. Maybe in the corner where the loves seat is. I would bring the chair into the tv room. I am confused by where the table and hanging light fixture are. And is that a breakfast nook? Could you put some built in seating in it and move the table over toward it? What is next to the tv. I don't see why it is in the corner. Have you thought of painting the brick on the fireplace? There isn't much color. What about painting it the color above the cabinets in the kitchen to tie the spaces in together. Would the console table on the wall fit in back of the loveseat? Then put the half round table that is on the right of the fireplace where the console table is now. For some more color drape a quilt or throw over the loveseat in the red color above the cabinets. I think I would put the rug that is in the dining area somewhere else. I think a round rug would look better with the curved edge of the tile. What about putting the mirror above the fireplace and the large picture that is above the fireplace where the mirror is or above the couch in the other room?I would put a tall plant on one side of the fireplace and the wooden chair now in the tv room in the other corner. Put a patterned pillow on it.

Jayme Hobbs From what I can see, I would put the loveseat facing the fireplace, possibly a chair near wall where the console table is with a smaller table between the loveseat and chair. If enough room, use console table behind loveseat. Leave sofa facing t.v. and put a chair or two with a smaller table between where loveseat was.

mquinn05 Wow, thank you so much for your ideas! This has really helped. I'm going to try them out and see what happens :).

mquinn05 Unfortunately I tried putting the sofa in front of the fireplace and it was a little too bulky, as we use the back entrance quite often when company comes over through the breezeway. I took out the current furniture of the fireplace room and dining area, any suggestions on seating/furniture placement with more of a clean slate?

lousyl What about putting a larger dining table in front of the fireplace? Very cozy for meals, games, visits...and the list goes on! Is there a way to rearrange the furniture in the TV room to make it flow better? Maybe hang the TV on the wall, so it doesn't take up precious floor space?

lousyl ...And maybe make the small eating area in the kitchen a cozy reading nook? A double wide comfy chair and over sized ottoman...or a recliner with a nice side table.

shoopes The area in front of the fireplace seems too cramped to be used as a separate room; especially if the door is used often as an entry. I would remove the shiny white tile and the carpeting in front of the fireplace and replace both with a warm wood floor. Then I would make the whole area a dining area with a big farm table. Built-ins around the fireplace would retain the computer nook function on the left. The right side could be a cabinet/shelving mix. I would also paint the brick.

Jayme Hobbs Did u try to sofa or loveseat in front of the fireplace?

mquinn05 I tried our current loveseat that is in the corner of the living room. I really liked the idea but then our current loveseat was a little too much of a comfy couch than a stylish one you display when someone makes an entrance into your home. For some reason, when we are entertaining, everyone gathers in the kitchen/dining area, where there is almost no seating. My husband and I were kind of trying to focus on maybe getting an idea on additional seating ideas for this weird area? Kitchen island/bar seating maybe? If I had a table in the fireplace area, what would I do with all the tile space? Ahhhh! This is so frustrating!

hmschoolmom I really like the love seat in front of the fireplace like a few of us suggested. That looks great. I think the idea shared above of replacing the carpet and tile with wood is clever. That would create a cohesive room which would allow for even more flexibility. You could move the love seat closer or further from the fireplace and allow an area rug to define how much space is being claimed. The idea of creating a banquette in the bay window was also wonderful.

athtex Hmmm... Definitely need to think about putting down same flooring in entire area- wood floors, or look-alike would be great! I actually like turning fireplace area into "gathering room" by getting, or making, a big table- use upholstered chairs, maybe a bench- Think about making "nook" in kitchen into seating area with overstuffed chair(s) & ottoman- Built-ins on fireplace wall are great idea, & you might consider painting walls below chair rail same color as living room. I would flip living room- place couch on opposite wall, (consider getting rid of either couch or love seat & adding another chair), & hang TV on wall where couch is now. Have fun!

Jayme Hobbs An area rug under a dining table in the fireplace room would also be an option if you choose to make it a dining room. I think the loveseat and table there looks a lot better than previous. I would remove the stuff on either side of the fireplace too. Built ins are nice, but could find some pre-built units to go there too. With the love seat where it is now, could still put some chairs in the room for more seating.

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I think you have to consider the main purpose of this room. Sounds to me that you use this room to receive guests- therefore you will need seating and places for coats etc.

Welcome Home designs You also mention that you entertain often. I would take away the items flanking the fireplace and add seating

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Welcome Home designs I would make the nook in your dining area into your workspace. That way your computer is out of sight and you have extra seating for coffee chats.

Welcome Home designs I would make the nook in your dining area into your workspace. That way your computer is out of sight and you have extra seating for coffee chats.

Welcome Home designs Oops.