SFGate

Cynthia Taylor-Luce crose, do you have a budget that would allow you to hire an interior decorator to create a plan for you? When you move into a new home it can be overwhelming to make all the choices, and often people buy things that they later regret. I recommend you at least consider getting some professional assistance. That's the easiest way to get people saying "wow"!

Cynthia

crose1313 Thank you Cynthia, but I do not have that budget at this time due to the loss of my job this past November. I am trying to do it myself, but better than before at my old house. I would love to hire someone because boy it is overwhelming, but I am going to keep trying the best I can with this room. Again, thank you so much Cynthia!!

Cynthia Taylor-Luce So sorry to hear that. How stressful for you. I'm not sure what we can do for you here, unfortunately, if there's no budget for buying furniture and accessories. I admire your tenacity, and I hope that you will soon get an even better job. Best wishes for your future, crose.

deborahfw go to salvation army, resale shops, you can find great pieces these days for very little money! paint would make a big difference too !

deborahfw i would also pull the furniture away from the wall closer to tv / fireplace and put the two fold up chairs on either side of fireplace for starters !

ossiander for starters I would get everything out of that room. start with your couch and play around with the arangements. Bring the the Couch towards the center facing the front of the fireplace and and put the TV at an angel left of the fireplace. have it so you can walk behind the couch the couch maybe put a table behind so you can add a lamp. Try Angling your couch TV Opposite angel. Invite a girlfriend over and a bottle of wine and have fun. Tackle one room at a time. Also many Stores like Crate and Barrel will come out and do a design consult for free. They will help you anyway they can hoping to get your business. Good luck.

loriyreed I am on a very right budget like you but!!! I have found great ideas for decorating by looking at rooms on this site! I spend hours looking and saving pictures to my computer- I have a lot of great ideas just from this site!
I also have shopped yard sales, thrift stores, and surprisingly- Kirklands.com has awesome sales and clearance. Go to the library and look thru the decorating magazines and get ideas.
Good luck :)

remillardfamilythree I agree with ossiander. Pull the couch and chair away from the wall to the center (including the table in the corner of the layout.) Position the rug to accent that new area. This will create a cozy seating area including the fire place and TV. You could keep the TV on the current wall or in the corner to the left of the fireplace... it's hard to tell the dimesions of the room. See what you like better. Use the two matching chairs (metal frames) in the corner that the couch in currently in, creating a separate seating area in that back corner, maybe using the trunk between them and some lighting? Or pull another small table from another room. That's a great way to revive a room...pull from other areas of the house. And it's free!! Good luck!

lorna1215 I think less is better if things don't go ..remove them,if you can paint a great color on the walls ..that can pop a room. Also paint dated clock ,picture frames and lamps black,you can rub silver foil or another color lightly on raised areas of the frames etc. The one piece that was good is the wicker trunk use it as an anchor piece maybe buy a piece of plastic or glass to put on top. If you can't get nice curtain,have none.just blinds for now,or toppers hung high to give a nice frame to windows. The sofa may look good in front of window .. Think about painting a furniture piece you may have to put the tv on..plants are good I love ferns they can improve any space..I think if you ask a friend who's taste you like they can maybe help too, just arranging things together helps ..don't worry about filling or lining wall space. I think you can do it!

prettydog I like your floor and windows. This seems like a nice room. One of the problems I see is that the size of the fireplace and the size of the tv with the shelves underneath are the same size. And the clock over the fireplace looks like it's the same size as the round mirror(?) over the tv. Unless you want the tv and it's components on that wall so you can see it from the dining room, maybe the tv could go on the wall opposite the fireplace, where the sofa and chair are now? Or on the wall opposite where it is now? I love those windows and they seem like they want something really interesting there. Could you put a table there with some pretty glass to catch the light from the windows? And you might think about dying your curtains or remove them altogether and hang plants there. I love the idea of borrowing from the rest of your house. Use your own house as a store you can "shop" from. Also, I'd move that cute little chair with the doll on it over by the fireplace, set at an angle with one leg on the white part on the floor...and the little stool too. One thing that has really helped me in decorating my house is to try to tell a story with things I arrange from the juxtaposition of my furniture to what ever I have on my tables. On one of my tables I have three very smooth stones, large medium small...I found them outside. I find odd numbers interesting to the eye. Remember you don't have to have everything against the walls. The two armless chairs might look nice sitting side by side opposite the sofa perpendicular to the fireplace or even the tv. putting the table in between then leave the leather chair where it is now but create a reading nook there. Put the lamp there too. Have fun with it. Good Luck to you.

crose1313 Hello Everyone, I have just read all of your wonderful and definitely helpful ideas. I am going to work with the room starting with some of the ideas you have given me. I am going to try to update pictures to show the different ideas. THANK YOU again for all the support and ideas!!

Jean Tuck Guess my opinion could be to arrange tv in corner where plant is,couch here tv is in second picture and chair on the other all across from tv. Nothing ever to close to doorays for ease of access for me, I have a mobility issue.Im not in favor of putting anything in front of indows that closes of vie or opening of drapes.

blindsdirectcanada Shutters would look amazing in those windows.

http://www.blindsdirectcanada.com/shutters-toronto.html

crose1313 Hello Everyone, I have just tried some of your ideas. So, I wanted to show you what it looks like now. I am attaching the updated photos, and sorry they may not be the best photos. Also, all opinions are welcomed. I need as many ideas as possible because you guys are great with your decorating ideas. Thank you so very much.

chiaty This second set of photos is a great improvement! I would maybe move that big leather chair perpendicular to the couch so the person sitting there doesn't feel like they are being punished in the corner. Maybe in front of the opening to the dining room, if there's room? Play with the placement of the couch so that the big chair can be accommodated. It would be nice to have a console table behind the couch too. In place of the big chair, you could put a couple of bookshelves or maybe a tall plant.

prettydog Does the new arrangement feel comfortable to you? I think it looks really good. So you can enjoy the fireplace while watching the Superbowl too!

prettydog I love the color red. I think I might put the red pillows on the gray chairs to add a bit of pop back there or even stack them on the floor. And I think I'd sort of drape the throw that's on the sofa so it looks like you just got up to answer the door and it landed kind of draped over a corner of the sofa.