San Francisco Bay Area - How do I arrange furniture in my new dining/living room?

by amyfields81

How do I arrange furniture in my new dining/living room?

Help! We are moving into our new home in just a few weeks and I'm not too sure what to do about furniture layout in our combo living/dining room. It is a rectangular shaped space with a fireplace. We have a leather sectional and a dining room table. I had envisioned placing the sectional facing the fireplace and placing the TV on top of the fireplace mantel to create one common focal point. Unfortunately, there isn't the proper electrical outlets for the TV to be placed upon the mantel without seeing cords all over. (Cord Clutter = yuck). So, I was thinking of putting the dining room table in front of the fireplace and putting the TV on the opposite wall where I can hide the cables/wires in a media console. Can I "flip" the lay out?? Will it look OK? (Attached is a photo of the space facing the fireplace as well as a photo of the kitchen which is beside this room). THANK YOU!

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CMR Interiors & Design Consultations Inc. Why don't you measure the room and post them?

3 months ago · Like

amyfields81 The dimensions of the living/dining room are: 10'6" x 23'

3 months ago · Like

cousinsmj What color is your sectional? Anyway you could add a little color to beautiful ceiling? You can have a cabinet with a flase back built over the fireplace to hide the ugly stuff. Post some pics of your furniture and any other elements you have to work with. You house looks lovely!

3 months ago · Like

loubelou Congratulations on your new home! Can you take more pictures of the room?

3 months ago · Like

amyfields81 Photos of Black Leather Sectional + Oval Shaped Dining Table painted white (chairs have grey striped fabric) attached. Ignore the space - these photos were our previous home.

3 months ago · Like

amyfields81 I can't take more photos of the room, unfortunately :( We don't get the keys until the end of the month. I was looking through my photos and I for some reason I didn't take very many photos of that particular room and I'm really regretting that :( All that i seem to have are closer images of the fireplace. :( Attached are 2 more photos that I found looking into the room.

3 months ago · Like

amyfields81 Floor plan:
http://www.monarchgroup.net/Community/SFViewerPrint.aspx?CommunityPlanID=3556

3 months ago · Like

lindsyjo I had a similar floor plan in my former home. If the room is wide enough, it is great to utilize your furniture to define the space by placing the sofa and loveseat (or sectional) in an L shape to divide the dining and living areas. Since the color of your beautiful new home is not yet evident, I would suggest using splashes of color in your accessories to add a little interest.

3 months ago · Like

amyfields81 Dividing the space by using the sectional is definitely our plan. Do you think it will work to have the fireplace in the dining room area? The wall colour is grey and the hardwood is a medium-dark colour. Aside from the white dining table and the black leather couch, we have no accent colour(s) - do you have any suggestions to add some interest? :)

3 months ago · Like

rockbrookway we have the same set up with the fireplace on the far wall (ours will be stacked stone, though) and we are making 2 focal points. it looks like your room has enough size, also. we are putting our entertainment center on the wall to the right of the fireplace and orienting most of the seating facing that (a large sofa head on and a love seat adjacent. in front of the fireplace you could put 2 comfortable chairs to add more seating (if space allows). we are using swivel chairs so you can orient them towards the tv or the fireplace.

3 months ago · Like

amyfields81 Sounds lovely rockbrookway! Do you have photos?

3 months ago · Like

lindsyjo Amy, I think you may find that traveling from the kitchen to the dining area will become tiresome if you put the table by the fireplace. But you can always rearrange later, why not try it out? With the gray walls, black couch and hardwoods. Small pops of bright yellow in a flower and a toss pillow would be striking!

3 months ago · Like

pcmom1 I think it is lovely to have a dining table in front of a fireplace! Quite romantic! But your dining table is white and sort of "light and airy" while your sectional is large, heavy in comparison.

It looks like there is a spot inside the kitchen made for dining. How about the table there and then a couple of chairs by the fireplace?

3 months ago · Like

amyfields81 Oooh, I love yellow! Great idea! Thanks lindsyjo :)

3 months ago · Like ·

amyfields81 pcmom1, awesome idea! Thanks :)

3 months ago · Like

jdmaher I would not "flip" the layout...Practically, I think you need your dining room nearest to the kitchen. Also, if you put the dining room in front of the fire place, nobody can see it, as it's too low to the ground.

Id keep the living space near the fireplace... A good millworker should be able to help you hide those cords. Or re-orient the space so that the couch is perpendicular to the fireplace and add a pretty media console underneath a wall-mounted tv (or the tv can sit on the unit). **The couch looks a little bulky for that space, which seems narrow. Consider buying something with a more streamlined look?

3 months ago · Like

rockbrookway call me computer illiterate, amyfields, but i do not know how to incorporate photos in the comment/discussion. kind of a newby! btw, the picture i would show you is a rendering, it is the process of being built

3 months ago · Like

amyfields81 jdmaher, I definitely agree that the couch doesn't really work well with the space. We plan to move it downstairs to our finished basement eventually. Our long term plans for the space definitely include a more streamlined sofa as you had suggested. We were just looking for a short term solution - if there is one that works - otherwise, we may just set up the media room downstairs and leave the upstairs living room space vacant for now.

3 months ago · Like

Desiree I suggest two club chairs facing the fireplace with a sofa along the wall. A large round coffee table in the centre anchored with an area rug This would keep the room feeling open and larger than if you put in a sectional.

3 months ago · Like

maxdc We flipped our LR in a former house and it always looked odd. The expectation is to see fireplace + sofa and it always seemed strange to see the table and chairs there.

And it looks like you will have a table in your breakfast area just next to the fire place area, so could be strange with two tables side by side?

Can the builders address the cord issue now while the house is still being finished?

3 months ago · Like

rockbrookway amy, type in entertainment centers and fireplace in the Houzz search box after clicking on "browse rooms" and you will see many rooms with rooms such as yours :)

3 months ago · Like ·