This is what you see when you walk in the front door. I am in the market for a larger couch maybe 3 seats per couch and the lounger section. But am limited because of the hallway entry right passed the couch.
What do I do with my living room that is long and skinny? It just look
by
Dana McCurdy
+6
The room is long and narrow. Floors are very dark wood. Walls are a light gray and it has one window. When you walk into the apartment you are in this room. It leads into the kitchen and to the right is a hallway to the bedrooms. I added a tall leaning mirror and it helps but it just feels off. I don't want to turn the furniture any other way because of the TV location and traffic flow. I also think were you see the chair and little table against the wall before you enter the kitchen needs something too. Thanks for your help.
This view is from the kitchen looking back towards front door.
Hallway to bathroom and bedrooms. More grey walls and dark floors.
I'm not sure what your question is. Do you rent or own? Can you paint the walls? Is your goal to lighten things up? If you aren't wanting to move the furniture I'm not sure how to help you. One suggestion to lighten things up is to hang or stand your mirror opposite the window so that the window light will be reflected. I love the chair by the window, perfect reading nook!
Hi! I would add more color to the room by adding colorful curtains. You could also get or make throw pillows for your sofa. A pretty area rug will also add intetest to your space. I would hang some art on the wall next to the kitchen. My home has a long and narrow living room, too, and I dress it up with an area rug and throw pillows: http://momhomeguide.com/styling-sofa-throw-pillows/
Hi Dana! I think you have some fine pieces in your living room and just need some rearranging for the best effect. I have a few possible ideas, but you really have started with a good foundation in the room. (a) I like your coffee table; however, the stuff on top is a little bulky and dark for it—so could replace those items. (b) The sitting area beside the front window is nice, however the current chair is a little clunky-looking there—so it seems like the wicker chair would work better beside the front door, and bring with it the lamp and the tall plant to put in the corner. Move the items beside front door elsewhere in the house. (c) If possible you really could move your TV cabinet to the left corner beside the kitchen and place the cabinet catty-cornered. Then move the couch forward toward TV cabinet at an angle toward TV. Put the end table on the left side of the couch. If you don’t like looking at the back of the couch, a color-coordinated throw across the back of the couch would work fine. (However, the throw you have currently does not match your living room). This arrangement opens up a nice little foyer area beside the front door; you can put an entryway table along the wall to the right of the front door for knickknacks, keys, mail, etc. (d) The plant beside the TV cabinet is too short beside such a tall cabinet, so could move that plant beside the couch or elsewhere. (e) Because you are looking directly into the kitchen, you could put one or two kitchen towels on the stove-door bar for interest. Good luck with your project!
If your mirror were placed to the L. Of the TV, it would bank more light. Angling furniture as previously suggested would help, as would lighter color sofa (think of contrasts...light and dark will make floor and sofa more complimentary). I'd place a taller plant behind the corner chair, and move the chair slightly forward. Colorful draperies in wide horizontal stripes would really brighten up your room and make it appear wider. Hang drapery rod a minimum of 4" above window,or at ceiling height, and extend it out further.
All the furniture is lined up against the long walls which lengthens the room. Have you thought of placing the entertainment center in the room blocking the door to the kitchen visually? Then you could have the sofa at the end of the room under the window, coffee table in front of it, chairs on either side but into the room. All this would "shorten" the room, block the view into the kitchen (which further lengthens the room) I'm confused by your description, it looks like the door to the apt is next to the only window, but you say that is the view when you come into the apt?
Flip the sofa with the TV cabinet. Leave the two chairs where they are now, but move them closer to the sofa so as to form a conversation area. Add a 5x8 area rug to further unify the entertainment/conversation area. Right now only the chair in front of the window is close enough to be part of the entertainment/conversation area. The chair in the right corner is isolated. Lose the mirror because it only adds to the length of the room. Find some art (painting, tapestry, etc.) to fill that wall. Move the small round table and lamp into the corner behind the chair, and put the other lamp and table between the sofa and the window chair. See the picture below as a guide.
If the TV is currently placed because of a cable connection, find a way to run the cable to the other side of the room—under the floor if you have a crawlspace or basement or through the attic.
If you LOVE your furniture where it is my first two thoughts were a tall shelving unit against the kitchen wall behind the wicker chair. That way it balances the mirror on the other side and brings some weight to that side of the room.
Second, I personally would hang a sheer curtain up on a spring rod between the living room and kitchen. One that can be easily pulled back or even taken down but it can act as a visual stop point when you have guests to make the room look less long and narrow, and gives that visual cue of "two rooms" even when pulled open.
Draw yourself a rough plan of your room to scale. Cut out rough scale of your items of furniture. Place them in the room plan until you are happy with the layout.