# Need ideas for my living room



## ryankay (Apr 21, 2015)

We want to completely redo our living room and I am looking for some ideas. I have played around with some idea of what type of furniture and where to place furniture but nothing that we have loved yet. This room will be for everyday TV watching and socializing with friends. Any Suggestions?


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## mpmp2121 (Jul 17, 2015)

What about a sectional l-shaped couch to the left of the French doors? Or perhaps a pair of club chairs sat at angles in that area? With your TV corner mounted to the left of the fireplace (unless it's a big tv and/or you use the fireplace) or on the wall to the left?


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Cut it in half. Use one side for tv watching. The other side with a reading chair or two and a lamp in between.

The worse thing that people do, is cram as much furniture into a room as they can. Then when it is time to have a large group of guests over. There is no place for anyone to stand & mingle, or it appears that you never use the room, if you decide to totally empty the room.

All our Living room consists of is a couch with two end tables & lamps, a Coffee Table, rug underneath it for sound absorption, a chair, entertainment 2 shelf unit with the tv & a/v gear, and a unit that has drawers in it for holding DVD's, which we never really watch.

Our Living room is 14x16.


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## richietile (Nov 15, 2014)

I like Gregzoll's idea of cutting the space in half, but maybe in thirds (2/3 tv and sofa, 1/3 sitting area.)
If there's going to be a fireplace, keep in mind that's a focal point, meaning, you'll want to see it comfortably from the seating. Which is why people put tv's over fireplaces, it creates a common focal pt.
And windows are great, but not for watching (or hanging) tvs.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

richietile the only thing about placing a tv above a fireplace. Is that you need to move the couch back a bit. It all depends on how large of a tv, along with if the cables are ran for one to hang up.

I use darkening drapes and have our windows tinted, so that it cuts down on the glare.

Our 42" sits around 8' from the couch, with our front speakers flanking. Rears face the listener's ears.

Mainly we just use a Sound bar all of the time. Especially with the Amazon Fire TV box we have. I put in a 1:2 HDMI splitter that I got from Monoprice, so that I can either use the Sound Bar or Home Theater.


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## richietile (Nov 15, 2014)

So, a seating area around the tv and a second area around the fireplace? That sounds nice. In my area (nj/ny) the rooms are often too small for 2 seating areas, so when there's a fireplace the tv usually goes over it. 
And w/windows creating glare, not very many of my customers liked the idea of blackout window treatments (I love them, especially motorized.) I can't even get my wife to sign on to room darkening treatments, hence the home theater basement space.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

You can hardly notice the tint during the day. It makes a huge difference on hot days like today. Plus side is that you can open the drapes during the day and no one can see in.

My son's room is so dark, because he gets Migraines, so it really helps.

Behind our couch, we have blinds then the curtains. They are not total darkening drapes. You still get maybe 25-35% light through them.

It is always easier to place the tv first, then build out from there. If wood or tile floors, a rug in front of the couch helps to cut down on reverb.

Everybody has their own idea how they want their house to be. I really do not like threads like this. Because the OP usually never comes back. Or they never post pictures of the space. Just some rudimentary drawing.

Also you do not know if they are just going to use for sound, the tv, a sound bar or Home Theater.

I have a Vizio 2.1 Sound Bar with a wireless Sub-woofer. It gets used about 99% of the time. I only turn on the Home theater system, if I am watching an action flick.


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## ktkelly (Apr 7, 2007)

I do agree with splitting the room since there are two focal points (the Fireplace AND the French Doors).

*Front 2/3 of the room:*

1. TV over the fireplace with a "Down and Out" mount, only if there's access to run power and coax with a loveseat facing the TV and a couple nice chairs on either side angled towards the TV, make that part of the room a TV watching area.

2. A painting over the fireplace, with a nice loveseat facing the fireplace, and a couple chairs alongside the fireplace facing the loveseat, and you have a nice "entertaining" area.

*Rear 1/3 of the room:*

1. A round table with chairs located at the rear of the loveseat and you have a "game" area, or a couple nice swivel lounge chairs and lamps, and you have a reading area with a nice view out the windows and french doors. 


*We need pictures of the before and after. :yes:*


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## decorguy (Jul 18, 2015)

Put the tv in one of the corners next the fireplace, use 2/3 of the room for sitting and tv watching and the rest around the double doors as a foyer. :thumbup:


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## ktkelly (Apr 7, 2007)

decorguy said:


> Put the tv in one of the corners next the fireplace, use 2/3 of the room for sitting and tv watching and the rest around the double doors as a foyer. :thumbup:



TV in the corner = a third focal point = yuck. :whistling2:


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

I just noticed the date on this. It was posted on 4/21/15. I would venture to guess the OP hit and ran.


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## soap94 (Sep 25, 2015)

Absolutely agree! It is so hard to find an appropriate design for living room. Just read some articles and ready design and get inspiration


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## Sdyess (Oct 12, 2015)

gregzoll;2273746
It is always easier to place the tv first said:


> :vs_rocking_banana:
> 
> This is the best advice on this thread


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