Corner 3

Floorplan

Corner 1

Corner 2

This is a classic case of poor design with your renovation. Part of the any design process should be to work out furniture placement, pedestrian access and traffic flow before you start building. If this had been considered beforehand then the design of the extension would have been quite different to make the living room more functional and less of a generous hallway which is too difficult to furnish well.

It is now too late to close the gate after the horse has bolted so I think your options are limited to a pair of armchairs and a coffee table.

Never underestimate the value a good designer can bring to a project and it is such a pity you didn't have one on this project. Without knowing anything about your brief or your budget I would have suggested a more creative solution such as using the existing room as a dining space as it is the right size, and easier to furnish, and making the extension a new living room, that has been designed for comfortable couch seating and TV watching. This may have ended up with a larger extension, but would have resulted in a better use of space.

Dr Retro
of Dr Retro House Calls

Thanks for the feedback. Our new extension consists of a kitchen and dining, as well as a second small living area with a T.V. At the time extension, we did consider this space as dining area but this would also be the first room our guests will come into as soon as they step into our place. We don't quite like the idea of that so have decided to make this area a sitting lounge area instead.

So to answer to the question, we don't need a T.V. in this space and the fireplace is working and is an original feature of this house that I like the most. Now just need to know how to furnish it. If we want a pair of armchair, where would be the best position to place them?

We had looked into the potential of closing the cabinet and have the wall patched up. But not sure the best way to do it without leaving some lines on the wall.

I like Siriuskey's advice to remove the cupoard doors and paint the internal section an interesting colour. I appreciate the cabinet is fairly low, but if a mirror or painting to sit over the cabinet, then a console beneath which hides the frame, this would work. Something needs to cheer up the fireplace too a painting and maybe skinny lamps.

A little on the WILD side!

i don't think the space is big enough for a dining table with walking space so my suggestion is to either swop the doors on the "awkward space" to some that cover the whole space including the lower shelf (louvre doors would allow ventilation for electrical equipment and an architrave would look better without intruding into the room) or lose the doors and add an architrave with open shelves or forget the awkward space (and keep a secret storage space?) and place a shallow armoire or similar in front of the awkward space and add a pair of small armchairs in corner 2 facing the fireplace with a coffee table and tall lamp and an extra armchair under the window

I agree with Weaver Interiors that the fire place also needs more, I thought a framed mirror. I disagree with having any cupboard tall or low placed in front of the alcove, this will block the view of the fireplace when entering and clutter the space, I prefer the armchairs either side of the fire place, the new open framed shelves is a perfect place for books, this won't cover any "wild side" art or mirror so will keep the room open, but I would still have the armoire on the wall facing the door.

Hi, after considering all advices, we would likely convert the cabinet into a bookshelf and have two armchairs at both sides of the fireplace (black round framed mirror above it) with the round jute rug underneath, as well as a piano or storage ottoman with decorative pillows at the wall facing the door, with an artpiece on that wall? This would make this room a family activity room. What do you guys think about this arrangement?

Also, for my new dining area, how to choose a rug to go under the dining table? Does it need to complement the current round jute rug we have for this family activity, in terms of its material or colour? We will have another new rug in the living area (within the newly renovated area but at the far end right corner). Thanks!

Hi there! Just jumping in to offer a bit of advice about the dining room rug:

As the chairs will be constantly moving around on top of the rug, you might find that a jute or a synthetic rug would wear very quickly. Your best bet is to choose a material that wears well and is easy to clean such as wool.

Opt for a short pile height for under dining tables - they're not only easier to clean, but its easier to push your chair back over a thinner rug than a thicker one!

In terms of size, guests should be able to push their chairs back from the table without going over the edge of the rug, so to get the best size, measure your table, then add approx 60 cm. It looks like you might have limited space around your dining table - if you're looking to place a rug, maybe see if you can place the table a bit further out from the wall.

For colour choice, opt for a darker colour if it works in the space, as its much more practical when it comes to spills and stains!

Hope we've helped :)