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Home Decorating Design Dilemma Living Room

How to decorate my new living room

2 years ago

My husband and I are buying our first house (yay!) and I'm already mentally planning all of the things I want to do in the space.

However, I'm a little stumped on the best way to decorate/ arrange furniture in the living room.

My personal tastes tend to gravitate towards symmetry, but the living room is not set up for that. We don't want to do any structural changes though, so the fireplace and the cut into the wall will stay. We probably will want to put a tv in the same spot as the picture shown below (maybe build some shelving in there at a later time)

I would love to hear how you would arrange a furniture in this space to provide a functional and balanced look.

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Comments (7)

Julie Herbert
2 years ago
Hi Hilary, what a beautiful room, just a few ideas on furniture placement for you, it’s just a matter of using a sofa and maybe chairs to make a comfortable seating arrangement
Julie Herbert
2 years ago
Also think of a sofa table, could look beautiful
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Ok, I see ...one possibility would be to retain the unit as shelving where it is and wall mount the tv on the adjacent wall so that you can optimise seating arrangement. Otherwise I think you are on the right track, a circular rug would work, maybe a couple of mid century chairs might look nice, you could put some trailing plants up high away from your little one, maybe a basket or two to keep toddler clutter in check would go with an eclectic kind of look. If you move to a larger space in the future, mid century chairs would be easy to pair with a couch.. I think try and bring as much storage as you can to keep the space manageable.
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I actually think the rug you have is a great start , but I actually think you need to look at the bigger picture , and formulate a plan . The end of the kitchen bench looks beige . Beige , of course , is bad haha , and doesn't go with grey . And you have a lot of grey ! Grey kitchen cupboards , grey walls , grey ceilings , grey doors and windows , and in the styled pics -- grey furniture . Call it surfmist , or drab , or overcast , or any of the other 50 shades haha , and its still grey . And to really add to this scene are those 70's tiles . The veranda roof underside looks unpainted or beige , the fence is an off-white . Me -- I'd do the ceiling in white . Just so it isn't grey . The kitchen end , and the cupboard doors -- burnt orange would suit , royal blue maybe , or the bright ornage/yellow or red if you want colour , but I sense thats a No . The outside fence in charcoal , the underside of the terrace roof probably charcoal too , but I'd want to know the rest of the outside colours -- lets hope they aren't grey haha ! THEN you can do the white marble table , the gold legged chairs , obviously the rug , you'd even get away with the grey couches , BUT add some coloured cushions , maybe some light blue and some royal blue to reference the rug . Maybe mid and rich red to reference the kitchen . Even the charcoal might work but it needs something -- a bright lamp , at least 1 large abstract art work in the tones you want -- the reds and/or the blues and/or the yellows -- several colours , and several shades of your dominant two . Doing it now will cost $5-10k , but it will look much more integrated , it will be done , and easier than in a year too haha ! Delay if budget is tight , but I'd personally sooner do that and have a $100 dining table with a $30 tablecloth for the 1st year or 2 , than a $2k or $5k marble and gold one .
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PRO
DC Home Living
2 years ago
Hi Ilary,
Congrats on your new house!! The first thing I would do it's changing those plain Venetian blinds and substitute them with some sheer curtains (which will give an airy and welcoming look)

A fireplace surrounded by built-in shelving is a great idea, will keep your home organised.
bigreader
2 years ago
Loving the inspiration pictures above. To achieve an ordered look - Symmetry when you can’t have symmetry- I’d centre a large rug eg 4x3 under the light footing and centre a largish coffee table on the rug. Then as shown above bring your sofas forward so at least their front legs are on the rug. Two sofas arranged in an L plus two occasional chairs arranged squarely off the coffee table will give you the look you’re after.
Kate
2 years ago
The prob with cure t furniture is the couch hard up against the low wall. This has pulled the other couch too far from window and not centred with light and the end wall
Kate
2 years ago
Current not cure t
User
2 years ago
The fact one of the photos has a number on it ( 14 of 36 ) I assume is the sales agents website , so the previous owners furniture ? I think it is really nice , and nicely laid out , so basically follow that . I even think the blinds match the era , the fan light adds to it as well , so live there for 12 months then decide .

Adding shelves to the left of the fire would make it look pokey IMO , but I'd add a nice tall slim lancewood or similar plant , in a nicely glazed pot -- maybe blue , maybe terracota orange , amybe both ?

That nook would be the one thing I'd 'enhance' -- I'd wall mount the TV , a bit higher . Then I'd build in a cupboard where the cabinet is -- a dark charcoal ( almost Japanese Black ) stain , 2 doors . It obviously looks more permanent and structured ( the same reason I'd wall mount the TV ) and hides a multitude of sins haha . On a practical note , you can display nic-nacs on top ( as long as not too tall , or you will block the bottom of the TV ) as well as store the TV remote etc .

the only other thing I'd add is a picture on the wall between the lounge area and the dining area -- art adds interest and colour , a personalised touch -- as subdued or as bright as you want ! Generally , match other colours like cushions and rugs with the predominant colours in your art ( unless you have a black and white picture haha ! ) . To me , its the little $40 items that make a room , not whether the lounge suite is $500 or $7000 -- well , within reason .

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