Question: We have a beautiful fireplace, a fantastic view and a TV in an entertainment center in our living room, but we cannot come up with a plan that allows us to enjoy all three features.

The arrangement we have is fine for the two of us but when we have guests only two or three people can watch TV comfortably. We are willing to buy a new entertainment center and a larger flat-screen TV but we cannot figure out where to put it. When we have parties, there is a choke point between the small couch and the divider. What do you suggest?

John Tennant
San Mateo

Answer: Your home is both architecturally amazing and unusual, and inevitably makes for a very difficult space to decorate.

With such interesting features as your fireplace and the large window wall, accommodating normal lifestyle needs would challenge anyone, so don't despair that you haven't been able to come up with an effective solution to your furniture arrangement. With a little flexibility on your part, here's a solution that fits all your requests.

Let's start with the television because its location typically drives the placement of almost everything else in a room. Because wall space is so limited in your home, there's really only one place for the TV -- on the longest wall in the room, perpendicular to the fireplace area. I suggest that instead of using an entertainment center you should have a unit built that spans almost the entire length of this wall. It can be custom-made or composed of premade sectional pieces; just make sure that it's long enough and properly attached to the wall for earthquake safety.

TV or talk Books and media electronics are organized along the longest wall in this living room. Two ottomans and two occasional chairs can be repositioned for guest seating.

Because there are so many visually stimulating but unrelated elements in the space, this wall unit provides more than just a place for the TV, books and interesting objects. It becomes a visual element that unites the room; a visual bridge, if you will, that carries the eye from the fireplace to the deck view, and thus makes the room feel more cohesive and balanced. It also provides much-needed storage space in a room without closets. I suggest that the bottom portion of the unit incorporate closed shelving and/or drawers to eliminate clutter. Because the room is so large, I recommend that you furnish it with pieces that are visually substantial. The sofa shown here is large, 9 feet long by 3 1/2 feet deep, and is placed perpendicular to the fireplace area with its back to the partition between the living room and stairway. For your viewing pleasure, it faces the new wall unit and TV. Opposite the sofa is a large reclining club chair. It provides a cozy corner for reading and relaxing. There are floor lamps next to the chair and at the end of the sofa. Use a low, arching style lamp to avoid obstructing the views. A large coffee table is between the sofa and club chair. Opposite the fireplace and perpendicular to the sofa are two square ottomans for additional guest seating. They can be stored along the wall to allow easy passage to and from the sofa. Because the room is so large, there's enough space for a secondary seating area in the window corner of the room. I've placed two armless occasional chairs in this area so guests can have a quiet conversation or enjoy the view together. Between them is a round end table for setting down refreshments. When you have a large social gathering these chairs can be brought into the main seating area and be put where the ottomans are shown. Then the ottomans become secondary seating in-between everything else.

Because your home's architecture incorporates natural materials, the furniture style should complement rather than contrast it. For the upholstered pieces, use rich materials in natural earth tones. Perhaps the sofa is a warm camel color in textured chenille and the club chair is made of a warm, tobacco-colored leather. Use a colorful pattern for throw pillows on the sofa and pick up one of these colors for the fabric of the two ottomans.

The two chairs could be a complementary camel color with a smoother texture in the fabric. Because they're situated near the natural light from the window, this fabric should be synthetic.

The coffee table is made of wood and its color should complement the wood of the wall unit.

The finishing touch is a large plant in the far corner of the wall unit to help the transition from outside to inside. With a floor light beneath it you'll have a dramatic effect at night.

This new arrangement accomplishes what you want for TV watching and socializing, opens up the "chocked" area, and gives you and your guests plenty of seating.

 

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