Question: We have a long living room that lacks focus. The fireplace is opposite the front window with a view, making it hard to enjoy both effectively. In addition, the long, empty wall to the left of the fireplace makes the room feel off-balance. We are considering adding a built-in bookcase to the right but fear it would unbalance the room further.

Please help save our marriage and tell us what we can do to pull this long space together.

Mary Threlkel
El Cerrito

Answer:As it sometimes takes compromise to make a marriage work well and be satisfying, interior decorating is also about knowing when to compromise.

Yes, you'd like to have the fireplace and the view visible from the sofa at the same time, but the dynamics of your home just don't make it possible. So let's come up with a new way to approach this problem.

The fireplace and the view are focal points, but it's not clear which one is dominant. To solve this problem, I'll add a third focal point to achieve balance with a triangle of focal points.

Long room with a view
The arrangement allows residents and guests to enjoy the fireplace and view.
The design incorporates a reading nook, a tall bookcase and plenty of storage.

Instead of adding a bookcase in the small space to the right of the fireplace, I've used the long wall at the end of the living room to create a focal point for balance. At the same time, this design creates a "room within a room."

The long wall gives us the opportunity to have a floor-to-ceiling and almost wall-to-wall bookcase. Its visual strength pulls the eye to this area to make it feel more balanced and, therefore, more comfortable.

Next to the bookcase in the nook created by the bay window, I've placed a comfortable swivel chair. A wall-hugging recliner would also be a good choice, but I've specifically used a swivel chair to take advantage of the view; when you want to enjoy it, you simply swivel slightly, and there it is, all laid out for your pleasure. Next to this chair is a small end table so you have a place to set your book and cup of tea or glass of wine.

Now for the main seating area. I experimented with the layout by putting the sofa with its back to the view, facing the fireplace, but didn't like it, so the compromise is perpendicular to the fireplace. In front is a rectangular coffee table and two small club chairs.

Behind the sofa is a console table that can hold a pair of tall table lamps. Beneath the table is a pair of ottomans that you can pull into the main seating area for guests.

If storage is important, then instead of the console table, this piece could be a console cabinet with drawers and/or doors. In that case, put the ottomans on the wall opposite the front of the cabinet.

To balance this area with the rest of the room, add a large plant in an interesting pot. Put a small uplight beneath it to create visual interest at night.

Use the wall behind the console table to display a large piece of art. It will balance the layout of the room by drawing your eye upward. If you have the opportunity to add recessed light in the ceiling, use art-display lighting. If you can't, then attach individual art lights to the frame of the art. There should be a wall outlet that you can use. If possible, have a licensed electrician put an outlet higher up in the middle of the wall, so the wire won't hang down the wall.

The walls on either side of the fireplace are also good places for displaying art.

Put a console table in the foyer to the left as you enter the house. Hang a large mirror over it to have a reflection (and preview) of what you'll see when you come into the room.

In keeping with our marriage metaphor, the swivel chair in the bay window area is the compromise piece that's offered to ameliorate the fact that the view is no longer seen from the sofa. Now everyone should have something that they're happy with, and the marriage is saved!

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