Thursday, June 27, 2013

Another Way



I had not moved my couch in fifteen years.



It sat along this wall, in roughly this spot since we plunked it here when we rescued it. (I can't even remember where it was when we found it. It had originally belonged to the mother of my mother's third ex-husband. I love the couch, not its history.) I will not block my window.

I have always wanted to float the couch, but I know there's not enough room: that back wall is only fourteen feet.  Still, with the furniture mostly cleared out so my daughter and her friends could have a sleep over on blow-up mattresses, I decided to try putting the couch another way.



I tucked the chairs into this corner.



Obviously, the "gallery wall" is in the wrong place and there's far too much matchy matchy wood, but I like the idea.

I moved the poang chair to the dining room and I love it there. My husband and kids are actually coming into the dining room and plunking themselves down to visit. (A mixed blessing, sometimes)though I've enjoyed it a couple of times as a place to read while someone is busy watching TV in the living room.



The TV is the elephant in the room. I would love to locate it elsewhere in the house--but there is no other place.

This arrangement is perfect for watching TV.

This was taken from behind the couch. The "fireplace" is behind me, the window is to the right)

I love sitting by the window. I used to sit in the chair that was there. That is my spot--but now I can have someone sit beside me. Last night it was my daughter for a while, then my husband and I sat and read with the dog between us. I realised then that we rarely sit in this room at the same time unless we're watching a movie--and then we sit on different pieces of furniture.

I am not sure I will keep things this way. It looks weird to me--like everything is off kilter. Ignoring the fireplace, even though it's totally faux and isn't all that attractive anyway feels like turning my back on all things good and righteous.



I'm not at all sure what to do.

Linking to Pancakes and French Fries so all can have a say.

8 comments :

May said...

Hard to tell only looking at photos rather than the actual room...can you float it the other direction? The mirror image of how you have it now so that it faces the fireplace. Or would that just close up the whole room?

I can see myself sitting by the window too and enjoying the view. So, I hope it works out there.

Alana in Canada said...

Yes, I am afraid it would close off the room. It would also turn it's back on the TV.

I'm wondering if there's any way I can configure the back wall so it doesn't even look as if there is a fireplace there--short of taking down the chimney breast, mantle and surround.

Carol-Anne said...

Is there a way you could move the couch so that it's more centered on the fireplace? Then use the fireplace mantel as kind of a sofa table idea....put a narrow lamp (or 2 if they match) on top of it? If the sofa was right in front of the fp, it would block the 'hole' part.....
have I made ANY sense????

Rita said...

Yes, what Carol-Anne said. Though I'm wondering if placing the couch there blocks access to your books?

Wish I could be more help. We've found TV placement in our living room to be a real challenge, too. I've noticed that pictures of living rooms I love often don't have TVs in them. That's great, but not very useful for most of us.

onshore said...

hmmm... I like the sofa this way, but you are right it does block the view to the "fireplace". I like your idea of removing the fireplace completely, especially if you do not burn even candles in it.

Also maybe you could move the sofa closer to the television, if there is room. That might open the view to the fireplace better and then maybe add a small armchair behind the sofa to enjoy the fake fireplace.

Alana in Canada said...

Thanks, Leena, those are great ideas. Pulling thesofa forward would interfere with the chairs, I think, though. I've always thought the room was too narrow--I hadn't realised there wasn't really enough length as well!

Linda Stoll said...

LOVE moving stuff around from room to room ... let's me appreciate and enjoy those 'things' in a fresh light!

Linda

Alana in Canada said...

I am so glad I took the plunge and rearranged things. It really does refresh the rooms.

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