What about floating your couch in the middle and putting your TV/media on the wall between the fireplace and sunroom entrance. Then you could put bookshelves, or a desk area behind the couch. It would help if you specified what function you want the room to have- just TV watching? Or socializing, working, etc.

Off hand I'd suggest creating a central focal point along the wall shared by your master bedroom. Think of a stately armoire to house your t.v if you plan on viewing it in this room. If not some other strong piece or grouping like an attractive console with a larger art piece above it. What truly makes something a focal point, beyond the quality of the feature itself is how you treat the rest of the furnishings of the room in relation to it - you probably know this but I'll say it any way - so be sure to strengthen the focal point by orienting the conversational groupings toward and around it. Good luck !

What a unique layout!

I would put a TV/Media wall on the wall opposite the master bedroom, and float a sofa or sectional facing the TV. If there is space, I would put a couple of chairs facing the fireplace for a little reading/sitting area, which would also function as extra seating for when you have a lot of guests. This will make for a natural pathway that runs between the fireplace nook and the sofa and towards the bedroom and sunroom between the bedroom wall and the sofa. If there isn't room in front of the fireplace for chairs, I would ignore it as a focal point of the living room, and just decorate it (art, objects, etc) as a nice focal point as you walk in the front door.

Hello Cate,

I would recommend creating a seating arrangement in the center of the room, rather than viewing your wall space as the only option for furniture placement. Use a large rug (at least 8x10, or 9x12) in the center of the room to contain the seating arrangement visually. With the rug in place, you'll see that you have a few options when it comes to seating. You can either go with an L-shaped sectional (with the L extending down on the side of the sun-room), or even an L-shaped sectional where the L is a chaise lounge (example: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S39877749/). Or you can go with a regular sofa, then flank each side with a chair to add extra seating. Place a coffee table in the center of the seating arrangement to hold the grouping together, and place your media/entertainment unit against the wall that separates the master bedroom (a wall-mounted flat-screen would be great in this application). If there is room between the back of the sofa and the large exterior wall, you can place a long console table there, creating a work/office zone (example: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70138136/). Hang a gallery artwork display above the console, or a large piece of artwork to create a focal point. Flank the console with a lamp on each side to create balance, and use upholstered benches that tuck under the console as your seating for the work zone (so they won't interfere with the room's traffic flow. This arrangement will allow you to enjoy your fireplace as a focal point, comfortably entertain, and have a room that can accommodate multiple activities. If you'd like me to draw up some sketches, feel free to contact me on my blog, ahappyplacecalledhome.com. Good luck!

Great floor plan-- so much space! If you're starting from scratch on furniture, I would put a large L-shaped sectional or sofa with chaise unit along that one long uninterrupted wall (to the right of the entrance.) That way, you can put a media cabinet and TV along the opposite wall. You'll have a decent angle on the TV and enough of a thoroughfare for getting to the sun room, but thanks to the L-shape, the sofa will still relate to the fireplace. A round coffee table further help the sofa to relate to both fireplace and TV wall. Here's a 5-second sketch: http://maddesigninterest.blogspot.com/2012/10/floorplan-in-response-to-apartment.html
(No self-promotion intended by linking back to my blog! I just didn't know where/how else to post an image.)

If you already have a sofa, what about floating it on an angle opposite the fireplace? You could put a desk, low bookshelf or nice console table behind it to make the "floating" quality less awkward, as well as increase surface and storage space.

Great floor plan-- so much space! If you're starting from scratch on furniture, I would put a large L-shaped sectional or sofa with chaise unit along that one long uninterrupted wall (to the right of the entrance.) That way, you can put a media cabinet and TV along the opposite wall. You'll have a decent angle on the TV and enough of a thoroughfare for getting to the sun room, but thanks to the L-shape, the sofa will still relate to the fireplace. A round coffee table further help the sofa to relate to both fireplace and TV wall. Here's a 5-second sketch: http://maddesigninterest.blogspot.com/2012/10/floorplan-in-response-to-apartment.html
(No self-promotion intended by linking back to my blog! I just didn't know where/how else to post an image.)

If you already have a sofa, what about floating it on an angle opposite the fireplace? You could put a desk, low bookshelf or nice console table behind it to make the "floating" quality less awkward, as well as increase surface and storage space.

PS As long as you're not opposed on ethical grounds, cowhides are super helpful for grouping multi-relational spaces because of their unique shape. I have a tricky living room layout too. Rectangular rugs just seemed to slice-and-dice the space in an awkward way. Cowhide solved the problem, although I suppose a round rug might have the same effect in an animal friendlier way!

Ahh, this is a tough one. You really can't make good use of the fireplace because it's in such a weird place. But once the weather gets chilly, it's nice to have firelight and crackling noises in the background. What would you do on those days? Well, you might have a group of people sitting around talking, or you might be doing work in a corner on a desk or you might be reading a book in a corner. I'd focus on a conversation area in the middle of the room with some furniture facing the fireplace and some turned obliquely away from it. Then create multiple activity areas around the edges with bookshelves, a chaise lounge and a desk/console thingy.

I would still use the fireplace as a focal point. .In other corner opposite the fireplace why not put a folding mirrored screen..to ecco the fireplace... might use a sofa or grouping then angled in the right corner as you enter the room;you would be looking directly at the fireplace. If you want a media space put that along the left wall as you enter. I think you do have a focal point--the fireplace. It will be a really pretty room. Great size.

I agree with the people who suggest using the fireplace as a visual focal point. But who says you have to have just one, anyway? If it were me, I'd put a telly (if you want one in there) over or near the fireplace, and foof up the fireplace if you don't like it the way it is. You could get a new mantle or put on marble tile, whatever floats your boat. And have some way to hide the telly when you're not using it.

Then, like others said, have seating around the center-ish of the room. Have you read M G-R's book, Apartment Therapy? He talks a lot about flow in a room. To me, your room doesn't look bad at all, it looks good! Space is good. Also, if funds allow, why not put another window on the wall near the entrance? You don't have to just look in one direction. Who made up all these rules anyway? If you have a nice view, put a chair facing it, for heaven's sake.

Plus, for comfort reasons, I'm not sold on huge sectionals. The ones I've sat on weren't very comfy and they are just so huge. Maybe if they're broken up though, they could be okay visually. Just my two cents.

I am not a design person, and to me, once you get into the room, who cares that you were facing x, y or z when you walked in? I think your room looks just dandy and has great possibilities. You just need flow and comfy seating, and happy colors. Bob's your uncle!

Just adding on to other comments, but who said the couch has to be parallel to the walls when floated? You can place it at the same angle as the fireplace if you wish (and you have the space to do so). And then you can use the rest of the room as a reading nook, an office space, etc... (Ok, I'll be honest I don't know what to do with the rest of the room after that.)

I'm guessing this is a Chicago apartment, yes? The sunroom -- just like mine -- is a dead giveaway! Since you say in your question that your sunroom is your office, I'm guessing you don't need a place for a desk in your living room. Assuming that's the case, I don't see any need to float the furniture to create multiple separate zones.

I think the first couple of responses were good -- an L-shaped sectional in the corner opposite the fireplace (or a sofa along the long wall and chair under the window), with the wall shared with the master bedroom lined with bookcases/tv.

Another option I don't think anyone has mentioned, but what I would probably do myself, is put a sofa on the far wall in front of the window. Then put 2 chairs facing it, so their backs are to you when you walk in from the entry hall, and a round coffee table in the middle. I'd line the wall on the top of the drawing with bookcases, and then put my tv on the opposite (master bedroom) wall. This option kind of ignores the fireplace in that you don't have any furniture oriented to it, but it's not like you can't still see it.

it's not that there is no focal point, it's that there are at least two, the window & sunroom and the fp. given the trafic pattern needed, the sofa goes on the left wall when facing the sunroom, fab art over it. make an L w/ a smaller sofa or two chunky chairs in front of the window. face two spidery chairs opposite so it does not look too boxed in. bookshelves/buffet/tv console/upright piano/easel (nothing too deep) is on the wall dividing from mbr. fp is secondary focal point.