why don't you use the area under the stairs as the entertainment hub...maybe even a fireplace--then put your sofa along the long wall....

I would use the space b/t the bump out and the window wall to build shelves or inclose the whole thing (space and bump out) in a cabinet. Put a small chair on a 45° on the opposite side of the window - small library. Then put a sectional on the long wall b/t the bumpout and the half bath, with a chair opposite, at an angle (if it fits). Splurge for custom sectional if it uses the space more efficiently. Consider narrow table on castors to pull out for dining, leave against the stair when not in use. Use your sectional as a banquet for dinner parties

Yikes - enclose.
Can you gut out the old furnace?

I like gg's idea of a library in the front corner, Perhaps, with a library table that could also be used for dining - the kind that can be set to different heights. And maybe with a banquette under the front window, or at least chairs that can double as dining chairs. Or, if you don't want a table all the time, you could have a gateleg table that folds down to a narrow top and that fits in the alcove created by the furnace bump out.

Add a bench or chaise between the two areas for additional seating for both areas. That would also divide them visually, but without blocking either area.

The tv along the stair wall and a sofa along the long wall. It's nicer to have the little bathroom open off the living area than the dining area, anyway.

Oops sorry, the library was Glutten for punishments idea.

I would definitely put a chair in the corner next to the window. The rooms seems very dark - to the point that I would probably not like to live there at all, but hopefully it is better in real life.

A chair by the window lets you sit there and enjoy some sunshine.

I too live in a Philly row home with a "Great Room" on the first floor. It feels a bit like a bowling alley to me, long and narrow. Although my dimensions are a bit more forgiving -- 15' x 30'. Hard to keep the flow going without setting up shop in such a way that your furniture looks like wall flowers standing against the walls.

I feel your pain. I also live in a narrow Philly row house with a first floor that is between 9' and 12.5' wide. I like Dulcibella's suggestion but I share Evergirl's concern that your space must be very dark. If you're considering renovations at all, I'd suggest getting rid of the half bath (that's what we did in our place - they're awkward in the middle of the main living space anyways) and opening the kitchen up to the rest of the space with maybe a bar. You'll have more space and flexibility in your furniture layout and light from the back window will also flow into the main space. I'd also make sure both exterior doors have glass panes to let some extra light in.

I would put the entertainment center along the staircase wall and get an L-shaped sectional for the opposite wall. The longer side of the L would be against the wall, with the shorter side (chaise?) set a few feet in front of the bathroom door. You can then put a nice armchair at a 45 degree angle facing the TV in front of the furnace "bump out" and still have a nice conversation arrangement with the seating. I'd avoid a coffee table if possible, or at least get a low glass table - anything to keep more flooring visible in that area and make it easy to walk through.

For the front window, I'd get a small glass-topped table and two cafe chairs. They won't block light and will provide a nice area to have a cup of coffee and read the newspaper, or to do crafts in the best lighting.

You can put a small, narrow entrance table or organizer next to the entertainment center, which will prevent clutter at the bottom of the stairs and in the entryway.

Having lived in one of these recently, I'm assuming that you will mainly enter by the front door? And that below the stair case is the stair case to the basement? While I love homes where you use the front door (in some cities it's practically taboo), you then are often forced to walk through the entire house to put your purse down and take your shoes off. I'd recommend giving yourself a long landing strip in the front window with a beautiful chair that will double as living room seating, and limit your living room space to small groupings of chairs with a chaise or something. I've found sectionals tend to accentuate the length and lack of width in these homes, and that conversational chairs help break it up into more useable space. If you have studs and sheet rock instead of plaster, consider very narrow built-ins between the studs for the library look without the bookshelves.

My suggestion:

A slim profile chaise lounge (or long upholstered automan storage bench?) under the staircase wall. And anchored by a rug, place two lower slung lounge chairs of more generous proportions facing each other with a larger cocktail table between.

The worst thing you can do w/ a space that has the proportions of a bowling alley is to try and pretend that it's not...
...so your rendering of a tiny sitting area squeezed at one end and facing perpendicular to the room isn't the best idea.

I'd select a long low sofa along the long wall facing the stairway where you'd have a flat-screen TV mounted - rather than a single coffee table, select a couple of round or square stools or garden seats to catch drinks & books in front of your sofa. A long kilim or oriental rug - Something that's @ 5' wide and 10' long would be great to anchor the space - then a pair of matching low armless chairs at either end of the sofa. A pair of end tables and oversized lamps w/ tall drum shades will anchor the ends of your space and bring the eye up...
...and consider some tall, oversized artwork for above your sofa - a large modern canvas or even an antique oriental screen.

The first rule of decorating is to place the largest object in the room against the longest unbroken wall. This works for both sofas and beds.

In this case, I would put the sofa along the wall opposite the stairs, and abut one end of the sofa to the jutting wall. On that bump, place a very narrow table. At the other end of the sofa, place a deeper table that matches the depth of the bump + the depth of the narrow table. The front of the tables should match in depth, which will minimize the bump in the wall. Add a pair of chairs facing each other at each end of the sofa. This might be a great place for a huge upholstered ottoman in place of a coffee table.

I would recommend keeping furniture is this room to a minimum. Resist the urge to place pieces against small walls, under windows or in corners. When the eye can see into the space, into the four corners for example, a room will appear much larger than it is. A seating area in the center of the room, with both chairs pulled away from the walls and floating in the room, will make the eye see a larger room. (A narrow media center directly across from the sofa would be the only exception.)

I made a picture of what I think would work :) trying to write it all out was getting tricky!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60971883@N04/5577402588/

How about making a vestibule for yourself by installing a room divider made from some semi-transparent material that lets light through, from the edge of the staircase halfway across the room toward the bumpout? On the street side of this you can have a coat rack, bench or chair, table for a "landing strip", maybe a nice big potted plant. This would also block the bowling alley view to the kitchen.

Then you could use the remaining living room space (with the bonus added corner created by the screen) for arranging furniture in a more normal configuration, of course leaving a good traffic pattern.

I also live in a tiny old Philly rowhome, and am facing the same dilemma. I LOVE it when these are featured - SO helpful! Anyway…

The first thing I did upon moving in, as creativeneurosis suggested, was open up the kitchen to the rest of the room. So much brighter and better – but might not be a solution for everyone.

Having seen the previous owners put their small sectional w/chaise across from the stairs and the TV at the foot of the stairs, I hate the idea of my living area being a through-way. Plus, I also have dining table to contend with.
I want to put two chairs in front of the windows, have a smallish couch across from them to divide the room, with a buffet behind it - which would service the couch area and the dining room. It would separate the area into two distinct spaces, and I'll need to find an appropriately sized couch, but it keeps the LR/DR from being through-ways.

I'd contemplated the couch where you have it in the pic and also perpendicular to it ("floating," if you will, and acting as a half wall of sorts for the entry way). Neither option really tickles my fancy.

As to the library suggestion - I was also going to put built-in shelves in the front nook. I really like the idea and feel it’s a great way to utilize space in what are otherwise storage-challenged dwellings.

Would love to know what you eventually end up doing and to see pictures!

I had an 8-foot wide living room + dining room combined(!) for a decade, and know the constraints of this situation very well. My main advice is to use furniture scaled to fit the width, and to maintain a clear walkway between the front door back to the kitchen. I would be on the lookout for armless chairs, small loveseats and round tables (i.e. no corners to bump into.) You might even consider some lucite pieces which give the impression of not taking up as much space. If this is also going to house an eating area - think comfy swivel chairs that can double for living room seating. When you don't have a lot of space to play with, you need to be extra careful that you don't create a daily obstacle course!

I like happyleaf's idea - and bepsf's too - basically there are two places to put the sofa, either facing the stairs or with the back agains the stairs. Just pick one - anything else follows from there.

Another thought; since the bathroom opens directly to the living room, I'd put a room-divider of some sort parallel to the bathroom wall. It would basically give you an extra wall in the living room and I think it's space well spent.

Thanks for all the great ideas everyone! (This is Lynn, the question-asker)

Since I originally submitted this question, I have given up on trying to squeeze a living room into the front area and have gone with a layout more like what everyone is suggesting. I have done a few new renderings here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45993111@N03/5576975603/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45993111@N03/5577561624/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45993111@N03/5577016833/

Basically, a couch along the long unobstructed wall, wall mounted TV on the stair wall above a sideboard / built in record player we already own, and a small / flexible seating area in the front of the room.

Eventually we'd like to find an old mantle to install on the furnace wall to accentuate it rather than try and hide it. I don't think we could rip the wall out entirely because our current HVAC ducts are running through it.

Re: lack of natural light. Yeah, it isn't the brightest space. But we (my boyfriend and I) are both first time homebuyers, and in our early 20s, so that is something we've been able to work around. Plus the previous owner had installed tons of recessed lighting to make up for the lack of natural light.

Thanks again everyone!

I immediately thought of this 'Divine Design' episode when you described your layout. It's not a rowhouse, but has the same long and narrow room.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aaQi0X8c9k

Do you have a dining room? What about creating two separate spaces? Both a living room and dining room.

I really like the way Candice arranged one of the sofas/sectional, in the centre of the room, perpendicular to the wall - creating a separate space. I think that would work nicely in your space as well. I think setting up the living room closer to the front door, and the dining room closer to the guest washroom.

Also, I really like the use of 'banks' against the walls in long narrow rooms - especially to be used as a tv stand with storage below.

Good luck. :)

Create a full wall 36" from and parallel to the front wall up to window to create a walk-in area. Big full length check-me-out mirror on the bump out (this will widen the room and bounce the main window's light around). Small chair/built-in bench on the wall perpendicular to the window to sit and shoe yourself. Can have one of those antique ashtray stands for mints/keys/change or a nice umbrella stand there.... great spot for a functional vignette.

Thank goodness for wall-mounted tvs. Put it on the stair wall and get a fab low sofa (with legs so your eye travels under the legs making the room look wider) for the opposite wall. Two slipper chairs (no arms) facing each other and a low lean glass coffee table and you're set. :)

You'll want to hook up your tv to peripheral technology... look at running the wiring inside the wall, to the basement across joists and up to a tech deck near the sofa. no reason the dvd player needs to be 3" from the t.v.; wires come in varying lengths.

good luck!

I have a narrow living room and three furnishing decisions I made helped.

First, the flat screen tv was placed in the corner on a desk, as far back as it could go, with a stool in front of the desk. This provided a place to do mail/paperwork and a spare seat for conversation, without adding furniture.

Second: I placed a 16" wide bookcase on its side against a wall that could not accommodate chairs/couch (it was the wall in a through-way), and this served as storage and a bench for additional seating.

Third: I had one floating reading chair behind which I placed a storage ottoman. This allowed someone to sit on the ottoman and talk to the person sitting on the bookcase/bench, thus creating two conversation areas.

Similar situation here. Long narrow townhouse, although not as narrow as yours, but close! Recently I came up with the brilliant redesign of TV against stairs, couch opposite with a chair floating and a desk area up by the window. I don't have the awkward bathroom up against the kitchen though, I have a half wall into the kitchen so I placed another chair there. Also, I am not sure by looking at your drawing if there is enough room for a desk by your window, but I am loving this layout for our place. It feels huge and has nicely defined areas.