I think your set-up is fine. But then again, I'm not a fan of rooms set up as a shrine to the TV; I prefer the gathering/focal point to be the fireplace just as you have it. It's more conducive to conversation

I think I'd rotate the couches to be facing each other on opposite sides of the fireplace (coffee table in the middle) and put the TV in a different room. With a nice fireplace like that, think of the space as a place to hang out and talk with friends, play board games, and read.

Are you committed to the coffee table and sectional? It feels like you've got a lot crammed into the space and it should be more open. If you've got a budget that will allow, I'd purchase a sofa and 1-2 chairs. You can either leave the couch facing the fireplace or put the couch on one side of the fireplace and chairs on the other. Put the TV flat against the wall perpendicular to the fireplace (which is kind of where I presume it is now, though likely angled) If you get chairs that swivel, they can turn to face in (towards the fireplace and couch) or out, towards the television. Then you've got conversation around the fire and comfortable tv watching. You can either keep the coffee table or opt for smaller tables that you can bring out when necessary and/or a console behind the couch.

I have a 1925 bungalow and have my living room set up in the same fashion - couch facing the fireplace. I agree with MyAliya about tv's not being the main focal point of the room.... it's no good. Plus, why would you NOT want this beautiful fire place to be the first thing people notice when they walk in?

I agree with Kealoha..but then i was never a fan of bulky L shaped sofa....
btw, i love your house...love all the details. You did a great job!!!

I have a similar issue. We put the entertainment focus in a corner and the couch at an angle diagonally across the room so the the front door opens to the walk way behind the couch through to the next room. It only works because we don't use our fire place. When we can afford it we're definitely getting a smaller couch.

I have this exact same house layout, only my place is smaller. Everything is identical -- placement of front door and hallway, windows, arched large doorway to the dining room, everything. I tried this layout and a few others, and finally settled on the one I have now, which feels MUCH more spacious (sofa and chairs facing each other, fireplace to the side). If you shoot me an email on DCpetographer [at] gmail [dot] com I can send you pics to give you an idea of what it looks like.

If she's living in a 1930's bungalow, she doesn't have a second living room to make into a TV room. What is she supposed to do - put the TV in an awkward out of the way place that makes it impossible to watch to "facilitate conversation"?? That's crazy!

Seawhitney -- where exactly did she say its "impossible" to watch her tv where it currently is?

All I said is I'm not a fan of rooms that serve as a shrine to a TV (unless its a movie theater obviously). Zone out infront of a tv less, by creating a space to communicate more. Yea, that's such a "crazy" idea, my b...

But another plausible option is to ditch the L-shaped couch for 2 small ones to give her more options for arrangement

Not sure about where to put the TV, especially with those radiators flanking in the fireplace. However, I think you could make the room less cramped by moving the couch back so it is at least in line with the front door jam. Also, a glass coffee table, or maybe even no coffee table at all, could help lighten up the dark space in front of the fireplace.

ditto to boston_kat

Why not just ditch the TV - you'll be so much happier.

I agree that the current arrangement seems functional. The only thing I noticed is that the room seems a bit "crowded" with the voluminous sofa and visually heavy wood furniture. Is it possible to pull the sofa just a tiny bit back from the fireplace, or substitute a visually "lighter" coffee table and/or rug? It might even make a difference just to find another place for the large throw pillow and blanket which add volume to the large sofa. Adding a few houseplants or decorative pieces with finer textures or shiny surfaces might also give the room a lighter touch. Good luck!

It does feel like a very crowded space. I would leave the tv where it is, but put the main part of the sectional perpendicular to the fireplace, facing the tv (if it fits there), and separate the rest of the sectional, putting the smaller part kind of at an angle to the fireplace, so you could turn and watch the tv from there as well. Anyway, that's my two cents.

I don't believe Matt was soliciting advice on how to spend his leisure time, and I doubt in a house of this type there is another room suitable for the TV. I think @ecochic has a very workable solution for a dual-purpose space, and @kitsun3 if new furniture isn't in the budget. And this is a completely lovely renovation - I love the built-in in the dining room.

I find it annoying how often people comment about how living rooms "shouldn't be a shrine to the TV" or that you'd be "so much happier" if you ditched the TV. Not everyone has another room for the TV, and some of us actually ENJOY WATCHING TV - shocking!! Stop pushing your pretentious values on other people and try actually suggesting something useful to help the poster with their dilemma.

Round glass coffee table.....ditch the sectional...single couch....accent chairs

Thank God people enjoy watching TV and films--otherwise, I'd be a statistic of this economy, and so would my graduates.
BTW: Most people do.

I would give the couch more breathing room - back it up from the fireplace a bit more....just 4-6 inches so you still have a walk way... And a bigger rug a full 9 x 12.

I'm interested in close ups of your doors - we're in a 1929 storybook tudor and I think our doors are supposed to be stained in the middle like that...how was it getting them back to that shape??

salchichasmalas -- i didnt say anything "should be" anyway. I stated my personal opinion. You find my personal opinion annoying, and I find it equally annoying when people don't read thoroughly. It's called OPINION.

And speaking of which...during your diatribe about how I or whoever else should "Stop pushing your pretentious values on other people and try actually suggesting something useful to help the poster with their dilemma" -- you yourself did nothing to add to the real topic of discussion.

In either case, I like the idea of a glass table as well to make the space seem less heavy (along with my prior input of getting rid of the sectional). But I think the general set up is functional and looks nice.

I had a similar set up, which was problematic since I lived by myself, enjoyed tv AND gaming. My fireplace was not a working one, so I set it in front of the hearth. The black hole of a turned-off tv blended right in with the black cover. I couldn't make an permanent changes, but I thought it would have been awesome to wall mount it in/to the fireplace.

I'm still reeling from the use of "layout" instead of "lay out." Heavens!