Hello AT,
We just moved into a newly constructed home and can't figure out how to best furnish our family room / entryway combo (think of it as a big apartment!). The large room size combined with the odd placement of windows, open entryways to the kitchen and dining areas, and a cattycornered fireplace with TV niche above seems to keep leading us back to floating the furniture due to the lack of good "anchor" walls. We think AT readers will have great suggestions for us!
Thanks! John
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I'll take a stab at this...
First, I'd suggest creating an entry area with a loveseat facing the fireplace (with sidetables or a plant) perpendicular to the left-most wall. Have a sofa-table or console behind the loveseat as a place to put keys and stuff. (Well I guess you have a garage...can you tell I live in an apt?)
Opposite the love seat, two lounge chairs and a coffee table in between. In effect creating a living space that isn't fireplace centric.
Place a sofa opposite the fire place. Maybe two more chairs facing the sofa, framing the fireplace.
Good luck!
I'd add that you shouldn't be worried about floating the furniture. I think designers will tell you that it's best to keep the furniture off the walls if you can avoid it. It creates more energy, movement and interest to float the furniture away from the walls.
When we were looking at houses I also found the corner fireplace idea tricky. I found this picture (picture link in my name)which I thought was really nice. Also instead of two sofas, a corner (sectional) sofa would work here too.
We have 'Basso' sofas from Collezione Divani (a Canadian company, go figure) that are very good room dividers. They are designed to be sat on the back of!! No endless yelling at the kids to get down!
http://www.collezionedivani.com/basso.html
They look uncomfortable but are not - and generally I hate low back sofas.
What if you put your dining table in the entry as you walk in. Then it would be right off the kitchen. You could do a tv/media room where the dining room is. Then by the fireplace a small seating area for reading by the fire, guests to relax as you make dinner, etc. Maybe a chaise and a couple of chairs?