apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

It doesn't really matter what you do with the fireplace until you get the TV out of the corner. DON'T PUT STUFF IN CORNERS. The crib mentioned above works because you can SEE through it. To make the mind think the room is large, the eyes must be able to see the walls and the corners. This is why a small room can FEEL large. Move the TV etc. under the windows, perhaps side by side instead of stacked. The fireplace has a brass insert. Do you want to keep it? Do you want to paint or stucco the bricks? Do you want to open the fireplace? Is it a working fireplace? Can you place the DVDs somewhere else? The DVDs are overwhelming the fireplace. You are very lucky to have perhaps the first thing every room needs, a focal point, and a great one at that in a fireplace. Move everything away from it, and let it shine.

that crib surprised me, someone put baby in the corner!

Team Decor--
Post your comments on the actual thread so the owners of the room can benefit from your comments!

Thanks for your suggestions Team Decor. It's hard to tell from the photos I sent in but when the blinds are up the wall of windows to the right of the fireplace overlook the garden and a beautiful old tree. The floor to ceiling windows are definitely the first thing your eyes are drawn to upon entering the room, making that wall the main focus. We use the fireplace alot in the winter and we want to create a real organic, simple and restful look around it that compliments the view outside. The lobby of Hotel Vitale here in SF is the sort of the look we would like (see hotelvitale.com).

The folks at AT SF had some great suggestions. So far we've replaced the two photographs above the fireplace with one piece of art and the driftwood which was concealing lighting for the prior artwork has been moved. We no longer have a tv on top of the cart to the right of the fireplace but we still use the cart for our stereo components so we've turned it to be flush with the wall. The doors to the cd cabinet actually close (should have closed them for the photos) so it's less busy on that side. While I like the suggestion about moving everything away from the fireplace to let it shine, we need to have both the stereo and cds in the room and with the wall of windows that wall is the only place for both. Maybe the answer is a long, shorter cabinet for the stereo components to the right of the fireplace with a plant on top. For the fireplace itself we're going to paint the brass surround and either paint the fireplace surround white to blend in, another color based on some photoshop renderings or cut a plywood surround and finish it. I hadn't thought of stucco until now - thanks.

Everyone has helped kickstart my ideas so much that I'm almost looking forward to winter and fires in our beautiful fireplace.

Thanks AT!

P.S. No babies in our house but I really like that corner crib!

NOBODY puts baby in the corner. :D (sorry you KNOW I couldn't resist!)

I love the corner crib and I agree with TD that the clutter near the fireplace hides it, and the tv in the corner isn't working for me. I also have to say that I don't dig the two prints over the fireplace. In my opinion, the molding above the fireplace screams for one large striking piece rather than two.

Also, I can't tell what the huge brown thing on the mantel is and the brass in the fireplace makes it look dated. Again, only my opinion. :) ~Monica

Why not utilize the corner for a crib, especially in a small space where it's impossible to leave space unutilized? My wife and I are planning a nursery for our soon to be newborn, and we decided to use our 'trunk room' (a cozy 5'9" x 9'2"). Corner to door = 34", so crib and dresser will line up along the wall with a chair in the corner. Baby will face away from door, getting view of room, light, etc.