apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I would start with lighting. Ignore everything else and just see how the room looks with good lighting and perhaps some plants to see how shadows are cast around the room and how it feels. It may give you a sense of whether you may want to paint the walls - a nice beige may be nice. It will also give you a sense of how you feel about the floors, and whether you may want to add rugs here and there. Maybe consider what direction the room faces and what time light comes through windows.

why not bring the sectional facing the fireplace and move the tv toward the center or other end of the wall where the sectional used to be? you could probably also move the bench in front of the fireplace off to one side and get a smaller coffee table for the center.
seems like you'd want to make the fireplace more of a focal point or at least a gathering area. right now there's only the bench.

I would suggest dividing up the couches.

Left (Fireplace) Section:
Leather sofa across the fireplace,
Coffee table inbetween the sofa and the fireplace
Wicker trunk thing on the left side of fireplace

Center (Baywindow) Section:
Leave as is

Right (TV) Section:
TV centered against the back wall (opposite of fireplace)
Sectional across from the TV
Leather ottoman from fireplace area placed so that the sectional and the ottoman make a C shape

Place lamps as needed... I haven't figured out what to do with the pink chair but you could place it next to the fireplace on the right side for additional seating maybe?

I would suggest painting the coffee table, buying some sidetables and matching lamps. The mantel needs some sort of artwork. Curtains for the baywindow.. Those would be the cheap fixes that you can take care of without spending too much $$$.

That space is lovely, I'm sure there are many possibilities.

I would divide the room, or isolate a small part of it, with a nice screen, or a bookshelf placed perpendicularly to the wall. Use throws on the chairs and sofas to coordinate everything.

I agree with the fireplace as the focal point, with the TV on the same side but in the corner. Slanting the furniture is a good idea to fill in the center like you already did.
Maybe a sort of office space in that niche area, with a desk and chair, behind the sofa and cut off from the rest of the room.

also, add plants, vases, and pictures : the space with all that huge wall looks really empty.

I would put the right end of the section to the right of the fireplace- a separate place for reading or napping. Too bad we all have the conundrum of the TV being the focal point. Nice place.

I have a long narrow living room of practically the same dimensions. I created two areas --- a conversation and TV watching area with a couch, coffee table and chair, and another area with a chaise lounge and lamp for reading and contemplative meditation. It's a solution that has really worked well in my place. I think what you're really missing is big art that would help pull the feel of the place together and a second area rug to help define the area near the couches.

I know, the part of the room with the fireplace could be treated like a seperate room (at least visually, ie the rug, sofa, etc) for example, the TV on the wall opposite the stained glass, the sectional on the wall under that window (that way it cuts off the rest of the room visually and creates a new axis without hiding the fireplace which stays the focal point of the room when you come in). In the niche you could arrange the rest of the chairs for sort of a "conversation space" far from the TV, but with an opening, at least an unobstructed view, towards the fireplace, maybe with a coffee table, nice lamps and so on.

The bow window is nice as is.

Just because you have space doesn't mean you need to stuff it full of things. My living room is 23 x 16 with a cathedral ceiling. It contains no windows, no fireplace and no television. One end is floor to ceiling bookshelves. There is a section between the bookshelves and where the furniture starts that is kind of like an aisleway to other areas of the house. The furniture consists of the following: four black leather club chairs, two matching hassocks topped with acrylic trays, an acrylic coffee table all placed on a large square area rug. There is a fake bamboo tree in one corner (it's decorated to function as a xmas tree), glass and white table with a candlescape and a simple wooden sofa table left over from old stuff. Sometimes even this simple room seems over-filled to me. Guess I just like the feeling of space around me!

Great space!

Maybe two simple bookcases on each side of the fireplace, three high not to block that lovely stain glass window on the right side. Something simple in white to look like they are built-in. Then on the left side put the TV on the top shelf. Place lamps on each bookcase and fill with books and some art objects you have or like.

Then place the sectional in front of the fireplace since this is right handed and a nice place to sit and watch TV (tv to the left). Then place the other sofa to the right of the sectional with its back facing the bay window, then the lounge chair on the opposite side so someone sitting there and see the TV.

Maybe using the bench as a coffee table with some big trays on top? Then one big area rug to in the center of the grouping. So basically you have one center sofa facing the fireplace, one sofa to the right and the lounge chair opposite of of the red leather sofa all floating with the bench in the center or another coffee table.

I would get slip covers for the lounge chair and leather sofa in a neutral matching canvas to pull some unity together, because is that lounge chair really pale pink?
Then accent the sectional with some pillows with a fun print.

The back wall nook would be great for a credenza something vintage and maybe two floor lamps on each side.

Great walls for art, the piece you have now is hung way too high.

OK I'm back, I just made a rapid sketch of my idea : hope it helps, ;-)

Here it is :

http://a450.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/116/l_9f560d56b57c79da6df20f551c2c2c09.jpg


By the way that niche area was probably originally intended for a dining room table.

Man you are so lucky! What a great, (and easy!) problem to have.

First, move the main furniture to the center of the room. It doesn't have to be literally the center, but a central area. Move things around a bit and see what feels best. A nook tucked away is great, but your main seating area should not be tucked away. Incorporate that big black thing, for the time being. Since the furniture is unmatching, invest in some fabrics that you can toss over them--you can do that either the casual way, or tuck it in (possibly a few staples underneath) for an near-instant reupholstering. Choose one piece you won't cover (such as the couch) and cover the others, especially the pink chair and black piece. By the way, those cushions don't really go with the beautiful couch you have--smaller, fewer, subtler cushions will work better. For the tv location... either have it a bit further from the main furniture, or else bring it closer and if you need an extension cord, staple that to the base of the wall. Honestly I think a nice dark red or brown fabric over the top of the tv would help with its very unappealing appearence. If it all seems like too much seating, you could take the pink chair, say, into its own corner and have a reading nook.

Second, put a nice arrangement of things on the mantelpiece. Maybe dried seed pods in a vase, a few pretty objects--not too small. What is in the fireplace, green candles? Try something else there. Christmas lights all together? Just white candles, of different sizes?

Third--you are stuck with the big pieces of furniture, but not with the littler things. Evaluate each one--if it doesn't work in the space, declutter it or put it somewhere else (ie in the individual's bedroom). Don't be afraid of open space in such a beautiful old room. The birch trunks are cool, but move them away from the fireplace--they don't go with that pinkish marble style at all.

Next, if you want to, paint. I'm changing my mind though--if you find good fabrics to cover the furniture and bring that color scheme together, you may not need to paint after all--that's a good, though conservative, color on the walls. Still, a warmer color would help a lot with the cool, anonymous atmosphere in the room. Also if you make creative paint choices, you won't have to buy as much art...

Fourth or fifth, the big one, put art up on the walls. Or fabric stretched over a frame. Avoid posters that give a drifting college student look. Also plants, bookshelves full of books, etc.

Honestly if you repaint the legs of the coffee table black or dark brown, it'll look much better and go with a greater variety of surroundings.

And finally, get some better window coverings. Roman shades are a nice, masculine-friendly choice.

Keep an eye open for nicer chair cushions.

Aside from pulling together a coherent look out of the mix, and getting the furniture placement right, you are mainly looking to warm up the room. Some of this will take time & selective collecting... so do what you can now, and be patient with the rest. There's actually a lot you guys could do right away, even if it won't get you to the destination instantly.

I too wish I had that same problem.

It would be great to see a layout of the current room!