Hi AT,
What do I do with my sofa-less living room?
I'm starting over after a divorce, and I have a chaise lounge that I love for reading and watching TV, 2 side chairs for guests, TV on stand, bookcase and 2 side tables. Everything I read regarding room layout insists on a sofa! I'm perfectly happy with my chaise, and do not do much entertaining. But it also poses a problem in arrangement because the chaise will not function space-wise as a couch, obviously. How to arrange?
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The chair & chaise were both thrift store finds. I recently slipcovered the chaise, and if you could also please tell me what kind of rug I should use over this godawful wall-to-wall I would certainly appreciate it!
Thanks for all your help. I've been struggling with this arrangement now for 7 months!
Thanks,
pbphoenix
Dear pbphenix,
Since you're starting over we hope you'll enjoy the opportunity to make all your own decor choices! That's the silver lining to many breakups. ; )
Don't worry about not having a sofa. Rules are made to be broken! We'd just be concerned with having enough comfortable seating for the guests you do occasionally have over. If possible, position your furniture so that you can readily rotate the chaise alongside the wall that faces the TV when you have visitors. Keep a long round bolster and some pillows on hand to convert it into extra (sofa-like) seating.
As for the rug, we'd like to see the red underfoot replaced with a nubby-textured rug in a cool, complementary color like a pale sage-y blue. That will nicely offset the red chaise and the yellow walls. A good budget source is Home Decorators' Collection.
Anyone else?
I wouldn't worry about the couch, either. What's great about a chaise is that you're not forced to design around 90 degree angles like a sofa or chair; you can position it however you'd like. I agree on the blue rug, but maybe something with a little more "bite". Not too loud, maybe a soft turquoise, like the color of the link text on this site, or the color used in the "link to all good questions" icon (it comes up as a dusty turquoise on my computer). Because everything else in the picture has warm tones, the rug should have a touch of that as well, like a blue with a hint of green to it. Anything too soft in tone might get overwhelmed by the bright yellow walls and the bright red chaise. Good luck!
I don't have a sofa, either. I'm single, I don't entertain much, and I live in a tiny studio. So I decided to go with a table and chairs instead. A voice in my head keeps saying YOU MUST HAVE A SOFA, but making room for the smallest loveseat I could find would involve getting rid of furniture I use. Anyway . . .You could put the two side chairs facing the long side of the chaise, with a side table or two inbetween, like a traditional sofa/coffee table/chairs layout. When you have visitors, you could sit at the end of the chaise and face them.
If you're not a sofa person, you're not a sofa person. Keep an eye out for more thrift-store cushy chairs and gradually build a seating group of three or four, including the chaise.
Another rug option is sisal with a dark brown border. It gives you instant texture and really defines the seating space. (Okay, yes, I have a black-bordered sisal rug over beige wall-to-wall.) You can always color-up with pillows, throws, and accessories.
You should check out Turquoise's living room which was featured on AT:LA sometime ago. She uses four chairs for a look that is both glamourous and inviting. http://la.apartmenttherapy.com/la/guest-posts/designer-dissection-venice-living-room-008014
I would love a sofa, but a 4x4 metre (13x13 foot) living room that also has the home office & library - no room.
So I have 2 Ikea Poem chairs & footstool (very similar to Poang set at a 90 degree angle with a small table between them.
The important thing is to keep guest seating at the same eyeline, so one person isn't higher than the rest. I have two chairs on my balcony that can come inside, and a can chair in the bedroom.
My husband and I lived in a sofa-less apartment for many years. We had a Japanese kotatsu (heated) table along with Japanese style cushion chairs. it was perfect. Friends and family gathered around the kotatsu for many dinners.
The Japanese style cushion chairs (which can fold flat) are great.
You can purchase those in Japantown for about $35 each.
I had a similar situation in my last home, and I removed one of the arms on my chaise so it could function both as a chaise and as a modified sofa (opening the chair to remove the arm, and put wood 'blocks' in its place for support, was relatively easy and done carefully did not mar the upholstery). Otherwise, I'd say make sure you have a pair of chairs for guests that are on the same par (for comfort and seat height) as your chaise so there's not a single 'best chair' in the house. For the rug, I'd keep what you have (the red), but simply add a 3 or 4" carpet binding all around the edge in a suitable color (turquoise or yellow, for vibrancy; black or brown to ground the rug; a compatible print to your chaise for a classic look). As for arranging the room, I'd put the chaise either parallel to the wall or at a slight - rather than sharp - angle from it, with the chairs across (as as if the chaise were a sofa), so you can sit at the foot end when company comes?). Best wishes, and I think you'll find starting over can be a challenge, but also great fun (Its just like magic. When you live by yourself, all of your annoying habits are gone. Merrill Markoe).
That's because those books are traditional in thinking about a living room. But, what if you thought of it as a library/ media room with the chair, chaise and table around the room and a kilim or oriental area rug underfoot, complementing the colors in the chaise and chairs.
I say this because visualizing a story can help guide you as you sccumulate and decorate over time and keep the idea moving foward. Good luck.
Even for entertaining, sofas aren't necessary - a lot of people don't like to sit right next to someone else and will do so as a last resort anyway - kind of like taking the stall NEXT to someone in a public restroom... :)
As long as the chairs or other seating are comfy enough to let sitters relax, I wouldn't feel pressured to have a sofa. I'd sort of like to have a sitting room with two chaises and a table in between them, myself.
Love, love the chaise!
Sofa or chaise, everyone needs a place to put their feet up!
Thank you all for your helpful comments!
Rucy -- How funny! I'm actually in the middle of Merril Markoe's latest book RIGHT NOW! Love the quote.
Patrick -- I like the story visualization idea a lot!
ebrown -- I did see Turquoise 's LR on HGTV. I like that idea.