Seems from the pic, you've been trying to put everything on the rug and able to reach the center ottoman. Not necessary I think.

Facing the tv, could you put two slipper chairs, angled in with the brown end table in between (off the rug). Since you have end tables next to the couch, is the ottoman needed in the center all the time? If not, you could place on the right side, off the rug, just pull in when needed.

I love the old suitcases by the way!!

Jus went to your house tour and love it! My fav is the dining room table & bench. I love your vintage, quaint with a touch of modern space :-)

I was going to say lose the stack of suitcases. They serve no purpose. OR, you could replace the end table by the sofa with a few of them...that way you still get the vintage look but they make more sense; and it buys you some valuable floor space.

I grew up with a pair of two-level side tables just like that one in the foreground--small world.

Couple of ideas...first, I LOVE the suitcases, too, and they serve as great storage. I'd switch the two side tables, I think the two level works better beside the sofa. Is it comfortable viewing tv from sofa? If so, leave it...you could do four smaller storage ottomans instead of the one large one in the centre. You could also do a low back couch outside the perimeter of the area rug, in bwtween the existing couch and chair, you might have to lose one table, though. Good luck!

It appears that everything is shoved into the end of the room close to the TV - if your seating area were pulled away from the end, you'd find that you have plenty of space for another armchair.

How about a sofa in front of the TV. It will create an "L" shape with your other sofa. Then tuck the chair where the suitcases are.

I think your original setup looked better. Can you go back to that and put a small chaise where you've got the accent chair in the new setup? I feel like it would look more balanced that way.

I'd move your couch to in front of the t and bring in either a chasie where the couch is, or another chair and ottoma. make a U shape facing the tv.

pam h
howtorunyourlife.blogspot.com

For the love of anything and everything, FLOORPLAN PLEASE!!

AT, can you make it compulsory for a floorplan to be included with questions like this? It's really pointless trying to answer without one.

Stationeryfiend - there is a floorplan if you click on the link to the original post and home tour.

I think if you want three seats, two should match. In a small space, a sofa and two matching chairs, or a sofa and matching love seat and one chair -- something like that -- minimizes the feeling of clutter that makes a space seem too small. Slipcovers could accomplish that, too.

Forget another couch, loveseat or chaise. Your room is not large enough for them, especially as you seem to want seating organized around tv watching. You need to add a chair. There are lots of ways to have a comfortable layout, with still some flow to be able to walk through the room, with your loveseat and two chairs. One way is two chairs across from the loveseat, with a small endtable between the two chairs.

If you want more seating than that provides, get rid of the loveseat and get a longer couch that seats three if you have room for it (can't tell much about space from your pics.)

Forget the ottoman. Takes up too much room. If you want to put your feet up, get a chair where the footrest flips out when you sit, as it saves space. There are some that look like nice chairs, not like your father's recliner, and you can't even tell there's this feature from looking at the chair. Adults aren't comfortable sitting on ottomans for long - they want a backrest.

It's difficult to tell how much space you have and the traffic flow without having a floorplan to reference, but I will try nonetheless.

1) If you can get a longer couch and are willing to replace your existing sofa, do so. That will immediately add more seating without sacrificing precious squarefootage.

2) Downsize your end tables and buy a tall bookcase. You have a lot of empty vertical space in this room that is being completely wasted. I would put it against the TV wall beside the couch so you can display your vintage treasures you have found on your travels. The bookcase should balance out the mirror. Put a suitcase or two on top of the bookcase and continue your theme. Use the shorter stack of suitcases as an end table (you may want to strap them together though to be sure they don't topple over if a guest uses it as a table).

3) Buy a second (preferably matching) chair or (as someone else suggested earlier) a pair of slipper chairs side-by-side or paired together with a small table in between. Scale is extremely important in such a small space, so be sure they're more dainty than substantial. You'll need room to move. Slipper chairs are also nice because they take up less visual space and will allow your guests to see more of your room. I would put them on the outskirts of the rug directly facing the window (btw, you may want to get a bigger rug...again, scale is important and it will look ridiculous if you have a ton of furniture around a small rug).

4) In lieu of the ottoman, I would purchase a coffee table with either two or four of those stools you can store beneath it. A glass top would give the illusion of more space when the stools are in use, plus glass is clean and easy to maintain. As an added bonus, sometimes the stools house additional storage for blankets, throw pillows, extra linens (especially nice if you have a sofabed). True, most adults are more comfortable with backs on their chairs making stools less appealing, but I'd rather sit on a stool than sit on the floor or stand for an extended period of time.

5) If you still feel like you need more cushion space in you place, you may want to look into a bench of some sort. I would go backless on that one (facing the TV), with or without arms. With all of the upholstered furniture, I would keep the fabric sturdy and the print simple (to extend the life and style longevity of your furniture), and add bold colors, prints and patterns using pillows, blankets, paintings, and other decorative accessories. Don't be afraid to play with textures...that will add depth to your space. It looks like you have a pet since you have a blanket covering your couch--be mindful of that when choosing your fabrics.

6) If you still feel as though you need more seating, go Moroccan and grab some nice floor pillows. If you go this route, be sure to have a coffee table that will provide some leg room if you or your guests want to eat at it.

7) Lastly, if you DO end up getting a tall bookcase, put your TV equipment in it along with your DVDs (organized in nice baskets of course) and mount your TV (but don't mount it too high). You can then place additional seating beneath the TV. You can also mount a narrow shelf beneath the TV to disguise some of the wiring if you can't have it recessed into the wall.

Good luck!!! Be sure to give your guests leg room and enough room to move between groupings of furniture (i.e. the chairs facing the window and a bench facing the TV), so no one is stuck trying to shimmy through your new seating. You can also stash extra seating in an entryway, under a sofa table, or in another room to grab when you have a large gathering. Just be sure to imagine how people would utilize each seat and move around the space to ensure functionality. ;)