Hi all,
The condo remodel is continuing, asbestos is gone & drywall is coming down - yipee! I'm now very much in the planning/layout phases and a bit stymied about how to do the living room...
I've been driving myself crazy trying to get this "right" and there doesn't seem to be one ideal approach. :(
Here are the challenges/features:
- wood burning fireplace we want to keep (but can be relocate) that must accommodate wall-mounted TV (small - 32 inches max)
- 12 foot sliding patio door which we want to try and keep as large as possible
- long bank of windows on back
- space is open to kitchen dining room
Everything else is up for grabs. The biggest challenge seems to be fireplace location. Wherever it ends up dictates everything else in the whole space.
So, we've come up with two potential layouts that play up the horizontal lines in the space using a raised hearth/seating area that goes with that groovy mid century modern vibe I love.
Sorry about the pictures - I'm not super talented with this rendering program & it's very limited by the items included in the library - specific finishes are way off, but the dimensions & ideas are there. The parquet will actually be a regular wood flooring. :) Plus, imagine the brown shelving unit is actually a beautiful art deco bar.
Option 1 - fireplace on the long wall opposite the patio doors
Option 1 Floorplan
Option 1 View 1
Option 1 View 2
Pros for this approach are creating a really cool feature wall, but a con is that it floats sofa in middle of room, which I keep getting told is a *bad* idea and hurts the flow of the room
Option 2 - fireplace beside patio doors
Option 2 Floorplan
Option 2 View 1
Option 2 View 2
Pros include allowing the sofa to sit right against the wall & makes the room more open, the main con is reducing the patio door to 10 feet which still has us sandwiching the fireplace & TV in to a corner where there is only 17 inches depth until we hit the bank of windows - we'll need to step out the chimney breast in a creative way.
HELP! Looking for some input from the collective wisdom here - which do you think is smarter, option 1 or option 2? Any glaring issues with either?
I've been staring at these for so long that they really don't represent anything to me anymore. *Sigh* Guess I should just get back to pulling out more drywall. :)
Thanks for the fresh eyes!!!
Wendy
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Thanks Mrs. Peacock,
I agree, the bar area looks quite anemic right now & we are planning on jazzing it up with a large art print or mirror or maybe even a glassware cabinet.
Not only is a complete reno, but it's also the merging of two households. Both myself & my soon-to-be DH are bringing our favourite peices. The bar is his. The sofa is mine.
Yes, we are happily embracing the ecclectic and refuse to stick to any one design approach or period. :) (wait until I start on about the kitchen decisions!)
We were hoping to turn the bar into a nice hosting/chatting area. Far enough away from the kitchen so there isn't too much overlap and to create another conversation area.
With the option 2 layout, the bar seems a bit lost/left out and I can't figure out how to get another conversation area in there.
Wendy: I am sure your space will look stunning no matter which way you lay things out. I think I prefer the 1st option. The only thing I do not like is the bar area. It looks lonely in the corner. I think it should be at the same level as the window for one thing but you also need height in that corner too. Maybe get the height with pictures or a large mirror or if there is room between cabinet and the wall, put in a tall tree (real or silk).
Another option is to move the bar to the wall where you have the shelf unit. The shelf unit could go in the other corner then.
Or, could you make a sofa table into a bar. If so, you could 90o the couch in the second option and put the sofa table behind it which would face the kitchen then.
Looking at the pictures again, I think what is throwing it off for me is that everything is at the same height level except for the placement of the tv. (All the furniture, fireplace, etc.) I know they are just drawings but I think that is playing with your mind as well.
Hope this helps.