Decorating Dilemmas is a weekly column in which our stylists answer your design questions, so you can tackle your home decorating project with complete confidence.
Dear How to Decorate,
I have a large, open great room with several doorways. My husband wants a 70 inch flat screen TV, and I’m trying to layout my space.
I have a couch floating in my room but no floor plug for lamps. My space also has a high, vaulted ceiling.
The photos feature the former owners’ furniture. Help!
Lynda
Hi Lynda!
What a beautiful space that’s full of great natural light and amazing architectural details. We know that decorating around ornate architecture can sometimes feel overwhelming — it’s important to remember to pick pieces that accentuate the architecture in the space. Let the ceiling being the ‘wow’ statement. We’ll work with some pattern and adding texture to pull together a warm and inviting space, perfect for watching a large TV and entertaining.
Our Manchester Sofa in Suzanne Kasler Linen Parchment offers plush down filled cushions that are comfortable for watching TV. It’s shorter depth allows you to also use this sofa for entertaining. To add some interest in the space, we suggest pairing this sofa with the Courtland Club Chairs in Cleo Glacier. The patterns on these chairs offer great movement and fluidity to the design without overwhelming or competing with your ceiling. Our Graham Large Ottoman in Washable Velvet Taupe helps add warmth and texture. Our Double X-Bench can be used to square off this open area and add additional seating while entertaining.
A great rug is the foundation of any room so we recommend our Adelaide Rug as the perfect choice to ground yours. The perfect harmonizing blend of blues, greens and taupes adds a special touch that ties everything together. Now the main feature of your question, we suggest our Aiken Media Console to accommodate your large television. The finish will echo the rug and add a rustic touch.
Accessories are important so we have a few suggestions for you. Our Meyers Pillows and Signature Velvet pillows in Doe will tie everything together, and the warm brass of the Olivia 30” Mirrored Side Table will add a feminine glean to the space. On top, our Ombre Table Lamp has a gorgeous glazed finish and will give your room ambient light when guests are over.
Another great suggestion is the addition of our Classic Garden Seat in Burnt Gold. This piece carries the same warm brass tones over to the club chairs. Our Big Frog Stretched Canvas echoes the warm and cool tones in the room and provides a great additional focal point that really helps define the space. The overall feeling of this space is warm, cozy, inviting and well-balanced with the architectural elements and openness of the room.
Happy Decorating!
The Design Team
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Joanne B
Hmmm. I certainly hate to be a trouble maker! While this certainly is nice choices for sure, I’m not sure how this would actually work with the layout of the room and the dining area where it is now. While I recognize the pics were from the previous homeowner, it looks like your suggestion for sofa placement infringes on where a dining table is now. Unless Lynda can position the dining table and chairs possibly back over to where there is a desk over by the kitchen, your suggestion for the sofa placement doesn’t appear to work with where the dining area is now. I live in south Florida as well, and it is desirable to be able to position the sofa to somewhat face the outdoor pool area which is a BIG part of Florida living. The position of the sofa as you suggest eliminates that completely. My ideas: try relocating the dining area back over to the kitchen area, to the left of the slider out to the pool area, where the previous owner has a desk in the photo, where there seems to be a chandelier already. Place the new larger TV/media cab on the wall where the TV currently is and have the sofa face it, “floating” into the room with the back to the kitchen, facing the TV, as the sectional is now. A glance to the left allows sofa sitters to enjoy the pool view as desired. Try the club chairs over where the dining area is now in the pics for a separate yet nearby sitting area, perhaps now with a Ballard round table/table cloth set up and another lamp in that area. If the dining area doesn’t work over by the kitchen and it has to stay where it is there will be no option to use the club chairs there and maybe they could possibly be worked in over by the sofa, one on each end of the sofa facing inward, perpendicular, one facing the pool, one with the back to the pool or perhaps both facing the pool, side by side with their backs sort of creating a ‘hallway effect’ into that doorway to the left of where the previousTV/new larger TV will be. Some type of console/desk where the previous homeowner has one now does work to create that ‘hallway’. This certainly is a tough one-and no electrical outlets in the tiled floor really complicates things even more. The sectional the previous owner does seem to work actually-maybe Lynda should take a tip from that. A great design on paper has to work in real life and having lived in Florida now for 21 years this just doesn’t relate to the way we live here. Sorry! Just trying to keep it real ladies!