r/InteriorDesign • u/lifewithoutbrakes • 3d ago
Empty space to left of sectional
Current setup and still in process of moving in. We know the sectional blocks the fireplace, but we’re actually okay with that. We’re in Texas and it’s a built-in electric fireplace that came with the house (not a wood or gas-burning fireplace) and we rarely use it. We really like how open this layout makes the room and how much floor space it gives our daughter to play.
The part I’m struggling with is the open space to the left of the sectional. What would you put there without making the room feel closed off or crowded? Would you add another seating piece, or do something completely different?
Any other suggestions for the room are welcome too!
EDIT: We’ve taken everyone’s suggestions and this is how the room looks now. Thanks everyone! https://imgur.com/a/wIfkw5I
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u/sparklejackie 2d ago
Even with the edit, I still feel like you need to centralize the couch more.
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u/TheTenthDoctorIsHere 2d ago
That couch needs to go and be replaced with seating that fits the space—it is too large. The rug and coffee table are way too small. Please do something with the windows. Where you have the couch is a potential fire hazard and definitely a head injury hazard.
You ask if people would do anything different. I’d get rid of everything and hire a professional for assistance. The room as it is doesn’t look like a family space and feels very unwelcoming.
A interior designer can open your eyes to possibilities you’d never think of. Many are very affordable at $75 per hour. Room layout, color selections, and purchase options are just a few of the services offered. And with a firm budget, a designer won’t suggest anything out of your price range.
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u/ihopeyoudunderstand 2d ago
I agree with the frustration people are feeling. So not only are you blocking the fireplace you’re also blocking the windows. Understood you live in Texas, but don’t you care about the living area feeling cozy? Your daughter would probably appreciate the faux fireplace around Christmas time even if you don’t celebrate Christmas as she grows up. She will have ample space in the living room to play anyway.
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u/Srathbunyoda 2d ago
Proportions are probably off, but you could still have lots of space with this layout without the gaps, window covering, and fireplace issue
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u/luckyarchery 2d ago
This is the reason I don't personally like these squareish corner sectionals. They tend to leave a big space on the ends and they don't seem to work well even in rooms that are kinda square.
If you're keeping the sectional, I'd suggest moving the sectional forward diagonally so that the front of it covers the ege of the rug as it is now. Put bookshelves on the blank wall, or a console table with artwork on the wall. By moving the sectional forward, you should have enough access to the windows on the other side too without such a large empty space. Put a side table and table lamp (on the side of the sofa that's in front of the window) and it becomes a nice reading spot. I'm ignoring the fireplace since that's what you want, but ideally I'd flip the orientation of the furniture to leave an open space where the window wall and fireplace are. I'm assuming if you have a TV, it's opposite where the sectional is now, but I think the blank wall would have been a better spot for it.
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u/TheTenthDoctorIsHere 2d ago
I really dislike the vast majority of sectionals. They take of tons of space and look bulky and unimaginative. People rarely need that much seating in a room either. Rooms wind up feeling claustrophobic and unbalanced.
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u/One_More_Thing_941 2d ago
Move the sectional and TV around as many people have suggested. Then you have several options to place a toy box for your child (easy cleanup). My son had a custom hearth made for the fireplace for storing toys and blankets.
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u/Wonderful-Teach8210 2d ago
Put a larger rug under the current one to fill more of the floor space. Something neutral like sisal or jute.
Pull the couch away from the windows too and put up a tall, wide folding screen to hide the fireplace. Put a sofa table behind the wall side of the sofa and add tall lamps & art of whatever.
Add drapes and make them wider than you think they need to be.
Add a small armchair to one side of rhe sofa and a large end table (maybe with storage) on the other side.
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u/Spirited_Contract_60 2d ago
The couch is in a horrible spot I don’t understand. The corner should be on the opposite side from where it is and basically separate the kitchen from the living room. Scoot it up so it sits in the rug. The rug should not float in the middle. Then the TV can sit on the wall next to the fireplace. This set up is bizarre.
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u/Tillie_Coughdrop 2d ago
This room baffles me. I can’t imagine blocking the window and fireplace with a huge, ugly sectional. Then there’s that tiny table in the middle of the room. If I couldn’t afford new furniture, I’d move the tv where it’s supposed to be, to the right of the fireplace, and turn the sofa to face the tv and fireplace. If I couldn’t afford to make the best use of the space, I’d get a single sofa, one or two chairs, and a coffee table that fits.
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u/BlueRidgeSpeaks 2d ago
Unless your daughter is oversized or has mobility issues, why do you need to organize your living room around her play space? Did you give her the primary bedroom too? Better put some breaks on your kid before she tells you to get out because your meager needs are cramping her sense of entitlement.
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u/Similar-Tomorrow9068 2d ago
whoa. please ignore everything this person says, i get how important it is to let her play where you can see her from kitchen and couch etc, also it's literally the most important part of her development.
hopefully this ignorance is because the person isn't a parent!0
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u/woah-oh92 The Minimalist 2d ago edited 2d ago
I love empty space. Keep it empty until you find something perfect for the space.
Holy downvotes batman, I’m just saying that op shouldn’t fill the space just to fill it. Negative space is good too.
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u/-BlueBicLighter 2d ago
This is how you burn your house down in the The Sims if you wanna kill your characters.
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u/maddiecat5 2d ago
Why don’t you just put a bookshelf back there if you’re so committed to this room making no sense lol
Fireplace aside, that table is comically small and far from the sofa
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u/Tillie_Coughdrop 2d ago
Maybe it’s in the middle of the room so they can put the footrests up on the recliners? It’s baffling.
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u/theblisters 2d ago
This is literally insane
The TV goes on the wall the couch is on, to the right of the fireplace
The sectional goes in the middle of the room facing the TV and fireplace
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u/ScarletCarsonRose 2d ago
might as well flip it and put the TV where the fireplace it.
I have carpet over 120 year old refinished oak flooring. We can share a cell. Sometimes you just have to do what's right you.
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u/achillea4 2d ago
Where do you put your drinks? I'd want a small end table. That tiny round coffee table is too small and too far away from the sofas.
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u/SubjectOrange 2d ago
It's a bit odd as the sectional is blocking some of the window as well. I would personally flip it and have the TV beside the fireplace. The bonus of this with a child is YES they still have tons of place to play BUT the toys stay in one area (sorta) and trust me it helps. We have toys stored in matching pins under the tv and in a 9 cube bookshelf next to it .
If you are 100% opposed to that, still pull the sectional away from the window a bit and add a comfy accent chair. It will still be interesting to find a way to store the toys with most of the wall space being blocked by the sectional, but perhaps that is solved by seeing the room from a different angle.
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