Our Front Room challenges me. I have been working on a "Home Tour" to add to the blog and everytime I try to describe the front room, I find myself apologizing for it. And that's unfortunate considering it is the very first room our houseguests see.
I love the new wall paint color and the white painted trim and the new cherry flooring and window treatments. Don't get me wrong. But arranging furniture in this room is a challenge to me. It always has been.
It is 11 ft x 17 ft hallway, er, I mean, ROOM with 4 doorways, a bar counter and cold air return on one wall and a giant bay window on the opposite wall. Here is my attempt at drawing a quick little floorplan with "Paint". Enjoy...
The wall on the left (in the above floorplan) is the only wall that isn't all cut up with doors and windows, but it is so close to the front door and hallway door that you can't really put much on it. We managed to squeeze these two wicker chairs and a small table in between. But when you open the front door, it nearly bumps into the chair on the left. I also have a mirror I'm waiting for my hubby to hang here. (At one point we had an AMAZING gallery wall up there but took it down for trying to sell our house.)
After thinking on it a long time, I decided it would be a good idea to relocate the master bedroom doorway closer to the kitchen doorway. That would allow us to make an L shaped arrangment of living room type furniture by the bay window and master bedroom wall. But, alas, that would be a lot of work. But a lot of work that would be worth it if we were going to stay here a long time, in my opinion.
Alternatively, if we didn't relocate that door and continued to use this as a dining area, I'd love to swap out the rectangular dining table with a round table and upholstered comfy chairs. I think traffic would flow better around it and make it seem less like you're entering right into a dining area.
John & Sherry on Young House Love did this same kind of thing with their new dining area, which ironically is also in their front room, where there front door is located:
When they first announced they were going to use their front room as a dining area, I commented on it and asked them if they felt it would be awkward for the front door to enter into the dining area since that's the same issue I was facing. They said their plan was to use a round table and upholstered chairs to make it feel more like a living area than strictly a dining area. I think what they've done so far looks great. But, I still have issues with this concept at times...
Anyways, if I had a round table, I might even use those wicker chairs I have on the far wall around the table and replace the small sitting area with a console table, a lamp and a mirror. And I'd love to get a new rug. But again, I have to stick to the budget.
So what do you all think? Any budget friendly ideas on how to rearrange this space to make it flow better?
Regardless of this challenge, our Front Room has come a long way from what it used to look like...don't you agree? Ugh. I cringe when I look back at this photo. There are so many yucky things I could point out, but I will refrain.
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