Remodel: Tackling Our New Great Room

Although we have every. single. room. to fill, our “new” great room/living room is giving me the most headache…on layout and design. I will definitely fill it with classic, neutral furniture, but I do love a little modern, a little rustic, and just a tad of color. Our two living areas are now almost one, so furniture placement is a challenge to ensure everything flows.

There are a few things we have to consider before I really start purchasing new furniture:

Even though we knocked down the half wall in between the two living areas, there is still a 1970s three-inch step down into the “family room” from the formal living room.
The formal living room has a large eight-window half circle area. I am sure there is an actual design term to describe this area, but I have no idea what it is.
There will definitely be a piano in the formal living area because Mat plays, but we have yet to decide on a baby grand or an upright.
The television will be over fireplace, so I don’t have to worry about television placement.
We opened up the kitchen to the family room by way of a counter-height breakfast bar. This means bar stools are essentially in the family room.
I like neutrals with lots of textures and layers.
The family room will be our “home base,” so we need comfortable furniture.
However, even with #7, my husband likes more tailored pieces.
We love to entertain, so we need lots of seating.

So, now to the fun stuff. Pottery Barn has a room planner, and I have fallen in love with the ease of the program. You are able to plug in actual room dimensions, and you can use Pottery Barn furniture or other common pieces. I used the program to give you this very sketchy version of my new great room, so you can se what I am up against!