How to decorate a narrow L-shaped, odd ceiling height living room

by Patricia
(Pittsburgh, PA, USA)

View from dining room

View from dining room

View from dining room
View from opposite end of room
View standing on hearth
View from above

My particular room is a little difficult to describe. It is a long relatively narrow space with a small L shape at the one end.

The long space has a fireplace with a raised hearth that protrudes into the room.

Part of the room has a vaulted ceiling with a balcony/hallway above running the length. The base of the L has a lower ceiling.

Right now most of the furniture is arranged at one end of the room with most pieces against the wall.

I know the common recommendation is to pull the furniture away from the walls but with the narrowed area I can't visualize how to arrange them!

I'd like to get new furniture so I can pretty much start from scratch except for possibly a few key pieces.

I've attached some photos.


long narrow room interior design problems
View from opposite end of room

long narrow room interior design problems
View standing on hearth

long narrow room interior design problems
View from above


Any help with how to set-up this room would be greatly, greatly appreciated!

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How to decorate a narrow L-shaped, odd ceiling height living room

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Feb 21, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		Emphasise the horizontal....
by: Charlotte

Hello Patricia

Sorry for the short delay in reply - but I've been away...

Your home looks lovely actually - an unusual and interesting space, with a lovely focal point fireplace, and nice big French doors....

...but I can appreciate your problems with the long, narrow living room...

It can be really difficult with a long narrow room to stop it feeling like a corridor...

Don't worry though - as there are a few ideas you can use to help your room feel more square, and hopefully to try an arrangement of furniture that will suit the room better.

Some decorating tricks you can try for making long, narrow rooms feel wider, and more square, are to paint, or wallpaper the 2 end walls.

Using a strong color, and particularly a warm color (these are colors like reds, pinks, oranges, terracottas, yellows etc) will help bring the 2 end walls 'in' visually, and this will help your room feel squarer.

You can also get similar results with a bold or striking wallpaper print, and particularly if you use stripes.

Wide stripes are better than narrow stripes - this is just to get the whole 'feel' of the room appearing horizontal, rather than accentuating and exaggerating the length of the room with vertical lines.

I see your walls are very neutral, so if you aren't into a lot of color on the walls, perhaps try a wall-hanging or artwork that gives the same horizontal suggestion - even something as simple as a long horizontal frame can create the right idea...

This is the whole idea behind arranging furniture in narrow, corridor-like rooms too - rather than furniture being arranged against, and in line with, the long walls, try and put some pieces horizontally across the room, to emphasise this axis, and to break up the long lines going down the length of the room.

You can also get similar effects with arranging furniture at a diagonal, too.

If you are prepared to buy new furniture, I'm sure you will have plenty of options - of course, the main thing to consider when trying to arrange furniture diagonally or horizontally into the room is not to choose pieces that are too long...

If there's not sufficient space to walk through, past the furniture, you'll just be emphasising the fact that the room is too narrow!

Continues on next comment...
Feb 21, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		Continues from above comment
by: Charlotte

Continues from above...

Of course, I see that some of the cabinets and cupboards you have are certainly not suited to standing in the center of the room...

...so for your room, I'm thinking perhaps make a similar arrangement to how you currently have your sofas and coffee table...

...but positioned 'horizontally' (ie at 90 degrees to what it is now) in front of, or either side of, your lovely fireplace - that way you get to enjoy your fireplace focal point too....

....and the windows are left clear, to enjoy the light and views from these...

You might need to just try out which angle works best for your coffee table, in that spot, or perhaps try a square, or round one, if you are buying new?

Try and get your other furniture pieces on the end walls, rather than the long walls - you should also have plenty of space in the little alcove section too, now.

If you still feel like everything is lining up against the wall, a simple trick like a rug in the center of a 'space', aligned along the horizontal, can help create that wider feel, too.

...(you will probably end up with 3 separate 'spaces' within the room, if you arrange your seating areas by the fire as suggested).

Try and use your little alcove for a focal point, or little reading area, piano etc. (I can't work out is that a little piano you have? or a desk? or just a cabinet?) so that you have a reason to use this little part of the room...

Look at some more tips for decorating long, narrow rooms, here...

You might also find these pages on decorating tips for awkward shaped rooms and small spaces and low ceilings useful.

I do suggest you make a layout plan, if you haven't already done so, and certainly before you make any new purchases - and try out your new furniture arrangements on paper first....

It's not as complicated as you might think - find out how, here...

You can also try out first with your existing furniture, or just shapes of the correct size made up with chairs, piles of cushions, draped sheets, towels, etc - to give a more accurate impression of how things would look in your room if you took a particular arrangement...

I hope some of these ideas help you Patricia - good luck with your room makeover - let us know how you get on, or if you need any more help...

Best wishes

Charlotte :o)
Feb 23, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		Thanks!
by: Patricia

Thanks Charlotte for all the helpful information!

I've been wanting to add some color to the room so I'm going to try painting the end walls as you suggest. Possibly add some artwork to them too. Where on the end walls do you think artwork should be placed, high-up or at normal hanging height?

I hope to work at rearranging the rest of the existing furniture (and any artwork) on paper next to help visualize the space better.

It is a small piano as you suspected and placing that in the alcove space possibly with the reading chair from the other end of the room might just make that space work nicely! I'm still not sure about where to place everything else so it fits better but you've given me a place to start. Thanks again!
Feb 24, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		You're Welcome!
by: Charlotte

You're welcome Patricia :o)

I would put the artwork at eye-level (when standing).

Try to emphasise the horizontal in the room, by creating a long horizontal stripe with artwork - either one long frame (horizontally, of course) or if you have, say, 3 pictures to use on one wall, line them up horizontally, rather than vertically.

I think positioning artwork high up on the wall would emphasise the long vertical lines instead - lower down, at eye-level, will help to widen it out a bit.

Some color on the end walls sounds great - remember to stick to bright, strong, or dark colors, (mid-tones too, if you prefer) and preferably warm colors - tones with yellows, oranges, reds, terracotta etc.

Positioning the piano and a reading chair sounds a lovely idea - a nice little quiet space - or musical space if you're playing the piano!

Good luck with your makeover and re-arrange!

Do come back and ask again if you need any further help.

Best wishes

Charlotte
May 16, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Decorating tips
by: Furnish 123 San Antonio

Thanks for sharing your space. Your home is beautiful, although I do understand the difficulty in decorating a narrow space.

I agree with the reader above that a bold color would really help make the room pop! Also, you may want to try adding some chairs or recliners in place of the couch to help make the space look bigger.

All in all, you are off to a great start with the space!

Best of luck!

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