Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How much furniture is in your sitting room?

76 replies

user1477282676 · 27/01/2017 04:23

The reason I'm asking is because we've just moved house...we've left a small house and moved into a large one. The new house has two sitting rooms in addition to a large kitchen and a dining room.

I've realised that the two sitting rooms look empty even though they're quite small rooms.

One has a large sofa in it, a big, heavy bookshelf...tall one. It also has a desk and chair.

The other sitting room has a small sofa, a coffee table, a middle sized bookshelf....and that's all!

I don't go for a lot of ornaments but feel that perhaps this is why the rooms look sort of empty? What am I missing?

They both have open fireplaces and I'm planning to get nice rugs for both rooms...I also have some nice paintings to hang...will it look better then?

OP posts:
Original poster
user1477282676 · 27/01/2017 04:25

Oh..I used to have all this furniture in one room at our last house...but now there are two sitting rooms I'm struggling to fill them even though they're not that big!

DH and I are pleased with two sitting rooms by the way...so we don't want one as an office or anything...we're both pleased that we can sometimes have a room to ourselves!

OP posts:
TitaniasCloset · 27/01/2017 04:29

My living room, small but not tiny. Has two sofas, a TV stand, two tall bookshelves, a dining table and four chairs and a small bookcase I'm planning to replace with a cupboard next couple months. I wish I had two living rooms!!!

TitaniasCloset · 27/01/2017 04:30

Congrats on the new house.

steff13 · 27/01/2017 04:34

Our living room has a tv on a stand, a child size desk and bench, a sofa, a recliner, a rocking chair, two end tables, a floor lamp, and two large plants.

Our family room has a sectional sofa, a tv on a stand, two computer desks, two end tables, a cabinet, and toy box/bench, and a treadmill.

Original poster
user1477282676 · 27/01/2017 04:35

Thanks for replies! Hmm....I think I need a rocking chair! Or two! And perhaps a couple of big plants might help a bit.

OP posts:
UsedToBeAPaxmanFan · 27/01/2017 04:54

Our living room is quite long and narrow. We have a sofa and two arm chairs, plus a footstool. A big bookcawe. Two coffee tables. A piano and piano stool. Big mirror over fire place, a bright rug and some paintungs on the wall.

I think a rug is a good idea plus pictures, to make a room look more cosy.

GinAndOnIt · 27/01/2017 05:03

Can you put stuff on the walls so it doesn't look so empty?

We have a big sofa, a chunky armchair and a wing backed chair. Two side tables next to chair and sofa, rug in middle, coffee table. Then a half height cupboard plus half height bookcase, then just 'busied up' with mirror above fire, lamps, pictures on walls.

SilenceOfThePrams · 27/01/2017 06:12

One sitting room - corner sofa bed, piano, Welsh dresser, toy cupboard, armchair, beanbags, toys, tv table.

The other sitting room, three piece suite, book cases, coffee tables, computer.

In theory one is more for child based ruckus, the other for calm conversation. In reality the children prefer the "quiet" room and anyone actually wanting quiet relocates to the playroom.

It is lovely though to have one room where we mostly don't go during the day, so if it's utter chaos at day's end, you can just retreat to the untrashed room for a bit.

KingJoffreysRestingCuntface · 27/01/2017 06:22

Sitting room 1: Two sofas, four bookcases, stack of stools, long TV unit, arm chair and a coffee table.

Sitting room 2: Chunky sofa, three bookcases, large rabbit cage, corner TV unit, arm chair and a small coffee table.

NapQueen · 27/01/2017 06:24

Our living room is large and also has the dining table (it's the only reception room), so four seater sofa, armchair and footstool, table and four chairs, bookcase, wicker hamper, side table at each end of the sofa with lamps on and a big standing lamp.

If I had the rooms you did I'd make one living room a TV room with lamps, heavy curtains, comfy sofa and blankets etc and use it in the evenings. The other one would be for daytime or visitors etc - no tv, three sofas in a U shape in front of the fire with a big square coffee table for board games etc.

MuteButtonisOn · 27/01/2017 06:27

It's lighting that makes more of a difference to the feel of the room.

Sleeperandthespindle · 27/01/2017 06:41

One of ours is a tv room. 3 sofas and 2 walls of bookcases.
The other has a fireplace and big window. It has a wall of toy shelves, 3 sofas and a piano. Big plant in one corner.

Sleeperandthespindle · 27/01/2017 06:42

Took us ages to get ours sorted as we moved from a small house with very small living room.

SickNotes · 27/01/2017 06:48

Two sofas, a rocking chair, a sort of 1950s deep armchair, bookcases all around the walls, plants.

BoomBoomsCousin · 27/01/2017 06:48

We have a good sized living room. There are two large sofas, a "bar" cabinet, a media cabinet with TV on, a rug and two small side tables. I think we could do with an extra chair.

I agree with Mute that lighting is important, but I also think you need more than one piece of seating furniture. There's something about having seating facing each other (or at 90 degrees) that makes things more welcoming.

blueskyinmarch · 27/01/2017 06:54

I have a largish sitting room in it I have:
Two sofas
Chair with footstool
Three small tables
Coffee table on a rug
Console table against a wail.
Long stool under the window
Tall bookshelf shelf/cupboard
TV unit with tv
One standing lamp and two small lights.

It looks lovely and cosy.

I also have a family room. That just has a corner sofa with a table at either end, a TV unit and a TV.

Ifailed · 27/01/2017 06:56

I remember when we moved from a small 2 bed flat to a 3 bed house with two receptions rooms. It all looked empty, and we were tempted to buy lots more furniture - however, once we got used to it the extra floor space was a blessing. It provided somewhere for the kids to play when they were small without getting under people's feet, could keep an eye on them but also relax and have a cuppa . Both rooms had open fireplaces, and the front one a bay window.
We added more shelves and started buying pictures etc from 2nd hand shops and soon realised how cluttered and difficult to negotiate some people's houses were that felt more like furniture show rooms that homes.
So, maybe hold back for a bit, get used to the space first and then decide whether you need more furniture.

AllTheBabies · 27/01/2017 06:59

Too much! I quite like it though.

It's a big room so we have our small dining table and chairs in there too.

Big corner sofa
Armchair
Side table
Small table for the stereo system (that we never bloody use!)
TV stand
Cabinet
Small set of drawers for junk
Currently a large toybox but that'll move to a bedroom soon.
One standing lamp and 3 small lamps.
One large pot plant that has been slowly dying for years. I don't have the heart to throw it out.

melj1213 · 27/01/2017 07:00

I live in a two up, two down mid terrace and only have one living room and no dining room so mine has a sofa and armchair (both with fleecy throws and cushions), tall bookcase, dining table and 4 chairs and a tv unit that was built into an alcove next to the chimneybrest with TV on. I also have artwork and photos on the walls, a huge mirror over the fireplace and a really thick rug, but it's all about comfort and utility - I don't have a lot of space so the furniture has to either be functional or practical - my sofa needs to be big and comfy enough to snuggle down on and watch a movie marathon, but not be so big that it takes up valuble living space

My parents live in a large 5 bed victorian semi with seperate dining room and two large reception rooms - one for best and one for everyday. The everyday lounge is set up with the focus on the TV as a comfortable room to just kick back and relax and not worry about putting your feet up whilst the kids tip out the toybox in the middle of the floor, whereas the formal sitting room has no TV and is very much set up for when people come round and you all sit round chatting politely with a cup of tea and a biscuit and a child's toy will never pass through the doorway.

The "good front room" has all the heirloom furniture and looks like something out of Downton - three piece suite; huge watercolour artwork over the open fire (with large mahogany fireplace and marble hearth); solid mahogony dresser, rolltop desk and china unit; inherited ornaments and display plate collections; heavy curtains; antique rug; chandelier - the works all done in deep reds, golds and greens. The "everyday" lounge painted in bright/airy colours (duckegg blue, pale yellows, teal, white) with huge squishy L sofa and armchair, covered with throws and cushions, built in cream blinds on the windows, 55" wall mounted TV, dog bed and cat blanket, my neiblings' toybox, loads of family photos and random knicknacks, tall pale wood bookcase with glass doors mostly full of chick lit paperbacks and autobiographies (and two drawers full of random crap) and the computer desk built into a little alcove that leads into the utility room and downstairs loo.

AnarchyKitty · 27/01/2017 07:02

We have two sitting rooms. Both with open fires. Room 1 has an L shaped sofa, a coffee table, rug and sideboard. There's lots of tall plants, lamps and baskets for wood and coal skuttles so it's really cosy. I have a painting and rose fairy lights in the alcove. It has very deep window sills where we have a huge vase of lillies . Room 2 has sofa, coffee table, lamps, wood baskets, TV unit and bookcase. It's not as cluttered as it sounds! Again, it has an alcove and deep window sill where I have plants etc. It's a very calming room.

PurpleMcPants · 27/01/2017 07:05

We have the same issue, we moved from a house with a normal sitting room to one which is absolutely massive (6m square!) so our furniture just looks a bit lost. We still haven't figured out what to do with it. We have 2 large sofas, a rocking chair, a small armchair. Tv on a cupboard. Coffee table, rug, kids table and storage unit.

Callmecordelia · 27/01/2017 07:07

We moved from a flat with an all in one living/kitchen/diner to a house with a large living room. We had four bookcases, a sofa and a desk.

At first it did look empty. We bought some more matching book cases to ones we already had, a nest of tables, two armchairs, a big rug and an electric piano. That was too much - it all fitted but it was messy looking.

We've got rid of the desk, it was never used except as a dumping ground, one armchair and the original sofa. It's been replaced with a larger one, but it sits in the room better. It took a while but it's just right now.

TwatteryFlowers · 27/01/2017 07:09

We have a tiny living room. All we can fit in is the huge corner settee that takes up most of the room, a standard lamp, a side table and the TV cabinet.

chipsnmayo · 27/01/2017 07:13

I have an open plan living and dining room, which contains:
Dining table
Computer desk with PC
TV
Sofa
Armchair
Chaise lounge (old fashioned one)
Two tiny coffee tables.

fishonabicycle · 27/01/2017 07:25

Fireplace, shelves on left of it, TV on right (on a low wooden cabinet thing). Two sofas, one big pouffe, rug, small set of drawers by one sofa. Pictures on walls. Photos etc on shelves.