2 rooms knocked into 1

[Katesmate123]

We have a Victorian semi with the 2 living spaces knocked through. We don’t need a dining space but are struggling to decorate and arrange the space. At the minute we have the tv and a corner sofa at one end and a large sofa and coffee table at the other. Only the TV end is used and the other side of the room feels like a dismal waiting room. I don’t want to post pics but I hope you can help! The walls are blue and there is a bay at the dismal waiting area end and a single window at the tv end. There is a fireplace at the waiting room end that isn’t central to that space or the room as a whole. The whole room just seems really depressing and unloved!

Hopeful bump

Could you put a desk at the dismal end in the bay? Nice to look out while you do admin.

Blue is a very cool colour, how about something warmer or rich, like maroon

Would you consider turning the space back into 2 rooms to create more intimate space? Perhaps not permanently, google room dividers.

D you still have your fireplaces? Make one or both a feature.

I think lots of people in a Victorian terrace struggle to know what to use the second reception as.

Mine is knocked through and I do use it as a dining room (we have a table in the kitchen too).

Do you have books? Could you make the unloved room into more of a study/library? With loads of built in bookcases and nice chairs and a desk?

I have a long lounge, I started like you with all the sofas and tv down one end but have now change it so that the tv is in the middle of the wall, there's a sofa opposite the tv, then a coffee table then another sofa at a slight angle facing the tv but still able to see out of the French doors with a bookcase opposite.

Then there's a dining table down the other end by the front window, but if I didn't need the dining table I'd have a cuddle chair and more book cases.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I would feel very on display day in the bay - it looks out on to a really busy road. We have thought about turning it back into 2 rooms but I think the way we live we would just end up living in the TV room and the other room would be empty.

The door opens into the middle of the room so the TV in the middle wouldn’t work.

Room dividers would be an idea and then the library idea would probably work better. With the position of the door I’m not sure what type of divider could work - any ideas?

www.bobvila.com/slideshow/divide-and-conquer-17-room-dividers-to-bring-order-to-your-space-44560#room-divider-slats

for ideas.

Or Ikea shelf unit www.ikea.com/gb/en/search/products/?q=room%20divider

Have you thought about shutters in the bay window for privacy? You might be more inclined to use it then...

Thank you. Some of the room dividers look good and some are shocking! Had to laugh at the natural trees. Quite like the Ikea shelving and the idea of shutters is a good one.

We have a similar layout and have used the ikea unit as a room divider, hopefully the photo attaches so you can see how it looks in our home. It works really well and I feel like we do now use both areas.

We split ours, front is an adult sitting room (in theory not in practice) and the other playroom is where the kids game-there is a tele in both.

We have a very long room that was once 2 separate rooms. We have the sofa and a chair, and the TV down 1 end at the front of the house. The dining table is then next to that, sort of in the middle of the room (not really used that much) and the far end by the patio doors is a play area for DC. If I didn't need the space for a play area i'd probably have the dining table pulled out fully but it would hardly get used at all to be honest.