New sofa, empty space help?!

[ElleBelleLou]

Hello mumsnet!

I'm normally more at home in the conception topic, but yesterday I treated myself to a new sofa (I am head over heels with it and all I can think about is when it will arrive), but I need to rejig my living room a little for it, and I am hoping you can help me come up with ideas to fill the new space I'll have!

Currently my sofa sits back against a wall that is slightly set back, but my new sofa is too long to be there so will need to come towards leaving the gap behind it.
I've tried to draw the current set up and my idea, (I am no artist so it's not the best!) but must stress the gap behind the sofa is only 9 inches - not the mile I've made it look like in the drawing.

In my room against two angled walls I currently have two Ikea Laiva bookcases, and I am thinking of putting them behind the sofa with a third to fill that space - not overloading them but having a few books / decorations on them.

Any opinions - or how would you fill the gap?

Should've mentioned - I'm renting so nothing that needs screwing into walls etc

Could you not put the sofa on the opposite wall? If the door is further over than where the wall comes out?

My immediate thought was to swap sides too - but perhaps plugs are an issue for the tv?

Does your tv table thing fit where your old sofa was?

@notanoxfordcomma I had tried that with my current sofa just to see how I liked it - but that way when you look out the window you look out onto a bit of a wasteland ( not my garden but just beyond it ) - the other way (current way) it looks out onto my garden and then main road with a lovely view of the sunset in the distance on an evening!

Also because my sofa is a corner sofa, if it faced the other way I think it would block off the middle of the room in a strange way - my living room is almost like a corridor, very long with the sofa sitting just past halfway in, I'm not sure it would work

I'm fussy but hoping to keep it facing the same way it currently is - a lot easier for plugs, views and corner sofa orientation x

How wide is the room, it would work in a very wide room, but if it’s narrrow would look weird.

If the gap is only 9in and you out bookcases there, how deep does the gap need to become? To access the bookcases? Will you still have plenty of floorspace?

Exactly, as you need to be able to walk behind the sofa and use the book cases or it doesn’t work.

so op pull your current sofa out the three or four feet you’d need and then see what it looks like.

@Stuffynosetime very wide room! It's a strange shape - I think because it was one large house split into apartments, but the room is very long and very wide.

@notanoxfordcomma the sofa is a pillowback so the bottom of the bookcases could be accessed by moving a pillow, but I'm thinking of putting things on the bottom shelves I don't reach for as much (older well read books) so the shelves that are visible behind the sofa are not cluttered and decorated well. If I don't put anything on the bottom shelves of the bookcase then the gap can stay 9 inches - I'd be able to access every other shelf by moving pillows or over the sofa. Plenty of floorspace left x

Or just wall mount shelves above the sofa, so it kind of detracts away from the gap below?

Yeah bt that would look bad. It’s supposed to look like you can walk behind and access.

I'm so invested in this. Op will you send us a pic when the sofa arrives please

I think I'm aiming for something like this - but bottom shelves not in use so sofa can be flat against them. My new sofa is only 60cm tall without the pillow back x

@notanoxfordcomma I'm rented so can't wall mount - that would be my preference :(
Haha a long 7 weeks to wait but I will absolutely update!

@Stuffynosetime in my head it wouldn't look bad - but that could be wishful thinking for ease! x

I get where you’re going, but that’s built in…it’s recessed. In real life will likely look like it’s rammed against the book shelves

Trawled through my story archive and have found some pictures that may help visualise - ignore any text on them these are very old pictures but best I can find!

Picture one shows current TV bench and about 1/2 - 11/3rd of the floor space currently

Picture two shows my current sofa and the gap in the wall the new sofa will come forwards away from - to be in line with the other wall

Picture three shows bigger view of the wall, the mirror and shoe display etc is further up alongside the wall now - you can also see the bookshelf I have which I am hoping to put behind

Maybe that helps with any visualising? 😖

Very open to buying other bits of furniture to give it the right look if my current bookcase plan isn't going to cut it! x

I think scrap the bookcase idea and just put a big print on the wall? Command strip if the landlord isn't happy with nails?

@notanoxfordcomma my sister has just sent me this picture of her current set up - do you think something like that could work?

Maybe I'm overthinking it and don't even need to fill the gap with it not being over large? Something in my head just tells me it needs something there! x

I have almost floor to ceiling book cases behind a sofa. Looks great. If the back of the sofa with cushions on it, covers too much of the bookcases, it may not look so good, as Billy bookcases are not super tall. The proportions will look wrong but I think they have extensions to the Billy bookcases? You could put them underneath the others, so they appear taller.

oooh @GetOffYourPhone do you have a picture? I'd not thought about extending them so they were floor to ceiling - but now I'm thinking about it in my head that's how I expect it to look anyway! 🫢 you may well have solved my problem there

Or alternative option - fill the gap with two of these? Then pop a few picture frames / ornaments on there?

Apologies, wrong bookcase - I remembered the Ikea bit and jumped to conclusions!

@GetOffYourPhone don't worry - open to buying different bookcases! x

Old picture of the bookcases I have - though now they just have books and few ornaments / candles on :)

Also a picture of my view if I keep the sofa facing the way it is currently - a lot better than the alternative if I flip it round 🤞🏻