How would you do up this living room?

[DecorDilemma]

I'm planning to get my living room redone, and would appreciate some outside perspectives on what would be best. I've attached photos from various angles so you can see the full room. It's pretty large (6m in length), so there's a lot of space to play with. The few furniture items you can see don't necessarily need to stay (though the piano most likely will, unless it goes to another room).

The one thing I'm not planning to change is the original parquet floor, and the only furniture items I'm intending to put in this room are (probably) the piano, and plenty of comfy seating with some side tables etc. I've toyed with the idea of having some kind of dining/board games table in here too, but I'm not sure there's a good place for it, and it's not essential. No TV in this room, and I'm not big on knick-knacks/display items etc. Feel free not to read the rest and just look at the photos, but otherwise, the main questions in my mind are:

1. What is the best location for a radiator? I am planning to strip out the current pipe system, which includes a horrible old skirting board radiator thing that I can't wait to get rid of (you can see in some of the photos that I've taken the cover off parts of it already to reveal the disgustingness within - and those things on the floor are the covers) and the radiators under the windows. I'm thinking of replacing these with one long pretty column radiator along the back (internal) wall. The only alternatives I can think of are along the wall the piano is currently on, or the two tall narrow walls opposite the door. I think the back wall minimises disruption from both a visual and furniture perspective, because I can't think of anything I would put against that wall, and it won't be in your face as you enter the room.

2. What should I do with the windows? The current ones definitely need replacing, and I'd like to minimise the amount of in-between/connector bits and maximise the amount of light. One thought is to replace each of the four main window bits with a single pane of glass, then have openers above the doors. Will that be enough openers? Another option would be to knock down the two walls either side of the door (but not the diagonal walls) and make a larger windowed area. I'm a little worried about potentially regretting this though, as it's hard to visualise what it would look/feel like. Any thoughts on why this would be a good/bad thing?

3. What should I do with the fireplace? The house is 1930s, and I can't figure out if the fire surround is from that era, and/or if I should keep it. Either way, I don't like the part below the mantelpiece, or the hearth, so they need changing. There used to be a gas fire in the current hole, and I can see that there was some additional brickwork put in to bring it down to this size, so it might be relatively painless to widen it again if there's any reason to. I don't want to put any kind of actual fire in there, so it will be purely decorative.

4. What should I do with the lighting? There are currently four ceiling light fittings, in each of the four corners. At the least, I want to change the fittings. But would you change the positions, or have something different entirely?

5. What colour(s) should the room be? It's north-facing, so isn't the lightest at the best of times, so I assume light colours would be best. I saw this and thought it looked really nice: https://www.direct-fireplaces.com/gallery-crown-arched-cast-inset.html - would it be weird to have just that fireplace wall painted something like that? I'm feeling so overwhelmed with all the options.

Thanks if you've read this far. I know there's loads of inspiration on the web, but I'm really struggling to get a coherent plan in my mind, so I'm hoping there may be things that are obvious to other people when you can see the layout.

Here's a diagram, roughly (but not exactly) to scale, in case it helps to visualise.

That is a lovely room! I would definitely change the light fittings, they look quite odd. Where you put new lights will probably depend on how you do the rest of the room. But possibly two ceiling lights a third of the way in the room? Maybe some wall lights too?

The floor is lovely so you can do a lot with that. What is your style in general? You'll have free reign to go dark if you want, or arts and crafts style, or modern scandi style? It's such a big room you could put in a couple of discreet areas if you wanted?

WHat are you hoping to use the room for? Reading/relaxing/music/entertaining friends etc?
I would nail the layout first then the rest can follow.
COuld you have the piano in the bay, facing in?

Ps. Personally I'd swap the fireplace for one that suits your style, but not paint that wall a different colour. You could do built in shelves either side if you wanted, or a desk one side.

Sorry scap the piano idea, I thought it was a baby grand until I saw the side on photo so that woudlnt work.

It's a lovely room. In your shoes, I would replace the current windows with as much floor to ceiling glass as I could to maximise light (something like this photo, but not necessarily Crittal), move the piano to the window recess, remove the ceiling lights altogether, and light the room with a combination of floor and table lamps (which can be wired together, so you can turn them all on and off together from a socket by the door, not have to go around turning them all on individually). If it's going to be a room for playing piano and sitting about, I would think very carefully about where exactly you would want to place your armchairs etc, and use that as a guide to where to position your radiator/s, so you're not blasting heat into the back of a sofa.

In terms of colour, I would definitely not use that blue anywhere -- north-facing light maximises the blue and green tones in any colour, and I think that shade would look too cold. I would decide whether you wanted to embrace the darkness and moodiness of a north-facing room and use a warm, rich, but deep tone, or whether I wanted to maximise the light by using a warm, light neutral. (It depends to an extent what time of day you will be using the room most? If it's going to be a room you most often use after dark, with artifical light, you can go stronger.)

This is quite a useful thing to read:

https://www.farrow-ball.com/us/how-to-guide/how-light-affects-colour

https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/gallery/farrow-and-ball-colours

I have a north-facing bathroom that I've painted a warm pinkish brown called Wild Mink, which works really well. I have F and B Dead Salmon in another room (not north) and it's great with wooden floors. I would paint all walls the same colour.

I suppose another thing is the parquet (which is lovely) is the only thing you're keeping, so work with that? I would probably buy some beautiful kilim-style rugs for it, too. In my Dead Salmon sitting room, I have dark gold curtains and a kilim in light colours, mostly golds, pinks, beiges on floorboards.

What a lovely room!

I'd recommend measuring and drawing an accurate plan. I used to do this on squares paper, but more recently I've found www.magicplan.app/ really good.
Then you can experiment with different layouts and furniture sizes etc.

Do you want it to look elegant? If so, a symmetrical layout with two sofas facing each other would look great. For a cosier feel you could have a big corner sofa.

Which direction does it face?

Paint walls, ceiling and woodwork (except floor of course!) brilliant white, which will look fab with that gorgeous floor. New window in the same style, because it's perfect for a 1930s house. If that is the original wooden window think twice about replacing with upvc. Furniture: as much wood as possible to fit in with floor. Accent colours: blue because it's the complementary colour of brown and will really make the floor and any other woodwork come alive.

I'd keep your window bay as os, it's correct for the period if the property, messing with it will ruin the proportions and charm.
I'd look to put a radiator on the small bit of wall where the piano currently is. But this might be dictated by current pipes if you're keeping the beautiful flooring.
Colour wise my 1st instinct was green smoke from farrow and ball. I'd go cosy, with a dramatic chandelier. Then add in lots of lamps at different levels, including picture lights. A cosy rug, big velvet curtains, comfy sofa. Plants. Make it soft, warm and cosy.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBH8fjqnwMF/?igsh=MW9oYzZzam0zcGJpeA==

Lose the wallpaper.

Thanks for all your replies so far - really appreciate it. To answer a few of the questions that have come up (and ask some of my own):

@Pleasehelpmedress What sort of ceiling lights do you think would work best, if I went for two like you suggested? Do you think long pendant ones of some kind would work? (The ones there now seem too close to the ceiling for the height of the room, which is 280cm.)

I have no plan to change the floor (though I think a large rug would be good somewhere depending on the layout - that's another choice I need to make!) As far as style goes, I like to keep things minimal in terms of "stuff", but I like colour and cosiness where it makes sense. It is quite a dark room though, being north-facing, so "bright/airy and cosy" would be ideal. I'd like to keep things correct for the period (or at least, not looking out of place), so that will influence choices.

I'm not currently planning to put in built-in shelves, because I find them to be clutter/dust-magnets and they're currently not needed (and I don't want to encourage accumulation of clutter :D). What's your reasoning for not painting the fireplace wall a different colour? I don't think I have a good sense for these things.

@trickyex I'm hoping to use the room mainly for social and musical activities (and some of my social activities are also musical). Re: the piano, this one is "hybrid" (a type of electric that has hammers to mimic the feel of an acoustic), which is why it has that weird shape that looks like a baby grand from the front. This is going to be replaced with an acoustic at some point in the next 6 months or so, but I'm probably going to go for an upright. I agree a baby grand could look lovely in the bay. When you say "facing in", what orientation are you thinking of exactly? If I get an upright, do you think the current wall is the best one?

@MadMadamMum Don't worry, I will be keeping the parquet! I think your point about keeping it light above the picture rail makes sense. Re: sage green, and greens in general, I've tried but I just can't make myself love it (but I do think the room in your first picture looks lovely and cosy, with the richer colour). I like many shades of blue though - any thoughts in that direction?

@MidYearDiary Re: the floor-to-ceiling glass, how much of the bay walls would you knock out to do that (just the bits on the same plane as the door, or the diagonal bits too)? Would you worry about it looking wrong for the period like some other posters have mentioned?

What's the reasoning behind removing ceiling lights completely? How would it work to wire them altogether - would it mean lots of wires visibly connecting them around the room?

Re: colour, I'm really torn on the light vs. dark thing. I love deep jewel colours in general, and I've seen (mostly in pictures) rooms that look stunning in deep cosy colours lit by artificial lighting. But I don't know if it would feel too gloomy during the day. I also don't know if I'm more likely to be using this during the day or evening, as my life isn't really in a constant phase at the moment. I guess social things are more likely to happen in the evening, but music could happen at any time (when it's not a work day). Do you think there's any kind of blue that would work in the room, given your points about cool tones? Thanks for the links - I'll take a look.

@Franklet Thanks for the link! I'd like it to look in-keeping with the period, which I guess is quite elegant, but I'm not keen on matching furniture (I prefer complementary). I also quite like the idea of mostly chairs of various kinds rather than sofas, for more configurability, so I don't know if I'd want two sofas facing each other. Having said that, if I saw a lovely example that would work in the room, maybe I would change my mind. It faces north (with a bit of evening sun coming in the diagonal NW window in summer).

@AudiobookListener I feel like I was always advised against brilliant white, but I'm not sure exactly why. Would you paint the fire surround in that?

The windows are already uPVC (and very old ones at that!). I had a window guy around who seemed very keen on aluminium frames, but I'm not sure if that would work here. I'm wondering if thinner uPVC would be the way to go, with fewer of the "dividers" between panes of glass, so there's a bigger window surface area?

@Seaside3 Do you know if there's anywhere I can find info on what makes the bay correct for the period? One thing I've never been sure of is if the bay is original or an extension (the house next door which has an almost identical layout doesn't have one), but I don't see any obvious signs of it being an add-on. I definitely don't want to ruin the proportions or charm by removing things I shouldn't.

Re: radiators, the pipes come through the walls (not the floors) in opposite corners - one in the corner to the right of the fireplace, and the other in the corner near the piano. This means the radiator can go anywhere, but if it's far away from either corner there might be some pipework that needs boxing in. Why would you put it along that wall rather than the back wall? Where would you put the piano in that scenario?

@mathanxiety Definitely!

It doesn't appear to be retrospectively added, there's no obvious added lintel or change in floor level/flooring. Google 1930s Bay windows, the square ones like this are quite usual. It also wasn't unusual for houses to be differently then, they weren't all built identically.
I meant to put the radiator on this wall, a tall one.
If you're not keen on green, here is a blue lounge https://pin.it/2T4nL9We2
Or this https://pin.it/2zCcd6Nqx
Or a nice earthy red?

This wall, sorry.

I'm going to go against the grain here and say get rid of the parquet... but only so you can sell it to me 😍

@Seaside3 Ah, I obviously hadn't Googled hard enough before. Do you think it would always have had the doors too (rather than originally having the wall all the way around and just window where the doors are now)?

I did consider putting a tall radiator on that wall, but I think it would need to be matched by an identical one on the "mirror image" wall on the other side of the bay in order to get the required heat output for the whole room. My concerns about this arrangement are (1) it might not be great aesthetically having two tall radiators dominating the walls that you see when you enter the room, vs. a lower, longer one on the back wall, and (2) I'm expecting it's more likely that I'll want to put furniture close to those walls than close to the back wall (e.g. if I wanted to put shelves in the fireplace alcoves in future). Thoughts?

I would scatter a few lamps along with the ceiling lights. You need to layer your lighting to help create atmosphere. You also need an oversized rug and chairs. Oversized not over crowded.

I'd have this. P = piano, so = sofa, c = armchair, t = coffee table. Small tables either side of sofa if space. Green circles are plants/lamps. Black is radiator.

Add a rug, a chandelier/cool light. Some nice big artwork.

I think any sort of pendant lights could work - you're right that the ones you have are too close to the ceiling. Like @MidYearDiary my preference would be to get rid of the ceiling lights entirely as I don't like them personally, but a lot of people do 😄

I think key is really deciding what you want with light Vs dark and that's hard. You need two identical rooms and one can be a snug! I'm not a huge fan of feature walls, and I think it looks odd if it's a side wall rather than the main ones (e.g. window or opposite in your case).

If it was my room, given what you've said - I'd go cosy (mustard? Or warm pink.) I have a valspar colour called dusty birch in a south facing room so probably not what you want, but in daylight it's a pale grey/pink and in evening a cosy dark pink/brown. Sounds horrible but it's not! I'd redo the fireplace, put a comfy chair either side for listening to music, or reading. Then in the rest of the room a more grouped social setting to suit however you socialise/play music.

I'm not sure if it would work but you could put some sort of bench seating in by the window?

One of the best lines I’ve come across on MN: “ In my dead salmon sitting room…”

Sometimes context is such a spoilsport! 🤣

It's a lovely colour! And I'm a vegetarian?

Re: the floor-to-ceiling glass, how much of the bay walls would you knock out to do that (just the bits on the same plane as the door, or the diagonal bits too)? Would you worry about it looking wrong for the period like some other posters have mentioned?

What's the reasoning behind removing ceiling lights completely? How would it work to wire them altogether - would it mean lots of wires visibly connecting them around the room?

Re windows, I'd take the whole thing out. As much glass as possible, especially if you are likely to want to use the room during the day, for playing piano. I'm not a purist about 'wrong for the period' if it means I can make a room work better while still being aesthetically appealing (which is obviously subjective). If you need more light, you can find a way to make it work. I've taken the entire back wall out of our Victorian kitchen -- it was intended for servants to work in, not as somewhere pleasant to hang out, and as it faces the back and side of the house, I felt freer to light it with a glass wall. I might feel differently if your bay was at the front of the house.

Re ceiling lights -- I think pendant lights are awful, give a horrible light, and I personally never use overhead lights at all (though because I have a high-ceilinged Victorian house, with original cornicing, ceiling roses etc, I haven't removed them as I think it would have looked odd. But I don't use them.) You need a gentle ambient light, with more focused/strong light for reading/playing the piano, and I think you should plan your lighting around that, and what lighting you need where will depend to an extent on the position of the furniture.

In our living room, there are a couple of wall lights and a table lamp, and a stronger light over one armchair by the fire for if anyone is reading.

No, no wires connecting them. Lamps would just plug into the nearest socket as usual, but you can turn on and off all the table/floor lamps at one go, from a single light switch by the door, just as you would turn on/off overhead lights. I haven't actually done this, but our builders/electrician suggested it when we were having the house rewired.

If you like blue, @DecorDilemma, I'd consider F and B Inchyra Blue, at the lighter, smoky end of dark blue paints.

This is F and B Hague Blue, and I'm only really posting this photo because the kilim rug looks nice with the dark wooden floor and dark blue walls, and I would definitely have a rug in your room to highlight the lovely parquet. .

What sort of windows does the rest of the house have? They look to me like original shape windows but that they have lost their lead light features. If you have lead lights elsewhere, I would add some copies of the design to those windows too, possibly just the small ones. Aluminium are very fashionable but I wouldn't swap to them, they are expensive, not in keeping and will be out of fashion before you know it!

Floor is fab, you're right to keep.

The ceiling is nice too, I would remove the ceiling lights altogether and light the room with lamps only.

I would find a sofa / chairs I loved and build a colour scheme around those. I'd want the chairs looking out - does it have a nice view of the garden?

The fireplace isn't likely to be original. I would remove. Do you want a fire?

Thanks for all the input since my last post. I've been having a good long think about it, and I think I may have landed on a layout that could work, but would very much appreciate your honest opinions.

It started from the realisation that, based on my BTU calculations, the style of radiator I want for the longest wall (something like this: https://www.bestheating.com/milano-windsor-white-traditional-horizontal-triple-column-radiator-choice-of-size-88699) doesn't come in a size long enough to heat the room sufficiently. The only alternative arrangement I could think of that retains symmetry and minimises obstruction of useful walls, is to have a tall vertical radiator on each of the walls either side of the bay window, and nothing along the longest wall. The main issues I originally foresaw with this proposal were (a) the piano would be too close to the radiator for its own good unless I moved it more towards the centre of the wall, but due to the way the door opens into the room, moving the piano closer to the door would make it an obstruction on entering and exiting the room, and (b) when walking into the room, the first thing you would see ahead of you is radiator, and they might dominate a bit.

My proposed solution is to flip the door so that the hinges are on the other side, and the door opens to lie flat against the piano wall. This means that the piano can be moved to the middle of the wall without obstructing anyone going in and out of the room. It might also make the radiators less conspicuous, because on entering the room the whole room is visible rather than just the wall ahead (maybe I'm clutching at straws there).

Thanks to @Franklet for the suggestion of using a planning app - it's made it so much easier to visualise how everything might look. I've attached 2D and 3D versions of what I've come up with, and would love to know what you think. Please ignore the colour of the walls and furniture - I still have no idea what to do about those, so this plan is mainly for layout purposes. Having said that, I would really appreciate more colour advice. I also haven't figured out exactly what to do with the windows, but this version assumes I'm not knocking out any walls.

With this layout, I've been able to fit a dining/games table in the bay, with upholstered benches for seating so that the inner bench can double up as part of the central seating area, as well as seating for the table. I put two armchairs semi-facing each other in front of the fireplace with a little side table between them, so that the fireplace is still a "feature", without having to have everything pointing at it. And those armchairs also form part of the central seating area. Then there's the rocking chair and the piano stool, which complete the circle of seating. And the sofa is facing out onto a nice view of the garden! I checked the height of my current dining table, and it's the exact same height as the wall in the bay, so the table shouldn't obstruct any of the view.

And from a different angle...