Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Long & Narrow Living Room

If you live in West Hartford, CT., chances are you live in an older home where you have a challenging room or two.  Our challenging space is the living room -  it is long and narrow.  I am considering having a set of casegoods/bookcases flank our front facing window like the picture below.


I would love to see the rest of this room.  I believe it is designed by the design team duo Good Bones, Great Pieces.  Below is a picture of my bookcase that I would like to use to flank our living room window (picture from my old home).

Green Street

The problem is I have only one which I bought years ago for a steal from Lillian and August.  I would like to find its twin so I can create symmetry next to the window.  I don't know what the likelihood is of finding it's twin??  I need to look into it.  

But, for now, I am thinking about this look.  This would give us the necessary storage and shelf space we currently lack.  But, I'm a bit on the fence if I really like this look.  



The two images above probably illustrate best how narrow our living room is and I wonder if the bookcases make the room seem cramped?


This room seems wider, more spacious and the bookcases don't feel like they are dominating the room.  I would have to play around with the bookcase styling as I'm sure that can make a big difference too.  Decisions, decisions.  Who knows, I might not even find it's twin and will need to do something like this instead.  


While not exactly symmetrical, the desk and large yellow piece of artwork help balances the secretary on the opposite wall.  Design at it's best - working with what you have and fooling the eye to make you  believe that everything works seamlessly.  

12 comments:

  1. love the bookcases and I would find another one that looks similar to the one you already own. I think they would look great, even if they don't match!

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  2. I actually really like that last photo with the hutch and the desk area. You're right it still works and one doesn't out weigh the other. If you really wanted to do the two bookcases, you could always have one built just like your original.

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  3. Fantastic inspiration pictures! My favorite is the last. It's functional and I love the interest of having the hutch in the room. Houses is West Hartford are beautiful! I worked on S. Main for several years before my oldest was born.

    Angela

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  4. Ooh...love your bookcase! Hope you can find its twin...I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya. I'd love to see a pic of your living room...maybe there's another option? Furniture placement is tough, isn't it? Especially when you have a limited budget!

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  5. Wouldn't it be great to find the twin to your Lillian August bookcase on Craigslist or something? Would you consider installing built-in bookshelves to flank the front window? I guess you'd have to be 100% sure that you like that look before taking that step!

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  6. I hope you do find the twin - love the look. I remember LGN's bookcases flanking her living room window and have loved it since. Have considered it for our living room too.

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  7. I think I actually prefer the twin bookcases in the 'skinnier' rooms rather than the last, wider room. Somehow the look more cozy and built-in in the narrower rooms. Like they belong there.....In the wider room, they just look like extra storage.

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  8. I have the same deal in my family room - it's like a bowling alley. Love the inspiration photos and the architecture created by the pieces flanking the window. Good luck!

    www.chattafabulous.blogspot.com

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  9. See you've worked it all out for yourself in the post. If you can find it's mate (and it's a gorgeous bookcase, by the way), great. If not, follow Ashley Putnam's lead and go for balance.
    Camille

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  11. I think the pic you posted of the wider room looks less cramped because the items on the bookshelves are all books lined up neatly. I think the other spaces look cramped because the shelves are over styled- too crowded and messy looking. good luck with whatever you do. I'm sure it'll look smashing!

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