Furnishing A Colonial Living Room

Q: "Many of the traditional Montclair colonial homes have long, narrow living rooms, which can be a challenge. Any suggestions?" — Martha Kolko

A. Bowling alley. That's how one of my clients described his Montclair living room. Measuring approximately 12' x 24,' with a large archway from the Entry Hall, windows on either end, a fireplace at the center, and a door to the adjacent sunroom — these classic Colonial living rooms are indeed challenging to furnish. Do you center your furniture around the fireplace? Do you push everything against the walls? What about those pesky radiators? And where do you put the TV?

Furniture arrangement is a lot like puzzle solving. You have a bunch of pieces of different shape and color, scale and dimension, and your hope is to find the absolute perfect way to put it all together.

Well, the truth is, there's no one way to solve this furnishings puzzle — which can be either liberating or confounding, depending on your personality. So much depends on your lifestyle and the way in which you want to use the space. But architecture can dictate a lot. So let me offer a few ideas.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER

When furnishing a space that doesn't lend itself to one large grouping, it's best to divide the room into vignettes. You can create a TV/family lounge area, a reading nook, a game table and/or a dining area by grouping together a few pieces and using area rugs, lighting, and fabrics to define the zones.

In the Colonial living room described above, I hesitate to mount the TV above the fireplace mantel. It's not so attractive and can take away from the classic styling of your home. But even more importantly, if you try to put your sofa opposite the fireplace/television, it's going to swallow up the whole room.

Instead, place the television on a low media cabinet next to the fireplace. Then furnish this back end of the living room with an L-shaped sofa-sectional, a coffee table, an easy chair, and a side table with a lamp. An 8x10 rug will help further define this lounge area. Ottoman cubes or stools can be pulled in and around the
coffee table for larger gatherings.

COFFEE & THE MORNING PAPER

With the wood floors exposed at the front end of the living room, you have an opportunity to create a second vignette. One option is a reading alcove -- two cozy wing-backed chairs with a small table between them, facing into the room. Floor lamps and full-length draperies on either side of the chairs to enhance the mood. Maybe a footstool. Sunlight streaming through the window behind you. Perfect serenity.

Another option is a dining nook. Use a 30-36" round tea table with two comfortable, upholstered dining chairs that allow you to linger. You can pull the table away from the window when you want to seat four. This is a great niche for morning coffee, board games, a holiday buffet, or cocktail service.

SCALE YOUR FURNITURE

Whatever your style — traditional, transitional, or contemporary — it's important to be mindful of the scale of all these furniture pieces. Heavy frames, bulky arms, and oversized pillows can make the space feel crowded. Better for this long, narrow living room to house furniture with cleaner silhouettes, tight upholstery, and tailored cushions.

Finally, be sure to coordinate the colors and fabrics throughout the room so that your vignettes pull together harmoniously and your pieces are interchangeable. Then feel free to rearrange — for a party, a change of mood, or just for the fun of finding a new solution to the puzzle.

Every two weeks, Tracey Kaufman Grossbach — whose design firm, ThinKinG Design, is a play off her initials — will answer questions from readers. So bring them on! Post as a comment or send an email to Shelley@patch.com.