We bought our new townhome sight unseen. Fear not! I won’t be buying any furniture until we close and lay eyes on it, but it’s fun to think about what we might want. We don’t know if we will sell our Florida condo furnished or not. They are often sold furnished down here and our listing has, “furniture negotiable.” Gotta see what a buyer wants. Regardless, the space and vibe are very different in our townhouse than in our beach condo, so we will mostly be starting from scratch in the downstairs space. The only thing that has to go somewhere in the living/dining/kitchen area is a keyboard for ds to play when he visits. Which won’t be often, so it doesn’t need to be front and center. It’s encased in walnut and looks like a narrow console table when closed. 55” long and 13” deep.
I’ll attach the stock layout that was in the listing simply for measurements. Some of the layout has some challenges.
Additional measurement info:
The stair wall is 10’5” long to the visible stair railing. The hallway adjacent to it and the kitchen is 9’2” wide. Island is 4’ (I think - definitely only room for two counter-height stools).
We are more likely to entertain with apps and drinks than dinner parties. It’s just dh and I, so we will likely often just eat at the island. Still, I must have some sort of table for dining somewhere, but it’s probably fine if it only seats four people.
(Also, I know that area labeled pantry looks weird outset the half bath. It really isn’t. All the cabinets in there are closed, and one side is a, “launch,” area with hooks for coats, and a seated bench with drawers underneath. So, it’s not like you are walking through visible canned goods and cereal boxes to get to the potty)
So, how would you arrange this space? What furniture items and placement would you suggest?
If you are starting from scratch, why not employ a designer?
I just visited a friend who moved to a condo from a house. They built their house and now the condo is also new. She had beautiful furniture but it doesn’t really work in the new space.
She worked with a local nice furniture store and the designer had some great ideas for her new space. She did wait 6 months but has ordered new furniture.
I have another friend who also bought all new furniture for their new condo.
And for that reason, I hope your condo sells furnished. Because it’s so hard to transfer from one space to another.
I agree with @deb922 about the designer idea. Might be worth even just a consultation to see how the space could be imagined by someone else.
I also agree with the idea to purchase new furniture for the space. Only bring furniture pieces from your current home that you absolutely love. Anything else, sell as part of your current place.
If you aren’t planning on having lots of dinner parties, I might re-imagine the space with the dining table being placed in the space between the kitchen and the stairs. It would give purpose to that wide open space, and more importantly (imo) give you much more flexibility with the rest of the space.
That was my thought too. My sister did this…and created a nice casual sitting area where the eating table was. Comfy seats with a great table in between. Lots of breakfasts and casual meals there. And coffee or tea time.
Might you put a small round dining table- 4 chairs in the dining area and then the keyboard against that back dining room wall?? Could the keyboard closed act as a small narrow buffet space for entertaining?
The keyboard could also be used like this table I have behind a couch in our open living space. It stays closed like this most of the time with just a couple items on top (and someone sitting on the couch might put a glass or their phone back there) but when entertaining I open one drop leaf up and put appetizers and such on it for good “party” flow.
If you move the dining table to the area between the stairs and kitchen…you could put the keyboard on the wall just below where it says “dining” and have a little comfy sitting area with table between that and the kitchen area.
I grew up in a small house, with a large combo living room/dining room (pretty - picture windows both ends). We had a drop leaf harvest table at the rear window, 2 captains chairs against the wall at each end. For special occasions, we opened the table. Now in that case, we had chairs at the kitchen table we could borrow. Vintage Pine Long Drop Leaf Farm Harvest Table 1980s - Etsy
I’m someone who likes to create different sitting/hang out areas - even for Just H and I living in the house.
Can you put the keyboard on the staircase wall?
I would put a small dining table in the dining area and then two swivel chairs with a little table between on the back dining room wall. A conversation area. Or reading spot.
Where would the TV go if you are going to have one? Either side of the open space but not against the porch wall. The couch could go as in the drawing or turned around to face the other wall, or against the either wall. For the TV- the light from the windows might interfere if placed on the other side. Do you have plugs on the floor?
The dining table I would place in proximity to the kitchen. The keyboard against the wall at the entrance to the pantry?
Also might entertain on the porch, so there is that furniture, too.
For regular daily use, a rectangle table can go against the staircase wall. One chair on either end and two on the long side. Pull the table out when you have more people.
Leave the chairs and TV in the pic where they are and the TV would go on that wall opposite the couch.
Then put the keyboard on the wall in the old dining room opposite the kitchen. Create a nice easy chairs and coffee table area for casual sitting, reading, etc.
Personally, I like a dining table to be near windows and light. I would probably put it in the corner to the right of the porch entrance near the windows there. Then I would put a couple of comfortable easy chairs and a low table against the stairwell wall for comfy reading, light breakfasts, evening snacks, etc. You might not even want to bother with counter chairs. The TV could go against the wall on the other side of the porch entrance with a couch across from it.
I would put the keyboard against the wall at the top of the diagram (guessing one door goes to the garage and the other to an outside entrance; not sure which is which. I’ve also been idly wondering which side of the pantry could be converted to a little stall shower .
You mean dining room table where the living room is now?
I’d want the areas I planned to use most to be near the windows. A dining room table would not get used that often here. That living room with the windows is nice and bright.
The current DR table placement has no windows either. Sooo. Think of some nice lighting for that area!
I like the window idea, but I prefer my dining room table be closer to the kitchen. And…I think @Hoggirl needs to think about which spaces she will use the most.
@Hoggirl some furniture places offer free consultations. Might be worth inquiring!
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