Recommendations for Great Room
Hello Duane and others,
My wife and I have changed the furniture around in our Great Room at least half a dozen times since 2010. We want to finally buy some high quality furniture but we are having trouble deciding "what" to buy. I would like to take advantage of the H&M Feb promo so now is finally the time to make some decisions.
I have attached some photos of our Great Room. The sofa and black chair are to be replaced but I would love some input about configuration and furniture needs. I have also enclosed the floor plan that is overall 15 width X 19 length and the length angles toward the base of stair landing.
I would like to have very little or nothing in front of the window. That view is the highlight of our house as it is on a hill and overlooks a huge grass land. In suburbian Minnesota it is almost as good as it gets.
We are finishing our basement so the TV is not the focal point anymore, more about entertaining, small and large group conversations, and relaxing(reading/naps).
1)How is the current configuration? We are struggling with creating an intimate room that is large but yet has major obstacles(large window and stairway). I don't like dead space especially if we are entertaining a larger group.
2) If the current configuration is the most feasible, do I just replace the 79" sofa and black chair?...larger sofa and/or add a loveseat?
3)We have thought about a sectional but I don't think it works unless it is in front of the window.
4)How do we place end tables and lamps? Coffee table?
Thank you in advance for any input. I am very grateful for the service you are providing, you obviously have a passion for the business and people.
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Re: Recommendations for Great Room
My attachments don't seem to be working. Is there a trick? Thanks.
Re: Recommendations for Great Room
If you are clicking on the icon for attaching a photo you should then see a pop-up requesting you to select a file. The Tab choices are "From Computer" or "URL". Most folks would be loading the photo from their Computer and thus when you click on Select Photo your file-access would allow you to click through to the location of the photo on your computer. If the photo is of the correct format choices and not larger than allowed the photo file/s should then show up in the pop-up box. If their is not an "X" to the right of the file name then they should be ready to upload. You would click Upload and they should then be visible at least in file name text format within the Forum Reply Box. Once you write whatever you want to accompany the photos and click on Post Quick Reply your Post should show up with the Photos showing.
Re: Recommendations for Great Room
My thoughts about your room, realizing the photos are not currently available to see. If you have a particularly large room, then I like the idea of individual pieces rather than a sectional. This will give you greater flexibility for future rearrangement and also allow you to keep lighting, end-tables and/or coffee tables where you want them. I wish there was a way for you to see the Rugby Club Sofa, Rugby Lounger and the Rugby Chair and Ottoman with the Town and Country Promotional leather (Weston Cane Burnished) because it is actually a very nice cover and perhaps one of the very best within the T&C Program. While can't see the grass-lands view from your room, I can imagine those Rugby high-style pieces offering years of comfort and satisfaction in your Great Room. The Rugby is Sporty and Relaxed, while to me the West End in the T&C leather looks a little more formal.
Re: Recommendations for Great Room
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Studdabaker
My attachments don't seem to be working. Is there a trick? Thanks.
Make sure they are not too large. You will see a red marker when you upload them if they are.
Also, some photos just have to be run through Photoshop to work, why I don't know.
You can always go to www.photobucket.com and open a free account, up load them there and then copy and paste the link into your message here. Many forums require that as the photos done via message attachment eat up bandwidth (which costs money). I pay for a LOT of bandwidth here, so you can have the ease to load attachments right to the forum. That may change in the future however, I just wrote a $ 1,100 check for the forum hosting this month (click the ad at the top of the forum each time you visit, brings in revenue to this site and helps pay for this forum). Here's a sample of a photo from my Photobucket account that I simply cut and paste here. You can see they show up in large size, rather than a thumbnail. This is really the best way to do it, but does require that extra step to load to Photobucket.
http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/...2/DSC00656.jpg
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Re: Recommendations for Great Room
Re: Recommendations for Great Room
OK, you are almost there!...See where you load your image into Photobucket? To the right of the image it says SHARE LINKS. Then you have two text boxes, one says HTML and the other IMG. Hover your mouse over the IMG link and copy it to your clipboard with a click of your mouse. Then, simply paste that in here on the forum. Quick and easy, then it will look like this:
http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8j0en5lt.jpg
http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/...psgcmwy5mt.jpg
http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/...psads4bgrh.jpg
http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/...psuerty7qe.jpg
http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/...psamq8rmpp.jpg
Re: Recommendations for Great Room
OK! Let's have some fun....decorating. I agree with you to leave the window space open - I don't ever like to place furniture in front of windows whenever possible. However that is a big piece of glass and sure to allow cold into the room in the winter time, especially after dark. For privacy and to retain heat in the room I would suggest you consider some nice hardwood venetian blinds that you can raise and lower - I see you have a roll-up solar shade in there right now, your inset box on the window would be perfect for wooden blinds instead. Next your room could really benefit from some crown mold and chair rail, in the same color as you baseboard molding, especially the crown (ceiling) molding as that will define the rooms. As for furniture, I'm liking a sofa right where you have the existing one now - though something in the 83" or larger dimension, and then where you have the two matching chairs - a loveseat to match the sofa (I know, you probably want to keep those chairs there). Then a single chair in the corner where the black chair now sits. I see you like transitional style, however the room is very squarish - so I'd like to see some curves in the furniture for some balance, rather than straight lines on everything. Some ones to consider:
http://www.hancockandmoore.com/produ...productid=2021
http://www.hancockandmoore.com/produ...productid=2388
http://www.hancockandmoore.com/produ...productid=2213
Some of these don't have matching loveseats (only as a customs) but this should give you enough to start with for now....
Re: Recommendations for Great Room
How about a Bradley Sofa and Love Seat where Duane suggested and put the two gray chairs on either side of the fireplace?
http://hancockandmoore.com/printable...productid=1464
http://hancockandmoore.com/printable...productid=1465
Re: Recommendations for Great Room
This is great stuff! The crown/chair molding sounds like a great idea since we were trying to think of something to dress up the room besides just furniture.
My desire is to put together a long term plan for my future furniture purchases. Duane, I like your suggestion of buying one or two good quality pieces of furniture per year. So at this time I am gravitating toward replacing the sofa and black chair since those are the immediate needs for this room. The pair of chairs are flexsteel we bought a couple of years ago. They were our first new furniture purchases during our marriage of 19 years. We went by historical brand reputation of flexsteel and boy was that a mistake! They were not cheap but yet very low quality and uncomfortable; unfortunately they are lower on the list for replacement. I found your webpage due to research since I had to believe there was better value than the over priced brands at box stores.
With that in mind, I am looking for a style and leather of a sofa and chair that I want to enjoy for the next 25 years. I don't want to be limited by the style of the flexsteel chairs or even the room. I don't want a sofa that will clash but maybe not be "perfect". Wisejd had mentioned the Rugby and possibly the West End before my pictures were available. My wife and I seem to like the more moderate rolled arms and the angled arm rest. Now that you see the pics would either of the Rugby or West End work? Would one be better than the other?
Then there is the leather. Oh my...the choices. I have read and read post after post about leather in this forum. I am a complete novice when it comes to leather but I think I know is what I don't like. First, I don't like leather with high elasticity that will sag significantly over time such as back cushions looking droopy and puddles on the seat cushions. (Duane, you had picture of your sofa that you have had for years and the leather looked fantastic...was still relatively tight...do you know what leather?) Second, leather that will squeak/noisy. Third, leather that is hard, not very pliable Fourth, leather that is shiny, over processed, fake looking. If I spend thousands of dollars on a sofa I want to know that i am sitting on "real" leather.
Here is what i have gathered by reading the posts so please correct me if wrong.
1) Gr1 & 2 seem to be dominated by sanded, protected leather with the two best being Columbia and Cavalier. Are there any in this category that is Aniline dyed, pliable, tight, and natural looking?
2) GR3- the most recommended leathers seems to be aniline, pull-up leathers with a burnished finish? I am not sure if any of the leathers fit my characteristics in this category? Are the pull-up and burnished leathers squeaky and prone to sagging? I like the look of burnished but when it ages will I like it? Is it prone to have greasy looking spots from the wax and/or human oils? Do either of the Weston or Tiburon work? One better?
3) Gr4- Seems like Capri/Quintessence would be the holy grail for my tastes but not sure if it works into the budget? Is there a "poor mans" Capri/Quintessence?...from S. America or China? My business acumen has me believe there has to be a similar leather out of S. America/China but cheaper due to everything being more expensive in Europe (ie land, grain etc). I understand the geographical aspect of no fence/bug scars , but I can live with some scaring as long as I get the pure aniline, soft elegance of a Capri for the price of a Gr2 or Gr3.
I know I need to request some samples but since I have a narrow scope, i want to limit resources and people time as much as possible.
I know you cannot post prices but as a "ballpark figure" what is the price differences between each leather grade for a H&M sofa(excluding the T&C promo)?
Thanks so much!
