mediumgoof's Profile

I like the bar idea, too, unless you really need a writing desk. I'd skirt the bottom section with a tension rod and fabric (which means you can use the whole bottom for hidden storage), and either paint or paper the wall behind the shelves with a complementary color/design. Looks like you might be able to glue some molding to the edge of the shelves to beef them up a little and make them seem more intentional, then style with books, etc. Maybe even hang a piece of art or mirror on the front to make it seem more a part of the room?

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/hanging-art-on-116313

You want it simple so it doesn't add visual clutter next to your entertainment unit. Alternately, you could hang a long bamboo blind from the ceiling to cover the shelves.

That looks just like our Craftsman-style living room, except ours might be a smidge wider and has bookshelves on each side of the fireplace. We've tried it two ways -- with the couch facing the fireplace, a skinny coffee table and two small, light rattan armchairs tucked on each side of the fireplace and angled toward the TV worked really well for awhile. A bench behind the couch created a sort of "entry" (it looks like your front door is just out of the first picture, right?). Now we've changed it up and have the couch back against the window, but pulled out about a foot (looking for a super-skinny console table to fit there) and the chairs opposite with their backs to the wide open doorway. That way's a lot more open and welcoming. The key is finding furniture that's not too big and doesn't block off the space. I'll find a pic if you like. Our TV's in another room, though!

Agreeing with a couple of others that you could try floating a couch in the middle of the room just "south" of the fireplace, then putting the TV between the two windows that you're facing in the picture. If you can hang your TV or put it atop your stereo cabinet, that looks like a good way to have balanced speakers without having to have wires everywhere (if you're not lucky enough to be wireless). Then you could add a couple of armchairs facing the couch for a conversation spot around the fireplace and a console behind the couch that would provide storage for some of your smaller instruments and room for a lamp and/or drinks tray on top. Assuming you usually first enter the room through the French doors, you'd get a sort of symmetrical, welcoming living room that way.

Then the area between the dining room and back of the couch could become the music room, perhaps with the piano on the "southeast" 48" wall next to the dining room door. Of course, it's a little hard to tell if the measurements would all work out and you'll have to deal with the heat register (we've got those, too). But then you could add something like rolling ottomans that you could use in the music area or wheel around to be in front of the fireplace for parties. Any way you can add a built-in window seat/bench underneath the two southeasterly windows, the ones to the right of the fireplace? That could give you some more music/book storage and seating and balance the fireplace visually.

Your house looks like a bungalow like ours. We love the open spaces and big windows, but it makes furniture placement hard!

We have a similar system in our tiny Ukrainian kitchen, but it's just a metal dishrack set into an ordinary cabinet right above the sink. There's a plastic rimmed tray that slides in and covers the entire floor of the cabinet. It's no more trouble to empty than cleaning a regular dishrack and there's really no other room for one within reach of the sink. Works fine, no drips everywhere, and I'm surprised I don't get too much water on my arms (you don't want to wash dishes without pushing up your sleeves anyway). The only caveat: it's really dry here. I'm not sure it would work back home in humid Alabama.