Client Progress: All about proportion

Okay, more inspiration.  I figure it's time for updates from some client work!

This client has been in her home for more than thirty years, and while she had accumulated various things over the years to create home, she had never really designed the space just the way she wanted it.

One big obstacle: the living room had some space challenges.  My client had tried just about every furniture arrangement she could think of, but nothing felt like it properly utilized the space.  Here's where we started:

The solution?  To really use the space.  This is a room with twelve foot ceilings, the upstairs hallway from a split level, an entryway that shares space visually with the living room, and an awkwardly placed fireplace with open entryways on both sides.

First, we claimed the vertical space, with floor to ceiling draperies and a dramatic fireplace transformation.

(The wing chair is not staying, and the two black dining chairs are standing in for armchairs)

Fireplace before:

And after:

We used a corner fireplace insert to redirect the fireplace into the room, and flipped the furniture arrangement to put the couch sort of kitty corner from the fireplace.  (there will be a game table and four chairs directly in front of the fireplace, and a TV and media stand across from the sectional.)

Next, bigger furniture!  The old couch was a dainty 72 inches.  The new one is 113 inches, gained an extra seat, plus the chaise helps divide the room without interrupting the view of (or access to) the sliding glass doors.

There's (obviously) lots missing from this room, but I have to say I was blown away by the transformation these three changes made, and I thought it would be fun to share!  The kitchen and dining room have been getting a pretty major treatment of their own.  More on that to come.

What do you think?  Have you ever transformed a room just by rethinking scale?