Hi everyone. My wife and I just moved into a new house and are struggling greatly with our great room. I've been on this reddit for a long time but never posted, I'm hoping someone will be able to help because it's such a nice room I don't want to ruin it with a bad layout. Our priority is comfort and a home feeling. We want a warm, inviting room where 6–8 people can comfortably fit by the fireplace while watching a movie / sports / etc.... It does not need to look like a magazine; I want it to be the room people love to be in. Theoretically it would have flexible seating for larger family events.

**Please ignore all existing furniture and the furniture shown in the floor plan.** It is temporary and only there to show scale. We own none of it and are open to an entirely different layout. The room dimensions in the plan are accurate.

For orientation in the 4th picture concept: top is west toward the kitchen/dining areas, bottom is east toward the fireplace, left is south, and right is north.

# Room details

* Approximately **17' wide × 30'6" long**, narrowing to about 14' near the western end
* **20' ceilings**
* Sunken approximately **1' below the kitchen and dining areas**
* Curved, illuminated steps along the western entrance
* Most daily traffic enters from the kitchen at the southwest
* Large upper and lower windows on the north and south walls
* Lower window sills are approximately **2' above the floor**
* Existing remote-controlled shades

# Fireplace and TV

The fireplace is wood-burning with a 36" × 48" opening, a 6'-wide stone chimney extending to the ceiling, and a raised hearth/built-in area projecting approximately 3' into the room.

The major constraint is that **the fireplace and TV must be usable at the same time**, so a TV or projection screen over or in front of the fireplace will not work. We are open to a large fixed TV, projector, lift, pop-up cabinet, or another creative solution around that.

# Seating and style

I prefer deep, comfortable seating with movable ottomans rather than built-in recliners. I am open to a sofa, modular sectional, swivel chairs, pull-up lounge chairs, or another flexible combination. Really just as comfy / home-like as possible. We have one husky and may have children in the future, so durability, easy cleaning, rounded corners, and safety matter.

My wife and I enjoy woodworking and would like to build some custom pieces, such as a media console, tables, storage, plant stands, or an ottoman tray.

Our total budget is **under $20,000 all-in**. Sorry for the post being long but I tried to include any details you might need. Thanks for anything in advance I really appreciate it!! 

Help Needed With My Great Room