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Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,621
Registered: ‎11-08-2014

Those designers have employed some good tricks to tame their long, narrow spaces.

 

Our living room in our little cottage was originally 2 small parlors, we believe, in which a wall separating them must have been taken down.  It's about 12 by 28 feet.  The key is to achieve more ideal proportions by breaking up the space in a way that is appealing, I think.

 

Thus, when you walk in from the vestibule, you encounter the first parlor-area, which is delineated by a large area rug.  This has the air of a little study-- it has my antique desk and chair, a curio, and my great grand-dad's Morris chair for comfortable seating.  

 

I've visually separated that area from the next with an old library table for our mail, in the middle of the room.  That makes both "open" parlors appear to be squared off, not one long skinny unbroken room.  Your last picture, @wilma ,  did the same thing by using that chaise longue or upholstered bench thing to visually "mark off" the two areas in that long space.

 

Once you walk past the library table, you're in the "den-like" section, which now is it's own self-contained square.  It has our TV, couch and love seat, and small easy chair.  No rug, just wood floors.

 

So each area does feel like a very separate, square room, but you still have the 'visual' openness.   

Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,020
Registered: ‎08-08-2010

I don't have any, and they can either be done up to be very cozy or they can be a crowded mess. 

 

It's funny how making a small space cozy actually requires less stuff, when normally making a space cozy means warming it up with stuff.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,162
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Agree with mominohio. I've seen narrow, long rooms that didn't click on decor or perhaps were messy. Your photos are most pleasant. I don't have rooms like this that require furniture. I do have a long, open walkway next to open stairway leading to main part of the house. My decor is long, white wall gallery shelves with all-white frames. 

"I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees." Henry David Thoreau
Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,702
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

@wilma 

NOPE, no long narrow rooms in our home.

 

I love pic #2 with all the natural light & casual atmosphere.

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Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,477
Registered: ‎03-19-2014

I've never had long narrow rooms just small square ones.  These rooms are pretty well done but I would rearrange most of them and take a couple of things out (especially the third room).

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, but Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
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Honored Contributor
Posts: 36,795
Registered: ‎03-20-2010

Re: Long Narrow Rooms

[ Edited ]

I never really lived in a home with narrow rooms, but a friend rented a brand new townhouse with a very narrow living room......it was a very awkward set up and unlike these photos she could never quite put it together.....she was very happy when she moved out of that place and into an apartment with rectangular rooms....so much easier to furnish and decorate....

 

@wilma 

 

I like the rooms with the minor changes and improvements you suggested....

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