Space Planning

I'm just wrapping up a long-distance project with a client in New Jersey, and I thought I would share a few of the challenges of the project with you.  (Or as we used to say in my life as an Arts Administrator, "opportunities").

The big issue: this living room is twice as long as it is wide, literally 12 x 25.  To add to the intrigue, there is a 5-foot-wide entrance on one side (where those circles are indicating the columns), which is OFF CENTER from everything.  The opposiet wall has a centered fireplace, flanked by exposed TALL radiators, flanked by a pair of double french doors.  See all the opportunities?  Because the husband is a gamer, the TV was an important component of the layout, and without mounting the TV above the frieplace ( a look I hate anyway), it wasn't possible to center a seating arrangement on the fireplace.

I gave them three options:

Option one offers a little sitting area when you enter the room, with a pair of comfy chairs, a side table fro drinks, a pair of wall sconces for light, and a tall bookcase.  The TV area has a pair of small-scale loveseats with low arms and a pair of X-benches in front of the french doors, to offer seating while leaving the unused doors at least visually open.  A pretty, leggy desk backs the loveseat in the center, and the chair at the desk can be positioned to be a part of either seating area.

Option 2 puts a long built in bench along the wall where the pair of chairs was, with storage underneath and upholstered cushions on top.  A round library table and two upholstered dining chairs complete the area.  The room is divided by a wide low daybed to keep the feeling open, and a full size couch  ground the far end of the room.  Fewer, bigger pieces fill the space.

Option 3 expands the TV area to take up 2/3 of the room, using a full size couch and a pair of armchairs, with a coffee table and ottoman breaking up the large rug.  An additional occasional chair could sit in front of the french doors.  The second area is a pretty office space, with a big desk, upholstered chair, and tall bookcase, with a tree in the corner to bring the outside in.

I know floor plans aren't super sexy, but nailing the space planning was such a huge part of this job, I thought I'd throw it out there to the world.

I'm curious:  what would you have done?  Would one of these layouts work for you?  I'll tell you what they picked, and share design boards, tomorrow.