More and more of us are opting to have just one room function as the living room and family room in our homes and that means it also is the one space where we host family and friends and where we Netflix and chill. That also means that it’s got to not only look good but it also has to be functional.
Here’s our guide on how to layout furniture in your living room to help you create a functional and beautiful living space.
Choose your focal point
Every room needs a focal point, so choose yours. A focal point provides a reference for everything else in the room. It helps our brains understand how the room ‘works’.
It could be a picture window, a fireplace or even a piece of art or a TV. When you walk into the room, where does your eye automatically go? That feature is what you should use as your focal point.
But wait. What if you don’t have one? In those situations, you can just create a focal point. You create a focal point for your room by adding an accent wall, or adding a statement piece of art or adding a TV into the mix. These are just some examples of how you can create a focal point.
Place the largest piece of furniture facing the focal point. For a living room, this will likely be your sofa or a sectional. Placement of the remaining pieces of furniture will be relative to the first item. Use the guidance below to help you along.
Don’t push furniture against the wall
We talked about this as one of the most common design mistakes we see. Don’t push your furniture against the wall. Resist that urge!
Instead float your furniture away from the walls. Even in a small space, introduce a few inches of space between the wall and your furniture. You’ll be surprised at the difference this will make.
Don’t forget to use a rug when you’re floating furniture in a room. That will help pull everything together nicely and make the space feel cozy. Who doesn’t want a cozy living room, right?
Maintain traffic flow
Place your furniture in a way that it’s easy to walk around the pieces of furniture and get in and out of the room easily.
For example, there should be enough room between the sofa and coffee table to accommodate someone sitting on the sofa. Their knees should not be touching the coffee table.
You should also not have to do the sideways shuffle to get in and out of the room.
Create conversation areas
When you place furniture in a living room, think about how people will interact with each other and how they might potentially interact with the focal point in this room.
For example, if you are sitting on the sofa, are you able to speak to someone sitting on an accent chair close by? If the accent chair is too far away to have an intimate conversation, move it closer.
Is the sofa too close to the TV to properly watch TV? If so, move the sofa out a bit more or choose a smaller TV.
Is the accent table too far away to place a cocktail glass or a coffee mug if you’re seated in the living room? If so, move it closer to the seating.
If you have a large living room, consider creating multiple conversation areas. For example, you could place a loveseat near a window and accent it with great lighting and a beautiful side table.
Or place two accent chairs in front of a fireplace with a sheepskin rug and basket full of blankets to create a perfect spot for a cozy evening in.
If you have a large enough space, you can use more than one sofa in your living room too. Fill in the space but create balance so that the room doesn’t get overcrowded.
Master balance, proportion and scale
This is another challenge we see often. Make sure that the furniture you have in the room is proportional to the size and scale of the room.
If your furniture is too small for the space, your living room will feel empty and cold.
Conversely, if your furniture is too big, the room will not have proper traffic flow and feel like it’s stuffed.
It’s also important to pay attention to the shapes we have in the room. Good design always repeats shapes, textures and patterns.
We are seeing sofas with rounded edges becoming more popular these days. Pair such a sofa with a circular coffee table and similarly rounded accent chairs for a more cohesive look.
Use natural light to your advantage
If you have a south facing room that’s bathed in sunlight, consider yourself lucky. Use this natural light to your advantage when you’re placing furniture in the room.
We look great in natural light but we’re not the only ones. Your furniture looks great in well-lit spaces as well. Complement natural light with proper lighting in other areas of the room.
There you go! Whether you have a small living room or a narrow and long living room, these tips on how to layout your furniture in your living room will help you get the perfect layout and most out of your space.
Got a small space? Then you might want to checkout this post on small space design ideas.
