When you procure the furniture that best suits the style statement for your living room, there is a daunting task that awaits you: how to arrange it for the optimal use of the space. There needs to be a certain balance that caters to both fashion and function.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive guide to living room furniture placement, then your search ends here.
Throughout this guide, you’ll explore the straightforward plans and ideas that can provide your living space with optimal practicality without sacrificing the essence of style you so eagerly desire.
Popular Layouts for Living Room Furniture Arrangement
Believe it or not, there is a rulebook that carries all possible layouts for your living room space.
To save you time, here’s a quick glance at the most popular living room furniture placements from that directory.
-
Classic Conversational Area
This is a conventional style of living room arrangement that you’ll find in most traditional American households.
It includes all the chairs of the living room sitting in a neat little arrangement across from the sofa. It should be your go-to if you don’t want to put too much effort into planning and have plenty of space available.
It is practical for most furniture designs but doesn’t add much in terms of style. You can spice things up with a marvellous coffee table or a subtle rug change, but don’t expect much excitement when it comes to house parties or gaming nights.
-
L-Shaped Sectional
This arrangement has a pair of angled chairs situated across from the sofa. It’s quite popular in most upper-class houses in Europe, thanks to its welcoming feel and social freedom.
Redirecting the chair at the end of a table or slab allows you plenty of room to accommodate guests or plan activities that require some space.
In addition, the planning gets more convenient. This living room furniture placement is best for locations with three or fewer exits. That lets you plan precisely what anyone would observe when walking in through the door, giving you an excellent perspective when planning cupboard placements or designing a viewing gallery.
For a more versatile seating option that enhances both style and functionality, consider an L-shaped sofa to seamlessly complement this arrangement.
-
Chairs Flanking a Sofa
If you have a fireplace, a central television/music system to boast of, or a massive conference table within a relatively enclosed space, then this is just the arrangement for you.
Instead of just one direction, the sofa is surrounded by various chairs, sometimes even of different types, to let the maximum people enjoy their time without disrupting others. This is a style common in most American suburban households today.
A relax chair can be a great addition to this setup, giving you a comfy spot to unwind while keeping the space balanced and inviting.
This arrangement lets you plan ahead of what most people would be engaged in so that you can relay the interior to best cater to each one's seating.
For instance, if someone who is an amateur DJ likes to change the tunes a lot, you can place the music system closer to their seat. While the centre of the room doesn’t offer much space, those around can realise easily where you demand their attention.
-
Two Sofas Facing Each Other
If you desire maximum comfort for all those in your household while still having enough space for impromptu gatherings, then this is the ideal furniture arrangement for you.
Two sofas facing each other allow you to plan where the largest gathering would occur and what amenities would be available to them.
You can have one 2 seater sofa facing an adorned wall gallery and the other reserved for pleasant dine-ins. Alternatively, the main attraction of the room can be on a side wall with both the sofas facing perpendicular to it. This arrangement encourages a more conversational vibe.
-
Multifunctional Horseshoe
If you want a living room furniture placement that makes the most of a large space while facilitating several types of gatherings, then the multifunctional horseshoe is the way to go.
This arrangement includes a luxury sofa, a loveseat, and several chairs put together in a “U” shape. The order of furniture can change as per your needs.
This arrangement is becoming quite popular in several parts of Asia, owing to its high flexibility and adequate space utilisation.
Moreover, it helps you tidy up easily after any occasion since there is plenty of breathing room without disturbing the furniture placements.
-
Floating Furniture Arrangement
This arrangement emphasizes the room’s architecture and views without taking up much space. As such, it’s often best for living rooms with limited wall space. If you want to share the focus on both the furniture and the vistas across your living room, then this should be part of your plan.
Floating furniture incorporates placing heavier furniture, such as sofas and couches close to a corner wall often accompanied by a coffee table.
On the other hand, barstool and chairs inhabit the open space, giving you enough breathing room while maintaining efficiency when it comes to large gatherings.
How to Arrange Living Room Furniture Around a Focal Point
If you haven’t noticed yet, living room furniture placement often takes place with a central focal point. This is the location where you want to direct immediate attention when someone walks in. A few common focal points in a living room may include:
-
TV/Home theatre system
-
Fireplace
-
Artwork
-
Statement furniture
When choosing a suitable arrangement, it’s best to consider how much space you have available, and which of the focal points gets noticed first.
You don’t want to clutter your central spaces when it can serve as a comfortable observation point for stunning views or engaging with a state-of-the-art entertainment system.
Living Room Seating Arrangements for Conversation Areas
You must design your living room as a place for socialising and holding conversations with ease. That means designating a few cosy zones where people can hang out with the minimal possibility of interruptions while being in clear view.
This is where you may focus on creating a comfortable environment with most of your living room’s seating furniture.
Such spaces should also include convenient access to most amenities and have any exits towards balconies or porches close by.
In the following sections, you’ll get to know more about how a few thumb rules can help you enhance the vibes of your living room by placing all furniture accordingly.
Don’t Push Furniture Against the Walls
An intimate and inviting space can be achieved when you have the entirety of the furniture available close to a conversational space. Therefore, it is a good idea to not push furniture against the walls.
It makes it difficult to keep that furniture and its surroundings clean while providing less room to manoeuvre that same furniture in case you need to make any adjustments.
This is also a big turn-off for anyone who wishes to have a good view of any focal points you may have in the room. For instance, placing the sofa too far away from a TV or fireplace may not be as comfortable as shifting it closer.
Also, keeping the furniture away from walls gives you plenty of room for decor and art pieces that you want to be noticeable in the living room.
Determine TV Placement
In a digital world, we are becoming more and more accustomed to directing our attention towards screens. Therefore, you might want to place the TV at a location where it is visible from most angles while having comfortable seating furniture accompanying it.
Wires and cables are a hassle of yesterday with the widespread use of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Still, it’s best to ensure that your television is not too far from those who are most likely to watch it at length. Placing your TV out of high-traffic areas is a good idea, and so is having additional table tops around to place items such as bags, snacks, and drinks.
Find Balance and Maintain Traffic Flow
The main objective of your living room furniture placement is to achieve symmetry between comfort and convenience. That is why you’ll want to examine how people might feel navigating the room.
You don’t want to have sofas obstructing doorways or have cupboards in the way of entrances that observe the most footfall.
Try to arrange the furniture in such a way that people may want to walk a bit to reach a cosy zone, but not too much. Such spaces should be apparent to even a random stranger, especially when you have friendly gatherings regularly in your living room.
It’s best to understand what amenities those who visit the living room regularly need and to keep that space as accessible as possible.
Use the Right-Size Rugs and Artwork
Rugs and artwork are more than just mere aesthetics. They bring about your personality and thought processes to anyone who walks into your living room. As such, their layout can get you into the appropriate mental state throughout while keeping things practical and friendly to any guests.
It’s advisable to place your rugs in conversational areas, giving them that cosy and vibrant feel. Keep the rug size big enough to include all the furniture in that space, but not so much that it intrudes into spaces where you don’t want it to.
In the case of artwork, there are separate recommendations for wall-based and standalone pieces. If you have a wall with certain paintings that you desire the most attention towards, place your furniture so it’s in the line of sight of everyone seated for at least a while. Standalone art pieces are best placed in clear view of most entrances, away from the television or high-traffic areas.
Add Functional Accent Tables
You should place coffee tables and side tables at arm’s length for the sake of convenience. They should help make the vibes more inviting since everyone has somewhere to place their laptops or other paraphernalia when they visit. The best way to make efficient use of such spaces is to have accent tables or smaller stools slide under the main table when not in use.
Another unique way to arrange your furniture, if you don’t wish to have a large coffee table in the centre, is to use nesting tables that can split into smaller side tables or accent tables as per your requirement. You can have them separately placed in various areas for everyday use, and combine them when you’re planning a large gathering.
Elevate Your Living Room with Bontrue
When it comes to unravelling your living space, Bontrue understands what it takes to enhance aesthetics without compromising functionality. Our Living Room Collection includes a wide range of furniture pieces, from sofas and barstools to coffee tables and accent tables that match any vibes you can dream of.
No matter what kind of living room placement you have in mind, we are there to fill in the gaps for any pieces that may be missing.
Visit our showroom or explore our collection online to transform your living space today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an interior designer to optimise my living room furniture placement?
Usually, no. You can plan the placement of each piece of furniture in your living room as per your desire and the various options mentioned in this guide. However, if the task becomes too much to take the time off your schedule, then hiring an interior designer is probably your best option.
How do I choose the best layout for my living room furniture?
The best layout for your living room furniture is the one that is inviting yet practical. It’s a good idea to keep the focal point of any living room in immediate view, and have enough space to manoeuvre the furniture in case you need to make minor adjustments.
How can I ensure my living room furniture layout is functional and comfortable?
To make the furniture layout both functional and comfortable, it’s best to define certain areas for a particular activity. For instance, you can have one corner of the room reserved for conversation spaces, whereas another one can include cupboards for storage.
What is the ideal distance between a sofa and a coffee table?
The ideal distance between a sofa and a coffee table is between 16 to 20 inches (40 to 51 cm). This allows for enough space to walk around without feeling restricted while keeping any dishes within arm’s reach. In addition, it’s best to ensure that the table height doesn’t exceed the chest height of someone who is in a seated position on the sofa.
