When it comes to spending leisure time inside your home, chances are the living room is your go-to place of entertainment, relaxation, conversation and often napping! However, planning a new or revamped living room can be a daunting task, particularly if you’re dealing with existing furniture and you have no idea where to put everything! Here are some tips on organising your living room layout.
Make A Plan
Before you start to prepare your living room space, it’s always wise to undertake a bit of planning, which will save you time and money in the long run. It’s worth thinking about:
- Function. How will you use the space, how many people will use it and when will you use it?
- Form. How do you want it to look and feel? Should it have a soft ambiance or a more sophisticated edge that matches the rest of the house?
Resources. What furniture do you have to work with? Do you need to repair any pieces or buy more?
Have A Focal Point
In terms of living room furniture layout ideas, the first step is to determine what the room’s focal point should be. It could be the TV, a fireplace or a much-loved piece of artwork. When outfitting the room, placing the most-used or bulkiest pieces of furniture first is also a good starting point.
Consider Its Size
Living room layout ideas are obviously determined by their size. With a smaller living room, consider using several comfy chairs instead of a couch, which will help the room look spacious and inviting.
If you have the luxury of a larger living room, consider ‘dividing’ the room into separate areas. This will enable you to have different areas for watching TV, reading a book or chatting with others. A sofa or other longer piece of furniture like a shelf or sideboard can help divide the room into more usable sections.
Sort Out Seating
In terms of organising seating in a living room, what do you want to sit on, where will people sit and how many seats do you need? Seating options come in a range of styles and sizes from armchairs and sofas to couches and lounges.
If your living room is focused on TV-watching, your entertainment unit needs to be obviously positioned near the antenna cable and power points. Suitable seating should then be placed directly in front of it – three or four meters away from the TV will give you the best viewing.
If the focus is on encouraging conversation, then a fireplace or favourite piece of artwork can be an ideal focal point. Centre seating around this central point and ensure there is space for a coffee table, side table or an ottoman or two in the mix. This will avoid your guests having to juggle their cup of tea on their lap!
Decorate Away!
Next comes the fun part – adding personality to your living room in order to enhance the layout you’ve chosen. Rugs aren’t just decorative, they can also provide soft, textural relief for tired feet.
Lighting obviously illuminates spaces, but can also help set the mood of the room. It works particularly well if ‘layered’ with a combination of ceiling lights and accent lighting (like lamps or wall lighting).
Throw rugs, cushions, sculptural pieces, plants and candles can also add wonderful ambiance to your living room. Now put your feet up! You deserve it!
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