Your living room should be a comfortable space that reflects your personality. There are no real rules for setting up your furniture, but you may find that following these tips can make your house a distinctive home.
Tip # 1: Start with a Focal Point
Place your furniture around a natural focal point of the room, like a fireplace or a bay window. The focal point is the highlight of the room where all the lines meet. If the living room does not have an architectural focal point, create one with a large mirror, painting or interesting sculpture.
Tip #2: Arrange Cozy Conversation Areas
Remember that the purpose of a living room is to socialize and relax with family members and friends. By arranging sofas and chairs in groupings that face each other, you will encourage conversation naturally. Be sure to leave enough space between pieces for easy access.
Tip #3: Find the Perfect Balance
Balance and proportion are important aspects to consider when setting up your living room. Create symmetry with identical or similar items placed in such a way that they offset one another, like two like chairs or side tables.
Tip #4: Move Furniture Away from the Walls
Take advantage of the trick decorators use to make your
living room look more open and spacious by moving your sofas and chairs away from the walls. This furniture placement can serve a functional purpose by keeping couches away from heating and air-conditioning vents and providing space for reclining sofas.
Tip # 5: Pay Attention to Proportion
Vary the size of your objects to keep things interesting, and place a tall piece near a shorter one. A large entertainment unit on one side of the living room can be balanced with a sofa on the other side.
Tip #6: Corners and Curves
A modern trend is to soften straight contemporary lines and angles with curved pieces to make the living room more inviting. For example, you might place a
round cocktail table near a sofa with very straight lines.
Tip #7: Go with the Flow
Consider the flow of traffic when you arrange the furniture so people can move around freely, especially if there are children in the house. The path to another room should not cross through a conversation area or in front of people watching TV. Use graph paper to create a visual of the flow before physically moving the furniture.
Tip # 8: Use Area Rugs
Area rugs can form the basis of the color scheme or add a splash of color to a neutral room while defining a space like a conversation area. They do not have to match exactly, but they should blend well with the room.
Tip #9: Less Really is More
Resist the urge to clutter up your living room with unnecessary items that take attention away from the beauty of well-made furniture. Design your living room as a calm oasis and limit the number of items crammed into the room. If you have an interesting collection you would like to display, use a curio cabinet to add a personal touch to the room.
Tip #10: Angle for Effect
Try setting your area rug or furniture at an angle for a dramatic effect in your living room. A small change like an angled sofa can really give your living room the "wow" factor!
