Living rooms serve different purpose to different kind of people. In some homes, they serve as a main gathering area for the family, while for others it is more of a show room, used only when the company is there. Either way, there are certain issues that always spruce up when trying to arrange living room furniture. Here are some tips on how to place furniture in the living room.
Living Room Basics
There are a few important things to remember when arranging living room furniture.
Maintain a focal point of attention in the living room and arrange furniture according to that. In some rooms, the focal point will be an existing feature like a fireplace or a window, and in some it will be something that you bring to the room like a television.
Use the furniture to create conversational place. People should be able to talk comfortably to each other without straining their becks. If the room is large, it is particularly important to create different conversation areas.
Don’t forget about the traffic flow. Leave enough space for people to walk around the furniture, so they can easily get away from one room to another.
Pull furniture away from the walls. Having all furniture backs touching the walls is the biggest mistake that people make in the living room. If pieces are close together, it will create an intimate setting. As long as the backs of the pieces are finished, there is no reason to show off.
Furniture Size and placement
When it comes to living room, the size of the furniture matters a lot.
Sofas and Chairs- These are big ticket items, so it is crucial to ensure that they complement the space. The most important thing that you need to do is to measure the space before buying them. You don’t want the room to look too big or too small, so it is best to draw a floor plan. Sketch out the room on a piece if graph paper using appropriate measurements. Try adding sofa and chairs in a few different spots and see what works best for them to accommodate the traffic.
Rugs-Using the rugs us the best way to define the seating areas, but number one mistake that people make in the living room is using an area rug that is too small. Remember all the furniture should accommodate on the carpet. If space don’t allow, ensure that at least the front legs of large upholstered pieces are on a rug. Small pieces of furniture like chair and tables should always have four legs on the rug.
Coffee table-Coffee tables are practical pieces of furniture generally found in the center of the conversation areas. If you are planning to use it remember the height should be slightly lower than seat and height of the sofa. The length should be roughly one half to two thirds of the length of the sofa. If you are not using the same, try using couple of smaller tables to achieve the look.