How to Arrange Your Living Room Sofas
Get the best out of your living room with a little reshuffling of the furniture
There’s more to solving the sofa riddle than simply installing the latest trend in furniture in your living room. It’s not just about what you get but how you use what you’ve got. You need to keep in mind the functionality of the layout, the symmetry (or not) of the design, the traffic through the room and, above all, the room’s focal point, before you start arranging or rearranging your furniture. Browse to see the ways to get your furniture arrangement just right.
2. Peace in order
Symmetry gives the whole sitting area a more refined and formal look. Use matching pairs of sofas and chairs, cushions, lamps and other accessories to shake off chaos, and create a mirror image with some of these elements to strike a perfect balance in the room. Two identical sofas placed symmetrically might get a bit too stiff – see how they are at right angles here. The two wingback armchairs restore the balance. Pull the furnishings together with an appropriately sized area rug. Voila!
Symmetry gives the whole sitting area a more refined and formal look. Use matching pairs of sofas and chairs, cushions, lamps and other accessories to shake off chaos, and create a mirror image with some of these elements to strike a perfect balance in the room. Two identical sofas placed symmetrically might get a bit too stiff – see how they are at right angles here. The two wingback armchairs restore the balance. Pull the furnishings together with an appropriately sized area rug. Voila!
3. The focus of attention
Prioritising your furniture is a trick that comes to few. Sometimes we love our furniture so much that we want to squeeze all of it into the same space. You need to have a minimum of distractions to get maximum attention for its best features. It also helps create a calm and hospitable zone conducive to conversations and conviviality. If you have a fireplace in the room, let it be the cornerstone of your seating design; if you have a huge sofa, it can be paired with, at most, two chairs, to let the space breathe. You can also go ahead with four chairs, an ottoman, and no sofa to create a greater sense of space and openness.
Prioritising your furniture is a trick that comes to few. Sometimes we love our furniture so much that we want to squeeze all of it into the same space. You need to have a minimum of distractions to get maximum attention for its best features. It also helps create a calm and hospitable zone conducive to conversations and conviviality. If you have a fireplace in the room, let it be the cornerstone of your seating design; if you have a huge sofa, it can be paired with, at most, two chairs, to let the space breathe. You can also go ahead with four chairs, an ottoman, and no sofa to create a greater sense of space and openness.
4. Divide and rule
You might not wish to use screens and partitions, and still want to section off a huge space and make it look well-utilised. You can opt for rearranging your furniture to create different zones. For instance, this gigantic living room has been separated into two areas with the furniture in two colours and groupings along a longitudinal axis. It doesn’t even need an area carpet to define the two zones – just the seating does it. This makes for a great setting for large parties where intimacy is as important as circulating and socialising. Here, the bare space acts both as divider and passage for movement, permitting free access towards the French windows and the garden.
You might not wish to use screens and partitions, and still want to section off a huge space and make it look well-utilised. You can opt for rearranging your furniture to create different zones. For instance, this gigantic living room has been separated into two areas with the furniture in two colours and groupings along a longitudinal axis. It doesn’t even need an area carpet to define the two zones – just the seating does it. This makes for a great setting for large parties where intimacy is as important as circulating and socialising. Here, the bare space acts both as divider and passage for movement, permitting free access towards the French windows and the garden.
5. Lounging around
If you like lounging (especially in company) while flipping channels on the TV after a long day at work, you want a warm, varied arrangement of seats. It is here that a combination of sectional sofas, ottomans, poufs and arm-less chairs fit in with your requirements and space. Furniture that is lightweight and can be rearranged is always a good option, especially if you plan to centre the living room around your TV. It gives you the option to turn your back on the screen when you want, and make a cosy social circle. As you see here, turning a single chair round can make a big difference.
If you like lounging (especially in company) while flipping channels on the TV after a long day at work, you want a warm, varied arrangement of seats. It is here that a combination of sectional sofas, ottomans, poufs and arm-less chairs fit in with your requirements and space. Furniture that is lightweight and can be rearranged is always a good option, especially if you plan to centre the living room around your TV. It gives you the option to turn your back on the screen when you want, and make a cosy social circle. As you see here, turning a single chair round can make a big difference.
6. One-on-one conversations
A very common yet popular layout is to place the sofas facing each other over a shared coffee table. This not only helps keep your drinks within easy reach but also makes conversations a delight, for you face the other person and make direct eye contact while talking. Two sofas, or a chaise combined with a sofa would be perfect to achieve this look.
Read more:
Can A Living Room Be Better Without a Sofa?
9 Ways to Play With Contrast in Your Living Room
Tell us:
What element makes your living room stand out? Share in Comments below.
A very common yet popular layout is to place the sofas facing each other over a shared coffee table. This not only helps keep your drinks within easy reach but also makes conversations a delight, for you face the other person and make direct eye contact while talking. Two sofas, or a chaise combined with a sofa would be perfect to achieve this look.
Read more:
Can A Living Room Be Better Without a Sofa?
9 Ways to Play With Contrast in Your Living Room
Tell us:
What element makes your living room stand out? Share in Comments below.
Unlike symmetrical arrangements, asymmetrical placements give the room a more tangy flavor. For example, placing one statement element of your furniture diagonally would give a dramatic edge to an otherwise staid room. Here, the bold cherry-red sofa and the marble coffee table have been put along a diagonal axis to subtly bring depth to the room. The additional seating, a lounge chair, has been placed along the same axis. The rest of the room keeps a low profile with a neatly placed sofa and rug.
The two orientations help define two zones and usage as well – the diagonal one seems more casual and intimate, doesn’t it?