Living Room Floor Plans

How to Arrange Furniture Like a Pro

May 28, 2009 Lauren Flanagan

Here are a few rules and things to keep in mind when arranging living room furniture.

When considering floor plans, it’s important to think about how the room is going to be used. Are conversation areas necessary, or should all pieces point to the television? It’s important to be honest about how the room is really going to be used.

Measure the Living Room Before Starting

The first step is always to measure. Walls, floors, windows – you name it. Measure everything and then sketch it out on a piece of graph paper. If there’s a built-in focal point such as a fireplace, don’t forget to include it. Then measure furniture and see if the items will actually fit in the space. There are several websites that can create 3-D floor plans as well, such as mydeco.com.

Furniture Arranging for the Living Room

Try out different arrangements and see which ones work for the room. Here are a few things to consider:

Create conversation areas. People shouldn’t have to shout or twist around in their seat if they want to speak to other people in the room.
Decide on a focal point (fireplace, television, etc.), and arrange furniture around it. If a lot of people will be watching television, make sure that it can be seen by most or all of the seats. People shouldn’t have to strain their necks.
Think about traffic flow so that people aren’t tripping over things to get from one side of the room to the other.
Remember that items needn’t be pushed up against the walls. If space permits, pull furniture away from the walls to create a more intimate setting. Don’t worry about seeing the backs of pieces of furniture. If they’re nice, why not show them?
If the room is really large divide it into two separate areas.

Sofa and Chairs for the Living Room

The sofa will no doubt be the biggest piece in the room. Make sure it fits! Check out How to Buy the Perfect Sofa for Your Home and A Guide to Sofa Styles before buying. Make sure sofas and chairs are comfortable and suit the purpose of the room.

Area Rug Sizes

If using an area rug, make sure it’s the right size. One of the most common mistakes people make is to use one that is too small for the space. Make sure that the furniture is sitting on it. If this isn’t possible, ensure that at least the front legs of large upholstered pieces sit on the rug.

Table Sizes for the Living Room

There should be enough tables in the room to accommodate the amount of seating. While they shouldn’t overcrowd, people should be able to put down their drinks without having to get out of their seats. Side tables should match the height and depth of a sofa’s arms as closely as possible (lower is better than higher). Coffee tables should be lower than average seat height (standard height is 17” to 19”). They should be between one-half to two-thirds the length of the sofa.

Remember to play around with different arrangements to find out what works best. And remember, decorating a room should be fun. If something doesn’t work, change it up and try again.

The copyright of the article Living Room Floor Plans in Interior Decorating is owned by Lauren Flanagan. Permission to republish Living Room Floor Plans in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.