Different Ways to Arrange the Living Room

The living room is one of the most important rooms of the house. 
Different Ways to Arrange the Living Room

Last update: 12 October, 2018

Knowing how to arrange the living room furniture is crucial to make the best use of the available space and to create a pleasant atmosphere.

When arranging the living room it’s important to take into account various aspects to make the most of the room.

Remember that the living room should be functional, that it should satisfy the needs of your family. If you have a big family, you should have sufficient space for everyone.

If you have children, there are certain items it’s better not to have in your living room for safety’s sake, such as glass-topped coffee tables for example.

Another of the functions that the living room can carry out is as an eating area. This is commonly seen in larger living rooms. In this case, the living room should be arranged in such a way as to divide the areas. It should also be cozy and comfortable, since the living room is almost always where you meet up with friends and family.

In the same way as with kitchens, there are different ways that you can organize and arrange the living room. This arrangement depends a great deal on the size and shape of the room.

When considering what furniture to buy for your living room as well as planning how you will arrange everything, you should think about the size of the furniture.

For this, we will analyze some different ways you can arrange the living room.

Rectangular living rooms

Rectangular rooms are longer than they are wider.

The ideal way of arranging the furniture in a rectangular living room would be where the TV zone is parallel to the dining space. It’s best if the dining space is closer to the kitchen for convenience.

To achieve a visual effect that makes the room seem longer, or especially that can make it seem bigger, you should arrange  the furniture horizontally.

For example, an L shaped furniture placement can be the best for this type of living room. This can be achieved with modular sofas or a chaise longue.

Use an L shaped sofa to arrange the living room

Square living rooms

This type of living room is usually the dream living room. Square living rooms are normally spacious, with lots of room for gorgeous couches, large tables and spectacular dining areas.

The arrangement of this type of living room is characterized by the separation of the different living spaces. That is to say, usually the TV zone is placed behind the dining room area to create a division within the room itself.

Types of arrangements

There are also ways to organize the living room that aren´t just based on the shape of the room. They are to suit your tastes, and also what you want to use the living room for.

Circular living rooms

This type of living room doesn’t necessarily have to be round. Rather, it refers to the idea that the furniture is placed around something, some central focal point of the room.

Normally this element is the coffee table.  You can place a sofa and other furniture items such as chairs or pouffes around the coffee table.

Arrange the living room around the coffee table

Living rooms with a division

As we mentioned earlier, it’s very common to see the living area and dining area in the same room.

To achieve separation of these zones, we recommend you use a bookshelf or cabinet, or even the sofa to make a division between the areas.

Arrange the living room around the walls

This way of arranging the living room consists of using the walls as the principal support for the furnishings.

It’s commonly seen in homes where there isn’t much space. The walls are therefore an essential part to take into account to organize the furnishings and arrange the living room.

You can achieve this manner of organizing by putting the furniture up against the principal walls. In this way you’re sure to take advantage of every last centimeter available.

Living rooms arranged by area

Arranging the living room by area is really only possible when the room is very large.

This arrangement is excellent if you have a big and diverse family, and you like to do different things but at the same time be together.

The most common areas for this type of living room could be:

  • TV corner, video games, etc.
  • Reading corner
  • Eating area

Generally, this type of arrangement requires a lot of furniture, but don’t make it too complicated. It’s best to search for multi-use furniture, things that can be versatile. For example, look for nested coffee tables, pouffes, L shaped couches, coffee tables that can be converted into stools or seats, etc.

The living room can have separate areas

Final considerations

As we’ve seen, there are two types of living rooms: square and rectangular.

We’ve also seen some of the most common ways of arranging the furnishings for these rooms.

However, before choosing one arrangement or another, you should also take into account the following considerations:

  • Size: measure the room and work out the size of the furniture and how it will fit. Big furniture in small living spaces looks cluttered.

On the other hand, very small furniture in a big room can make the room feel empty. You should consider the size and proportions of the room.

  • Space: to arrange the living room properly, another thing you should take into account is the space that remains between the different items of furniture.

It’s important to consider this, so you can achieve an arrangement where you will be able to move about the living room freely.

  • Practicality: think about the size of your family, your lifestyle and the necessities you have.

The living room is one rooms of the house that you spend the most time in. You should make sure that you arrange it in a way that satisfies your needs.