The Perfect Proportions for your Living Room

Do you have doubts about the layout and proportions of the furniture in your living room? For instance, is it in the right place, does it have the right proportions, and is the height of the chairs correct?

Well, the same thing’s also happened to us. That’s why we want to give you a bit of guidance. This will help you to dispel your doubts and get the perfect proportions for your living room. Let’s get started!

Let’s talk measurements

If you have large furniture, you should try to leave more space between each piece. This creates the sensation of spaciousness. If not, your living room can seem overcrowded.

The ideal placement would be to have at least 18 inches between the main coffee table and the sofa. If you’ve got a small side table put it a bit closer, 6 inches away.

In between large pieces of furniture you should keep a minimum distance of 20 inches separating them, although 30 inches would be better to be able to move freely around them. This is especially the case if the coffee table or other items of furniture have drawers you need to open.

All of the different furniture items should be harmoniously balanced. So with that in mind, when you’re choosing a new sofa, armchairs, a coffee table or side tables, you should make sure that these are well proportioned. Take note of the height and dimensions of each piece.

Distances for the perfect proportions in the living room

Take care not to put the coffee table too close to the sofa. If you have it very close, whoever sits on the sofa won’t have room to stretch their legs out. We recommend that you leave a good 15 inches. If it’s next to the wall, leave at least a couple of inches of space so it won’t rub against the wall.

Proportions of the living room furniture

To get the perfect proportions for your living room, one of the basics is knowing what you’re up against. If you have a small living room, forget about that chaise longue (sorry). On the other hand, if you have a spacious living room, you could put two sofas facing each other, so the room doesn’t seem empty.

If you choose to put two sofas facing each other, a basic guide to distances is to leave at least 4 feet between them.

The ideal coffee table

Did you know that the coffee table should measure at least half of the length of your sofa? And what about height? It shouldn’t be more than either 4 inches higher or lower than the seat of your sofa.

What about side tables? The golden rule is that they should be smaller than the width of the sofa. If not, they will seem like a second coffee table and will look a little out of place.

The chairs

Aim for harmony. The sofa, armchairs and any other seats should be roughly the same height. If they’re not, you could visually increase the height by putting cushions against the backrest. Apart from making everything harmonious, you’ll also give a chic touch to your living room.

Cushions

To achieve the perfect living room proportions, the cushions will play a key role. They provide unity to the whole theme and can help to coordinate the decor.

We suggest you have one or two extra cushions more than there are places on the sofa. Check to make sure you’ll be comfortable, and that will be the key. Combine the cushions according to shapes, sizes, and prints to create an optimum effect.

Rug proportions for the living room

The rug should completely cover the front feet of the sofa, as well as those of the other chairs you have in the living room. Keep the rug at a distance of between 12 and 24 inches out from the wall, and make sure to measure before you buy. If you buy a rug that’s too small, it won’t create the balanced effect you’re looking for.

Here are a few tips on how to clean your rugs without damaging them.

Lamps

If you don’t want to be blinded by the light from your table lamp, the key is having a lampshade that completely covers the light bulb. And one more thing – if you’re right-handed, the lamp should be on your left. And if you’re left-handed, the other way around. Check this article out on how to make lampshades out of recycled items.

If you follow these steps, you’ll achieve the perfect proportions in your living room. You’ll see how you gain space, harmony and a more zen flavor to your decor.