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Designers share simple, practical rules for arranging furniture so your living room feels balanced, functional, and easier to live in.
The living room is often the heart of the home. Whether you live solo, share your space with a multigenerational family, or fall somewhere in between, this is where you unwind, binge your favorite shows, or even tackle a bit of work. Naturally, we want this space to feel both comfortable and stylish.
But when it comes to choosing and arranging furniture, things can get tricky. Are there hard-and-fast rules for living rooms? How do you make the most of your layout, no matter the size? To help, we asked interior designers to share seven essential rules—plus a few bonus tips—for creating a well-arranged, functional living room.
Meet Our Expert
- Tamara Honey, founder and creative director at House of Honey
- Tamarra Younis, lead designer and principal at Union of Art Interiors
Start With a Focal Point
Before you do anything, Tamarra Younis of Union of Art Interiors recommends starting with a focal point and arranging around that. “It can be your TV, or your fabulous cozy fireplace, or a beautiful family heirloom that you love to look at," she says. "Whatever it is, pick that, and build the rest from there.”
If you still aren’t sure what that focal point should be, look around the room and take note of the architectural details. Is there a grand fireplace? An archway? Built-ins? This can give you some guidance.
Decide Where Your Rug Will Go
After you decide on your focal point, you'll need to make sure it aligns with where you plan to put your rug, as your floor covering is usually what anchors a space. Picking the right dimensions can be challenging, but in general, most average-sized rooms are fine with an 8 by 10-foot rug. (You should aim to have around a foot of the hard flooring exposed around the perimeter of the room.) It may help to use painter's tape to outline the size of the rug you're interested in—and don't forget the rug pad!
Follow the 2:3 Rule
A sofa is singlehandedly the most important piece of furniture in the room. So, it’s critical to consider scale before clicking “add to cart.” Interior designer Tamara Honey of House of Honey likes to follow the 2:3 rule when it comes to choosing the right size. “The 2:3 design rule suggests your sofa should be the equivalent of two-thirds the size of your room,” she says.
However, if your living room is also your dining room or home office, that may not be possible, explains the designer. “When spaces are called upon to multitask, we love calling on our intuition to create spaces that transcend guidelines and embody beauty and function.”
Give Your Sofa Some Space
While it's pretty much a rule that your sofa should never be against the wall, this can be impractical if you have a small living room or live in an apartment. “Furniture should be floated a few inches, especially when access to drapery or shade hardware is an issue,” says Honey. “We love the idea of a conversation pit and suggest a 36- to 42-inch allowance behind the sofa for foot traffic. Ultimately, our goal is to create a living space that works for and with the architectural parameters of your home.”
Note that if you have an older home with radiators or heating vents, your furniture can become a fire hazard. Don’t forget to factor in a few inches of clearance.
Consider Versatility
If you have a large floor plan and a big family or you enjoy entertaining, a versatile piece such as a modular sofa will give you the flexibility to rearrange things when necessary. “Modular seating gives lots of options for configurations and can be separated if needed and rearranged,” Younis says.
Measure Before You Make a Purchase
Piecing together a living room can feel like a puzzle. Everything needs to fit the right way. Let's say you want a standard three-seater sofa with a side table on each side—measure the full wall you intend to place them on and look at all the pieces as a whole to confirm they will fit with at least a few inches to spare between each item and away from each wall so they can slide in easily. You can also grab your tape measure and use painter's tape to plan out the furniture on the floor. That way, you can be sure everything fits before the delivery truck arrives.
One Size Does Not Fit All
While you can arrange and rearrange your furniture for hours, don’t forget that as important as aesthetics are, you’re going to be living there. So Younis suggests dropping the one-size-fits-all approach. “There really is no one-size-fits-all combination when it comes to designing a living room. It's how you plan to do the living that should define the space.”
Use an App to Help You Visualize
Once you have a general idea of the look and feel you're going for, it can be incredibly helpful to visualize your layout before making any big moves—or purchases. Download a space planning app like Planner 5D (available on mobile and desktop) to map out your furniture, experiment with different layouts, and get a sense of scale.
Another great option is Spoak, a powerful interior design tool that offers mood boards and layout planners, though it's currently available only on desktop. Both platforms can help you test your ideas virtually and avoid costly mistakes in real life.
Aim for Balance
You never want to concentrate all your things in one corner of a room. Using a digital tool like a layout planner will help you determine whether or not the room's balance is off—being able to see in advance how much stuff is spread out will allow you switch things around well before you settle on a design.
Read the original article on Real Simple
