Arrangement rules
How to arrange furniture in the hall correctly is the first question you need to ask yourself before starting the renovation. There is no single ideal formula here, but there are certain rules that must be followed.
- Choose large furniture for spacious rooms and compact furniture for small ones.
- Place the coffee table at a distance of up to 0.5 m from the sofa and armchairs.
- Do not make the passages narrower than 0.6 m.
- Install the TV at eye level no further than 3 m from the seats.
- Use transformable cabinet and upholstered furniture for small living rooms.
- Place the chairs at such a distance that all interlocutors can hear each other well.
What are the arrangement schemes?
There are 3 main options for arranging furniture in the living room: symmetrically, asymmetrically and in a circle. Let’s take a closer look at each one.
Circular
The arrangement of furniture begins with the selection of a single center, usually a coffee table. The remaining items are placed around it.
This layout is suitable for spacious rooms, because it is not the most rational. However, if your goal is to organize a cozy recreation area, a circle is the best option.
If there is a lot of furniture, there may be more than one circle. Place a soft corner in the inner part of the living room, and shelves and cabinets along its outer perimeter.
The photo shows a circular arrangement of furniture in the living room
Symmetrical
This arrangement of furniture in the hall is also called mirrored. As in the previous layout, first determine the center. Most often, this is a TV, wall unit, fireplace.
The next step is to arrange all the furniture on both sides of the center at the same distance. Use paired furniture (armchairs, shelves, lamps) or install unpaired furniture (ottoman, table), aligning it with the center of the chosen focal point. As a result, you will get a living room interior, both halves of which are a reflection of each other.
The symmetrical layout looks best in the classic style. It is pleasing to the eye and conducive to comfortable communication.
The photo shows a symmetrical mirror space
Asymmetrical
This layout of furniture in the living room is not limited by the rules: arrange the items as you like, the main thing is to get a harmonious interior and a pleasant atmosphere.
However, so that the composition does not look chaotic, it is worth choosing a central point and creating an environment around it. Evenly distribute large and small items around the room, maintain balance in the design.
This furniture arrangement scheme in the living room is suitable for small and large spaces in a modern style. But it looks especially good in non-standard rooms, because it masks the flaws of the layout.
The photo shows a room with 2 windows with loft elements
We analyze each piece of furniture separately
A standard set of furniture for the living room – a sofa, a table, a TV. Add to this armchairs, a desk or dining table, cabinets and shelves as desired.
Where is it better to put a sofa and armchairs?
If the living room is the heart of the house, then the sofa is the heart of the living room. This is one of the largest pieces of furniture, so you need to start arranging it from there.
According to Feng Shui, sitting with your back to a window or door is undesirable, and sitting with your back to the exit is not very comfortable. The most advantageous place is near the end wall or in the center of the room.
The choice of location also depends on the shape:
- Straight. A universal model that is suitable for both spacious and small living rooms. Standard options are designed for 2-3 seats. For frequent meetings with friends, buy armchairs to go with the sofa.
- Corner. L-shaped is used to zone space in free spaces, and in small ones it is placed in the corner to save space.
- Modular. Most often it has a U-shape. Such models take up a large area, so it is recommended to place them only in spacious living rooms.
Installation with the back to the wall saves space and is the most convenient for small rooms. When placing the sofa and TV opposite each other, leave no more than 3 meters between them.
A slight excess of distance (up to 50 cm) is solved by moving the sofa and installing a console behind it. Pictures, flowers, accessories are placed on it. Moving it back 1-1.5 m, place a work area behind it. If the distance is >1 meter, install a dining, play or sleeping area.
The photo shows zoning of space with a sofa
How to correctly arrange a wardrobe and a wall unit?
20 years ago, a Romanian wall unit across the entire hall was considered the standard of style; today, designers are urging people to replace bulky built-in wardrobes with light and roomy ones.
Let’s consider the main options for placing a storage area:
- Opposite the sofa. When arranging furniture symmetrically, place 2 identical cabinets on either side of the fireplace. Or build a TV into a wide wall.
- Around the sofa. Build a cabinet with a niche for a daybed: storage consoles will fit perfectly on the sides and above it.
- Near the window. Forget about curtains in the living room and place shelves on the sides of the window opening. Ideal for a work area on the windowsill.
- On the side of the door. When the entrance is on the edge, place the cabinet along the remaining wall. This technique will help to dissolve it in space.
If there is nothing special to store, limit yourself to a TV stand and open shelves near the desk.
The photo shows a standard way of placing a wardrobe in a niche
Choosing a place for a TV
It makes sense to hang a TV opposite the seats, the main thing is to observe the proportions:
- height from the floor 110-130 cm;
- distance to the seat 180-300 cm.
Do not place the television system near or opposite the window. It is impossible to watch it during the daytime because of the sunlight.
Arrange the table and chairs comfortably
If you are going to combine the living room with the dining room, leave enough free space not only for the table, but also for the chairs – so that nothing gets in the way of the celebrations.
The arrangement of furniture depends on the layout of the apartment. To avoid having to walk through the entire room with food, the dining area is placed near the kitchen door. Or at the entrance to the hall, if the rooms are not connected.
When planning, consider the following figures:
- seating depth – 70 cm;
- minimum passage taking into account the extended chair – 55 cm.
Otherwise, it will be uncomfortable for guests to move and sit during the feast.
What to do with accessories and decor?
Evaluate the size of your living room. In a spacious one, hang large paintings, install massive vases. In a small room, instead of one large one, we place 2-3 smaller ones.
Most often, decorative interior items are placed along the walls and on them, but you can also create a composition on pedestals, a console behind a sofa, or arrange attributes on open shelves in a rack.
The photo shows a version of decorating a living room in blue
Arrangement options for different layouts
How to arrange furniture in the living room depends not only on the lifestyle of the owners, but also on the shape of the room. With the help of the correct arrangement of furniture, geometry can be adjusted and corrected.
Furnishing a rectangular room
A rectangle is the easiest to furnish, the main task is not to turn it into a narrow carriage. To do this, do not arrange furniture along opposite walls, leaving the central part empty.
In a rectangular living room, it is most convenient to do zoning. If you divide the space into two squares, one of which will be a recreation area, and the other for work or eating, the interior will be harmonious.
The photo shows a modern interior of a rectangular hall
What is the best way to arrange furniture in a square hall?
The most successful solution for maintaining the square shape is a symmetrical or circular layout. Identify a focal point and arrange furniture around it for a perfectly planned living room.
The photo shows an example of using symmetry in a square living room
Furniture arrangement in a narrow living room
Initially, a narrow long room presents a problem that can easily be aggravated. Therefore, refuse the method of arrangement along one or two elongated walls.
Give preference to asymmetry, use compact furniture (2 small sofas instead of a huge one), choose round and oval shapes.
Mirrors, transverse flooring, horizontal stripes on short sides, light colors and other techniques will also help to visually expand the space.
The photo shows an example of visual expansion of space with the help of furniture
Convenient arrangement for a small room
Your task when decorating a small living room is to take into account the dimensions and not make it even smaller. To this end, refuse large furniture sets, and also reduce the total number of items.
In a small room, put a corner sofa or a straight ottoman and a couple of armchairs. In the first case, the room is more spacious, but there is no possibility to rearrange. The second set takes up more space, but remains mobile.
The photo shows a small living room in bright colors
Competent arrangement in a large living room
A huge hall can and should be zoned! Start by defining functional zones: what do you plan to do in the room besides relaxing? From the answer to this question, you will learn the list of additional furniture: a desk, a bed for the bedroom, a wardrobe.
If there are not many items in the room, emphasize their dimensions: allow yourself an impressive-sized sofa, a projector instead of a TV, comfortable large armchairs.
In a spacious living room, you do not need to place all the furniture along the walls – it is better to group it by zones and place it as ergonomically as possible. For example, the sofa and armchairs closer to each other and from the TV.
Examples of a living room with a non-standard layout
Before drawing a plan, decide for yourself: do you want to emphasize or level out the features of the room?
If the living room has a beveled corner, it is highlighted with a fireplace and a TV, and the seating is placed opposite.
The highlight of the “wrong” apartment can also be a bay window: in the dining room-living room, a bay window is placed next to it. dining group, in a regular one – make a couch out of the windowsill and place a bookshelf next to it.
It is more difficult to hide the flaws, for this you will need custom-made furniture: for example, a wardrobe of an unusual shape will smooth out asymmetrical corners.
