The living room is the heart of every home, and your sofa is at the center of it, as the main space for social interaction. This room can serve different purposes in different households. For some, it is the main gathering and lounging area. For others, it functions more like a showroom, used only when guests come over. Whichever way you use it, you may want to have the perfect layout and furniture arrangement to make it inviting while maximizing its use.
If that’s the case, you may be interested in these tips on how to achieve the perfect arrangement for your living room.
Start With A Plan
When buying furniture, some people may pick pieces spontaneously, such as choosing the first sofa they see that has an interesting design or shape. Then they go about picking other furniture pieces the same way, choosing the ones that catch their eye. However, when they take the furniture home, they may have a difficult time finding the right spot for everything, or they may find that the pieces don’t look good together. This is why it’s essential to plan beforehand.
You should prioritize the furniture you need to complete your living room before the ones you want. You need to consider the mood of your living room, as well as what function it serves. This will help you decide on the right theme and style for your pieces.
For instance, if you prefer a relaxed, casual mood, an asymmetrical layout may be best. For the furniture, you can opt for neutral and soft colors or a minimalistic theme. Alternatively, you could also search for Nordic-inspired furniture or Scandinavian sofas online in Australia. On the other hand, if you want your room to look more formal or elegant, you may want to go with a symmetrical layout for your furniture. In that case, pieces made of leather material or reupholstered vintage finds would be the best fit for it.
Read More: How To Choose A Recliner Chair
Pick A Focal Point
Once you identify your living room’s focal point, you have the perfect place to set your arrangement. This shouldn’t be too difficult, as most homes will have at least one major point of interest that draws your eye once you enter the room. It could be a fireplace or a prominent window with a lovely view.
If your room doesn’t have a natural focal point, you could easily create one yourself by choosing a sofa with a distinct color or design, or by hanging a distinct piece of art on the wall. Once you have a focal point established, you can easily plan the layout of your furniture around it.
Arrange For Conversation
Since most living rooms are used to accommodate guests or to hold bonding activities with family, you may want to arrange it in a way that encourages conversation and allows it to flow smoothly. A cohesive arrangement will help ensure that conversing in the living room is comfortable and convenient, leaving no room for difficulty in hearing others or being heard.
There are different layout options you can consider for your sofa and other seating. For example, you could have two to four chairs placed around a coffee table for a more intimate conversation area. If you expect to have big groups over often, you could surround the coffee table with a sofa and two chairs instead, or place a long coffee table between two sofas. If you don’t want the monotonous look of two identical sofas, you could shop RJ Living’s couches or check your local stores for a second sofa that’s of a different design but that can complement the piece you have.
Have Furniture-To-Wall Space
Even if you have a small living room, it would be best to give your furniture some breathing room, ensuring that you leave some space between the walls and the pieces.
You may be surprised to find that this may make your room feel bigger. Not only will it prevent your walls from getting scratch marks from the furniture, but it also makes conversation areas seem more intimate as the pieces are closer together, giving the room a better sense of balance.
For a larger room, you can arrange your sofa and the furniture around it so that the conversation area is set at the center of your living room, with several feet of space between the furniture and the sides of the room.
Consider The Traffic Flow
When arranging the furniture in your living room, make sure to consider traffic flow. This should start at the entry point of the room and continue throughout until the other entry or exit point.
Ideally, you would want your room to have good traffic flow, as it allows for better use and accessibility. People shouldn’t trip over each other or over the furniture as they pass through.
So, make sure that there is enough space between your sofa and coffee table, as well as between your other pieces. Your furniture should not block paths or cut off movement. This is especially important if you’re making considerations for wheelchair users. You want to allow enough space for them to move around comfortably, not just for when they pass through but also for when they make turns in their wheelchair.
For your living room to be an inviting space, you should ensure that there is a clear path for people to walk and move around without difficulty.
Aim For Balance
Balance is an essential element in the layout of a room. To make your living room more inviting, you may want to create a space that looks and feels symmetrical.
Avoid grouping all your small furniture at one side and the larger ones at the other, and make sure to match the size of your furniture to that of the living room. A large living room would not look as nice with small chairs than it would with a large sofa. If you have a higher ceiling, taller furniture pieces would suit the room best.
Remember to consider the proportions of your furniture in relation to one another as well. Having a small side table for a big sofa would only look awkward and unbalanced.
On that note, remember not to overdo it with the furniture. Leaving some areas bare could help give your living room a sense of balance, as it gives the eye an area to rest and makes the space look less cluttered.
Pick A Right-Sized Rug And Artwork
If you like to use decorative rugs for your living room, try to ensure that all your furniture pieces sit on top of an area rug. Instead of using multiple ones for individual pieces, you may want to use a bigger one that can accommodate all the furniture in the arrangement.
In addition to your flooring, you also need to consider the things hung on your wall, be it a mirror, artwork, or other decorative object. Whatever piece you choose to highlight, you should pick the right size, one that is proportionate to your furniture, and place it strategically. For example, you wouldn’t want a single small photo frame to hang behind your sofa. Instead, you could use an arrangement of various small pieces, or you could opt for a large one that’s at least 2/3 the size of your sofa.
Conclusion
If you want your living room to be an inviting space that people enjoy spending time in, whether it’s for yourself or for visitors, you should ensure that the layout and arrangement of your sofa and other furniture allow for that. With the tips above, you can easily set up the space in such a way that’s both comfortable and pleasing to the eye.