Home » Misc » Furniture layouts for long living rooms

Furniture layouts for long living rooms


How to Arrange Furniture in a Long Living Room

Love it? Share it!

387 shares

Do you have an awkwardly shaped living room? I do too. My living room is long and narrow with many obstacles. We have a hallway that cuts through it, a wall of windows, and an opening to the entryway. However, awkward shaped living rooms don’t have to feel awkward. Here are 6 simple layouts that will work perfectly as we discuss how to arrange furniture in a long living room!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

How to Arrange Furniture in a Long Living Room

When Aaron and I purchased our current home, I immediately saw the challenge of arranging furniture in our long, narrow living room. There were several obstacles to work around that made it especially challenging.

Over the last four years of living here, our living room has seen multiple layout options. All of them “worked” and are viable options for our personal space.

But as we rearranged the living room furniture, had different seating needs, and have slowly changed my design style, new configurations have emerged.

Today, I’m sharing what to consider when arranging living room furniture, how to define an awkward space and how to design for functionality.

7 Things to Consider When Arranging Living Room Furniture

There are a variety of things to consider when designing a living room layout. Here are the top 7 to give you a start.

  1. Overcoming obstacles
  2. Room focal point
  3. Flow
  4. Seating needs
  5. Purpose of the room
  6. How to define the space
  7. Adding zones

First, do you need to overcome any obstacles? For instance, our living room and entryway are essentially one long space. So we needed to create a division somehow.

Shop This Look

Turn on your JavaScript to view content

Second, what do you want the room’s focal point to be? Many people design furniture layout around a focal point. Examples of this would be a fireplace, TV, or conversation area.

Third, how does the flow of the room work? When arranging furniture, you want to have a natural flow (walking pathway) through the room so people aren’t tripping over furniture to use the space.

Fourth, what are your seating needs? Can you get away with one small loveseat and a couple of arm chairs? Or do you need a full sectional with tons of seating?

Fifth, what is the purpose of the room? Will you be using it as an everyday family room, formal living room, entertaining space, home office…etc?

Sixth, how will you define the space? Many homes are open concept with no walls to create a defined living room. So you will want to define the space with either your furniture layout or an area rug.

Finally, consider adding zones. Long narrow living rooms can be seen as difficult to design, but they actually offer you the opportunity to create living zones within one space. One zone could be a conversation area, the next a game table, the next storage…etc. It simply depends on your needs!

Living Room Design: Out of the Box Thinking

Once you’ve considered the above items, it’s time to put together a living room design! There are three design staples in creating a functional and defined living space.

  1. Pull furniture off the wall
  2. Design vertically
  3. Create zones
Allow Furniture to Float

One design mistake I often see when arranging furniture in a long narrow room is placing all the furniture along an outside wall.

There is a misconception that furniture must be placed on a wall. Perhaps that stems from older style homes where rooms were actually defined by walls. However, in our open concept society, walls aren’t an option!

Instead, in these types of spaces it is best to allow furniture to float when you’re able. Of course there will be times when the narrowness of the room doesn’t allow this for every piece, but then you can choose wisely what to place along a wall.

When you allow furniture to float, it makes a room feel more intimate and intentional. I talk a bit more about this in my YouTube video on designing a functional family room.

Design Vertically When Able

Next, since you are working with a narrow footprint, design vertically.

How can you use the vertical space in the room to gain more storage, places to display decor, or to draw the eye upward for interest? Here are a few options:

Define Zones

And lastly, use area rugs and furniture layout to define a living room zone.

Since our living room is open to the entryway, kitchen, and walkways, I used one large area rug to define the space. The area rug then defines where our living room furniture can live and acts as “walls”.

Additionally, a long console table behind one sofa defines the living room from the entryway space. Using rugs and furniture to give an open concept living room definition is the easiest route to go!

6 Long Narrow Living Room Layout Options

Now that you have your wheels turning, let’s dive in to 6 common living room layouts that will work for long living rooms.

Living Room Layout 1: Two Sofas & Arm Chairs

The first layout option is the one I currently have in my own living room. Two sofas and two armchairs.

We eventually evolved our living room to add a second full sofa because we were hosting small groups and enjoy entertaining. We needed the seating!

The one wall we have in our living room is only wide enough to hold one sofa. So the layout is built off that sofa and down the room.

Shop This Look

Turn on your JavaScript to view content

As you can see, the area rug defined the zone. This allows the walkway to the hallway to stay unimpeded. Then, the long console table on the right divides the living room from the entryway.

Both sofas are floating with skinny tables behind them for decor or simply a place to put coffee cups.

Shop This Artwork

Turn on your JavaScript to view content

This layout is the most cramped since it is a lot of furniture in a small space. However, I was able to make sure that the coffee table and surrounding seating had at least 16 inches of leg/walking space.

This is a general rule of thumb that allows you to walk freely, yet use the coffee table easily when seated.

Living Room Layout 2: 1 Sofa & 2 Arm Chairs

A few years ago, we were keeping it simple with one sofa and two arm chairs.

This allowed us the most walking space with the largest piece of furniture on the window wall.

It also provided a more intimate conversational area as all the furniture pointed inward. This is a great option for formal living rooms that don’t require a lot of seating.

Living Room Layout 3: Adding Storage

Layout 2, above, has a tall storage cabinet. However, here is another layout option that allows for added storage.

Depending on your needs, you can arrange living room furniture to have open access to storage, or have it be more tucked away.

In layout 3, I needed my kids to have access to their homeschool materials daily while we were shut down during the pandemic.

So, I rearranged our furniture to accommodate this storage console that wasn’t impeded by anything else.

This is a great example of function over form. The functionality of the space trumped the design form I would naturally be drawn to. And it worked perfectly for our needs during that time.

Living Room Layout 4: Layered Look

Another option is to add in layers as you arrange furniture in a long living room.

Rather than creating structured zones, you can soften a room with layers.

Once my kids were back in school and didn’t need daily access to their storage cabinet, I added some layers back into the room.

I was able to create a better conversation area again by pulling the arm chairs off the window and layering them in front of the storage cabinet.

While the cabinet is still accessible, it creates less of a focal point on the cabinets and more on an intimate setting.

Living Room Layout 5: Create Zones

Like we discussed above, it’s always a great use of space to create zones when designing a long narrow room.

In my room, my zones have changed as the furniture layout has changed with our functional needs.

However, our main zone has always been defining our entryway.

The rest of the space is zoned by conversation area, storage or schooling needs.

If you have a particularly long living room, you can add zones with purposes such as entertaining seating, game, TV, or reading nooks.

Living Room Layout 6: L Shaped

The final common living room furniture arrangement is in an L shape.

You can do this in a variety of ways.

The benefit of L shapes in long narrow living rooms is that it utilizes the length of the room well.

You can learn more about this layout in this post on designing a basement family room.

How to Decorate a Narrow Living Room

Now that you have some ideas for how to arrange furniture in a long living room, let’s decorate!

Living rooms are often a central hang out space, or a place where guests are welcomed. So you want it to convey a welcoming atmosphere and be cohesive with the rest of your home.

If you aren’t sure how to go about defining your decorating style, make sure to check out my two part series on YouTube.

  1. How to Define Your Decorating Style
  2. How to Implement Your Decorating Style

Start with this video!

I like to keep the living room decor fairly basic and uncluttered. This is my personal style! Others may love a more collected or eclectic look. Decorating is such a personal action because it should reflect the homeowner. It isn’t a one-size-fits all formula.

If you want to gain more knowledge on how to design a room from scratch, make sure to check out this three part series on a complete guide to creating spaces you love.

Additionally, you can also learn more about some specific design styles I’ve used in my living room over the years below.

If you’re looking for how to decorate a large family room, you can see how we’ve designed our family room in these posts.

Stay Connected

I hope that this article on how to arrange living room furniture in a narrow living room has been helpful to you! Make sure to stay connected here on the blog by subscribing below.

You can also follow along daily on Instagram and weekly on YouTube!

Long Living Room Ideas - Narrow Room Design Tips

Style

Interior Design

Living Room

by Eleanor Büsing

published Sep 22, 2018

SavePin It

See More Images

Long, narrow living rooms (or family rooms) can be a chore to lay out and decorate, not to mention live in. Nobody wants to feel like they’re entertaining in a train carriage or watching TV in a hallway. But with some layout tweaks and a few visual tricks up your sleeve, you can learn to love your long room. Here are five ways to lay out a long, narrow living room, plus some bonus tips on how to really rock the space.

For more content like this follow

1. Create Separate Zones

SavePin It

See More Images

Often, long rooms are a blessing in disguise, because they can serve as open-plan spaces. Instead of having one larger-but-awkward living room, why not create a smaller living area, plus a den, study area, or breakfast nook?

In the sketch above, we have a traditional TV area (which you can create with a smaller sofa to save space)inte, plus a cozy den-like conversation nook, complete with surrounding wall-to-wall bookshelves to really delineate the space. You can also zone these separate areas with rugs, lights and/or color so it feels intentional.

2. Alternate your Furniture Groupings

SavePin It

See More Images

If possible, try to avoid having all your furniture on one side of the long wall. By alternating furniture groupings, as the space above does, it forces the traffic flow to take on an “S” shape, and avoids half the room just feeling like a straight hallway. It’s a sneaky way to ensure you actually use more of the space.

3. Arrange Things Across the Space

SavePin It

See More Images

When working with a long space, it’s best to arrange things cross-wise when possible, which visually pushes the walls outward, making the room seem wider.

Watch

How to Fix 4 Common Furniture Mistakes

Instead of one sofa against the longer wall, the space above uses two shorter ones, placed width-wise in the space. This visually pushes the walls outward, a trick that’s repeated with the console table behind the sofa, and the long bookshelf on the far wall.

4. Work with the Middle

SavePin It

See More Images

Just because a room is long, doesn’t mean you need to fill it all with furniture. The space above centers the furniture arrangement in the middle, leaving the sides as open, but not dead, space. This works particularly well in a symmetrical room, when the furniture can be centered around a window or fireplace.

5. Utilize an L-Shaped Sofa

SavePin It

See More Images

A proper corner sofa, even more so than one with a chaise, can really use the space in a long room well. The room above uses one, and several of the other tips above, to create a usable layout. Notice how the furniture arrangement at the other end of the room (two chairs, a side table and a console) mimic but flip the shape of the sofa, too.

How to arrange furniture in a narrow and long living room - expert advice Shatura

Content

12/23/2021

Article rating

Main error

In many layouts of apartments of the Soviet period, an elongated room is allocated for the living room. There are similar options in modern homes. In terms of area, the room seems to be large, but it is quite difficult to achieve real comfort in it. That is why many owners of such housing at the stage of repair or on the eve of it ask themselves the question: “How to arrange furniture in a narrow living room so that it becomes comfortable and functional?” nine0003

Most often, apartment owners with narrow living rooms try to make the most of a long wall. At the same time, they apply the principle of two-sided layout, that is, they install a maximum of furnishing elements along long walls. However, in this way they achieve the tunnel effect: the room seems even narrower, the interior becomes unattractive. When developing the design of such a room, it is important to emphasize its advantages as much as possible and hide its shortcomings. After all, the increased length can always be used to your advantage. There are many ways to do this. Let's look into this issue in detail. nine0003

Basic rules for decorating space

Experienced designers when arranging the space of a narrow living room recommend taking into account a number of simple and universal rules:

· Do not get carried away with the elements of furnishings and decor. If the area of ​​​​the room is small, then a minimal furniture set of a sofa, a coffee table, and several chairs will be enough to decorate it. Open modules for storing the necessary things and arranging the decor will harmoniously look on the walls. nine0003

It is better to forget about massive furniture and large interior items. They will take up a lot of space and will hide space.

· It is better to plan the interior in bright colors. This will contribute to a visual increase in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe hall. Another technique is furniture on legs. It not only facilitates cleaning, but also allows you to visually lift the room, make it more voluminous and airy.

· To hide the shortcomings of a narrow living room, bright decor is introduced into its atmosphere: original lamps, posters, photos, plants, paintings, etc. They will attract attention and level out imperfections. nine0003

The use of mirror surfaces is also justified. Placing them on long walls allows you to achieve the effect of visually enlarging the room.

Zoning

To make a narrow living room more comfortable and functional allows dividing it into several separate zones. This is especially true for small apartments, where you need to rationally use every square meter. With the help of the correct arrangement of furniture in a long living room, you can highlight different spaces. nine0003

For receiving guests . Usually this zone is located closest to the doorway. It should contain comfortable upholstered furniture. With limited space, the sofa can be supplemented with pouffes or bean bags, which take up less space. In some cases, it is more appropriate to install a couch. Upholstered furniture is complemented by a TV, which is hung opposite the sofa. It is convenient to place drinks and light snacks on the coffee table for guests. Transformer models are more convenient to use. When assembled, they take up minimal space. If necessary, such furniture unfolds into an almost full-fledged dining table. nine0003


For work . To organize a home office, it is better to choose a place near the window. This will provide enough natural light for work, allowing you to save a little on electricity. A computer desk should be installed near the window, where it is convenient to place all the necessary equipment, stationery, and documents. It will be well complemented by a comfortable, ergonomic office chair, several hinged open shelves. It is convenient to separate the workspace with a light double-sided rack. It will provide additional storage space and will not prevent sunlight from penetrating the room. nine0003

Leisure . In a small apartment, the living room can also serve as a bedroom. To separate such a zone, racks or a closet (if the room is spacious enough) are suitable. Lightweight textile curtains or plasterboard partitions are also used. However, the latter option is not very desirable, as it blocks the flow of natural light to other parts of the room. A folding sofa is more suitable for organizing a sleeping place. If necessary, it can be folded and increase the space for receiving guests. To make the "bedroom" more comfortable, do not forget to place small bedside tables near the bed. It is convenient to put small table lamps on them, place gadgets, cosmetics, etc. nine0003


For eating . This option is possible if the living room is combined with the kitchen. Depending on the total area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room, a dining group or a bar counter is used for eating. Moreover, the latter can also play a zoning role, provide additional space for storing cutlery and dishes. In a small room, you can install a folding bar counter and lay it out only at the time of eating.

Which furniture to use

The large length of the living room, combined with the reduced width, determines the subtleties of the choice of furniture. To decorate such a room, it is better to use a custom-made headset. It will maximally correspond to the geometry and area of ​​​​the hall. When choosing the necessary items and planning the arrangement of furniture, it is important to consider:

· amount of elements. The smaller the area of ​​​​the living room, the less furnishings should be introduced into the interior. The abundance of elements creates the effect of clutter, the room looks overly overloaded with details; nine0003

functionality. Given the increased demand for comfortable and practical furniture, manufacturers are developing different models with hidden storage systems and additional functions. This allows you to save space and create comfort even in small narrow living rooms;

· Colour. The shade of furniture is selected taking into account the existing foundation. Often the walls in narrow living rooms are lined with light materials, then you can choose a brighter, accent setting. Interesting options can be emerald, burgundy or mustard. By the way, a photo panel with a perspective can become an interesting design option for a long wall. It will visually change the geometry of the room. Another solution: painting a long wall in light colors, and a short one in richer, deeper ones; nine0003

shapes and sizes. Do not get carried away with strict rectangular furnishings that will lengthen the room more. If such furniture is necessary, then it is better to arrange it across, use it for zoning. Sofa and armchairs should be chosen with low backs. Also, rounded models that will “eat” less mercy can be a good solution.

Features of furniture arrangement

In a narrow living room, it is especially important to arrange the interior elements correctly. It is not advisable to place them according to the principle of classical symmetrical layout. In this case, it is especially important to show creativity. If the area allows, you can use the angular arrangement of furniture, which will divert attention from the imperfect proportions of the room. In a modern interior, a chaotic asymmetric arrangement of interior items looks interesting. nine0003

Sofa . An original solution may be the choice of a corner model. It will become the central element from which the rest of the environment is built. It is convenient to place it near the walls (in the corner) or use it for zoning. Some apartment owners completely move away from this concept and use armchairs to decorate living rooms. And it is better to prefer visually light products.


Cabinet . Although many designers recommend not using this type of furniture in narrow rooms and replacing it with chests of drawers or cabinets, many people are not ready for such changes. If a cabinet is needed, then it is better to install it on a narrow, short wall. This will make the rectangular room closer to the correct square. In addition, the cabinet can be used to install a TV and other equipment. nine0003

Wall and shelves . For small living rooms, narrow open or closed designs are more suitable, which will not unnecessarily clutter up the space. A good option is a wall with mirrored doors. Shelves can be a stylish and functional replacement for a closet. They facilitate the visual perception of space, make the interior more interesting.

Styling

The choice and arrangement of furniture is largely influenced by style. And not every option is suitable for a narrow living room. We offer several trendy design ideas for a small elongated space. nine0003


Loft . A brutal style that begins its history with the restructuring of industrial premises into residential ones. This determines its features both in external features and in furnishing. When decorating living rooms, the simplicity of brickwork or concrete surfaces is emphasized. The central element can be a classic or corner sofa. Moreover, it can stand out from the general situation by the color or texture of the material. You can complement it with a wooden or metal coffee table, pouffes and bean bags. It is allowed to combine antique and modern furnishings. The main condition is harmony and comfort. nine0003

Minimalist . Modern style that does not tolerate unnecessary details. The basis of the interior is made up of pastel colors. Preference is given to monochrome design options. Most often it is white, pearl. Black is used to create contrasts. Visual accents are highlighted by wood and steel tones. A narrow sofa, a wall or a compact sideboard is perfect for decorating a long living room. They can be supplemented with closed shelves. An important condition is only the necessary items, the absence of unnecessary decor. nine0003



Scandinavian style . Northern people appreciate space and abundance of light. Scandinavian interiors are characterized by a light palette with the inclusion of wood tones and a few bright accents. There are almost never curtains on the windows or they are as invisible as possible. Furniture should be preferred from natural light wood. Good options: ash, birch, pine, etc. Furniture can be natural tones or painted. In order not to clutter up the space with unnecessary details, it is important to use furnishings with convenient storage systems. Additionally, you can include shelves or a rack; there is no place for a closet in such an interior. nine0003



Provence . With its use of a light, natural palette, French rustic style lends itself well to narrow living rooms. Antique furniture is installed in the room, elegant and visually light. It is complemented by textiles in floral prints, live plants or floral arrangements. However, do not get carried away with an abundance of details.

Compliance with the basic principles of layout, thoughtful selection of furniture and its placement will allow you to correctly organize the space, make the narrow living room comfortable and cozy. Stylish headsets for different rooms can be found in the Shatura catalogue. With us you are sure to find worthy solutions for your apartment. nine0003

Like the article?

Share on social networks:

Tags:

LEAVE A COMMENT

You will be interested

Living room interior design in a modern style

A serious competitor to the classics in the interior is the modern style. It is preferred in the design of various premises, including the living room. Unlike the classics, modern design is simple, while it can combine original solutions in terms of color and decor. It will appeal to those who appreciate courage. That is why it is often chosen by creative individuals, as well as those who lead an active life. nine0003

Interior design of a living room in a classic style

In what style should the room be decorated to make it comfortable? The interior of the living room in a classic style is a win-win option for those who like clear shapes, pleasant colors and long-proven stylistic combinations. Unlike modern design, the classic has more fans, as it does not require mixing styles. As a rule, it embodies elegance and restraint through neutral tones and furniture of a clear form. That is why in such an interior one feels peace and tranquility. nine0003

What furniture to choose for the living room

The living room is the heart of the house. Here we spend our weekdays and holidays. Here we relax, meet guests, do our favorite hobby. Therefore, it is so important that this room is cozy, functional, comfortable. From the competent selection of furniture in the living room depends on how comfortable this room will be for a stay. Today we’ll talk about what furniture to choose for the living room, what to pay attention to in the first place, and what points are secondary. nine0003

Return to list of tips and ideas

real photos and life hacks to expand the room

Designer life hacks to expand the space

The main task when decorating a narrow living room is to make it wider. This will help:

Furniture arrangement

Before arranging furniture in a narrow room, it must be chosen correctly. Give preference to low, mundane models. A chest of drawers instead of a tall wardrobe, a floor or hanging console for a TV instead of a wall. It is also advisable to choose upholstered furniture with a low seat and back. If the narrow living room is also small in size, replace the overall bulky interior items with light, airy ones. That is, instead of a huge sofa - a pair of light chairs, instead of a large wooden table - a round glass or mirror one. nine0003

When planning, avoid the standard arrangement of furniture along long walls - this technique narrows the living room even more, making it look like a corridor.

Pictured is a lounge area by the window with curtains

The main rule of ergonomic hall planning is not to leave the center empty. It is better to make an additional passage along the wall, but arrange in the center an area with a table, chairs and other pieces of furniture. For example, arrange two short sofas opposite each other, placing a coffee table between them. nine0003

If a sofa in the living room along the long side is required, because a TV is hanging opposite, let it be a corner model with an ottoman. Lay a bright carpet on the floor and place a coffee table or bench on top.

To make a long, narrow space a little shorter, add a pair of colorful armchairs to the window or balcony setting at the end of the room on the short side.

What color is better to arrange?

The design of the narrow living room allows you to play with colors, but first determine the size of your room. For spacious narrow rooms, the use of darker (coffee, graphite, burgundy, emerald) shades is allowed. A small room requires light colors - beige, gray, white. nine0003

Color temperature is also important. Northern living rooms lack sunlight, so warm cream, yellow, orange tones will brighten it up. In the halls that are located on the south side, where it is already hot, it is better to give preference to cold colors - blue, greenish, lilac, pink.

In the photo, the zoning of a bright living room

At the same time, the color scheme for long and short walls will be different. Long ones are always lighter and colder, narrow ones are brighter, darker and warmer. This allows you to bring the far wall closer and visually make the room more square. nine0003

Finishing details

Let's start with the floor. We have already mentioned that laying must be done across. But diagonal placement of planks or tiles is also allowed, this also changes the shape of a narrow living room for the better. A carpet will help to complement the effect - either with a horizontal transverse pattern, or a plain one, laid along a short wall.

The photo shows a narrow hall in a modern classic style

The main thing you need to know when decorating walls is that all decor, color and brightness should fall on the narrow sides. That is, long walls are decorated in a neutral, monophonic way. And between them make as much color as possible. Suitable for accent wall:

An excellent tool - photo wallpaper. The image of the perspective on the elongated side will balance the irregular shape of the passage room and will look appropriate.

Leave the ceiling as standard white, or complete it with stripes across. Stripes can be drawn in full width, or lining, beams and other architectural elements can be used. nine0003

What to consider when organizing lighting?

Light is your main assistant in the design of a narrow living room. Because with poorly thought out lighting, even the correct arrangement of furniture will not play as it should.

One of the ways we have already mentioned above: if you highlight long partitions with directional lights, they will appear further apart.

The photo shows a living room combined with a bedroom

Also, do not leave an empty central area. To do this, use a stylish large ceiling chandelier, which will divert attention from the architectural features of the narrow hall.

A variety of natural and artificial light sources in different areas will also play into your hands, add coziness - highlight separately a cozy relaxation area, a functional work area and a media area.

Avoid hanging and elongated lamps parallel to the long sides, in your case it is better to give preference to floor or ceiling lamps. nine0003

Design ideas in different styles

Popular today Scandinavian style is known for light finishes and special love for textiles.

Learn more