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How to stage a long living room


Long Living Room Ideas - Narrow Room Design Tips

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Interior Design

Living Room

by Eleanor Büsing

published Sep 22, 2018

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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.

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1. Create Separate Zones

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

Tips to make a narrow space seem wider |

(Image credit: Rikki Snyder / Becca Interiors)

These long living room ideas will help you turn a narrow living room into a space you will love for years to come.  

If you have, or have ever had, a narrow, long living room at home, then you’ll be more than aware of the tricky task of making it look wider than it actually is, while desperately trying to make every corner look cozy. 

You’ve probably spent hours rearranging furniture in a frenzied attempt to make your rectangular space look more square, but in the back of your mind you know that unless you knock down the walls and rebuild the room from scratch, there’s just little you can do. 

Never fear – with some clever small living room ideas and tricks of the trade, there are in fact tons of ways to help turn that awkward living room layout into something stylish and sophisticated. 

1. Keep a long living room clutter free

(Image credit: Future)

If there’s one thing that’s going to create the illusion of more space in a long living room, it’s decluttering – it can actually make a room feel wider in seconds. 

Make sure you keep your room tidy and organized by using clever small living room storage ideas to remove toys, plants, knickknacks and other unnecessary items, and your space will instantly feel bigger and more pleasant to be in.  

2. Use the right furniture for a narrow living room

(Image credit: Haris Kenjar / Hoedemaker Pfeiffer)

Furniture in long living rooms can be a cumbersome business, so it pays to invest in the right pieces – and consider the arrangement carefully, as interior design firm Hoedemaker Pfeiffer have done in this small, narrow space. 

A great tip is to choose a sofa and chairs with open arms and exposed legs, and a glass coffee table. Both will keep the appearance of a much more open and free space, allowing light to filter under and around the furniture far more easily.

3. Pull furniture away from the walls 

(Image credit: Future / Mel Yates)

Another important pointer is not to place large pieces of furniture against walls. And, just because a room is long, doesn’t mean you need to fill it all with furniture. Use the middle of the room to center the furniture arrangement, leaving the sides as open, but not dead, space. 

4.

Scale the furniture to fit a long living room

(Image credit: Future / Paul Raeside )

Scale the furniture to fit the size of the room and don’t block walking pathways. Pick the perfect couch for a small living room by avoiding oversized sofas, or too much furniture that will make the living room look smaller. Furniture and accessories blocking the view into a room will make the space look cramped – if you can see the floor, the room will look larger.

5. Light up a narrow space

(Image credit: Rikki Snyder / Becca Interiors)

Light helps to brighten up a room instantly, so first and foremost allow any natural light to stream indoors by taking down heavy, dark window coverings. If looking for apartment living room ideas , try sheer window treatments or install white wooden blinds or shutters to let the natural light flow into your room during the day, while simultaneously providing nighttime privacy, like in this narrow space designed by Becca Interiors .

6. Use mirrors to reflect light

(Image credit: Future / Jonathan Gooch)

Not surprisingly, decorating with mirrors can make a long living room look a lot larger. Hang a large mirror on a wall opposite a window or very near one to reflect the outdoors, broadening the feel of your room. 

Mirrors reflect both natural and artificial light to make a room brighter during the day and night and they bounce light deep into the room, making it appear larger. Mirrors on the walls and glass tabletops will make it seem like there’s a more open flow. 

7. Use paint to visually enlarge a long, narrow room

(Image credit: Future / Richard Powers)

You can visually widen a rectangular-shaped living room by painting the two end walls a darker color than the other two walls. The gradation of shade and color of paint on opposing walls can either lengthen distance by using a lighter shade – or shorten a distance with a darker shade. 

8. Zone a long room with accessories

(Image credit: Sarah Shields Photography / Whittney Parkinson Design)

Long living rooms rarely feel homely, but here Whittney Parkinson Design has used a few ingenious tricks to zone the space to make it feel far cozier.  

Decorating small spaces with a rug can visually draw together the furniture, giving rooms focus and adding comfort. While a focal point that contrasts with the rest of the scheme can be visually interesting, disguising the awkward layout, something like quirky piece of art, vase or striking lampshade.

9. Hang pictures correctly

(Image credit: Future / Paul Raeside)

Walls that are covered with pictures and other wall hangings tend to make a room feel closed in or busy, so simply hang one or two large pieces of artwork to make the room feel wider and more spacious. 

Choose art that can sit wide but low over the sofa or fireplace for example, to bring the eye level down and help make the room seem wider.

10. Unite two rooms

(Image credit: Sara Tramp / Ginny Macdonald Design)

If you’ve got a long living room that’s divided in two – like a living room one end and a dining room the other – it might be worth picking a couple of your favorite colors and using them as key tones to coordinate the one space, as interior designer Ginny Macdonald has done here.

Plus, try and turn your sofa so it goes against the length of the room, to help break it up – you don’t want the line of your sofa running into your dining table, too.

How do you arrange furniture in a long living room?

If possible, try to avoid arranging all your furniture on one side of the long living room wall. By alternating furniture groupings – or by utilizing the middle of the room better – it will effectively force the traffic flow to take on an 'S' shape, and stops the space looking too straight and narrow, much like a hallway.

How do you utilize a long living room?

Select furniture pieces that are in proportion to the size of your room – oversized cabinets, sofas and chairs can make a small room feel narrow. 

Make sure you arrange your furniture at an angle to create a sense of depth to the room, otherwise if you place all furniture against the walls you might end up with a narrow look.

What's more, as long as your ceiling is painted in a paler color than your walls, no matter what the color, your ceilings will feel higher, helping a narrow living room feel more light and airy.

Jennifer is the Digital Editor at Homes & Gardens. Having worked in the interiors industry for a number of years, spanning many publications, she now hones her digital prowess on the 'best interiors website' in the world. Multi-skilled, Jennifer has worked in PR and marketing, and the occasional dabble in the social media, commercial and e-commerce space. Over the years, she has written about every area of the home, from compiling design houses from some of the best interior designers in the world to sourcing celebrity homes, reviewing appliances and even the odd news story or two.

6 tips for designing a long narrow room + photo

Natalia | 03.11.2017 | Updated | Interior design | 41,763 views | No comments

Contents of the article

Wagon, pencil case, tunnel - as soon as long narrow rooms are not called. Unfortunately, they are frequent guests in domestic apartments. If the problem cannot be solved by redevelopment and demolition of the wall, then you will have to act more cunningly. Small narrow and long rooms are a challenge for many experienced designers, let alone ordinary people! But do not despair - the right choice of colors, proper placement of furniture and a few win-win tricks will help organize a retracted room and even bring its shape closer to a perfect square. So, the design of a long narrow room: what can be done and what should never be done? nine0005

#1. Color scheme and finishes

The main friend of all small and non-standard rooms is light shades. If you don't like white, you can use light gray, beige and light shades of other colors. Dark and bright colors can only be used in small quantities.

The most effective method of is to paint long walls in light colors, thereby pushing them apart, and highlight short walls with a more saturated color, bringing them closer to each other. Two shades can be both in common tonality and contrasting. The ceiling is also desirable to make light, like the floor. nine0005

To make the interior not seem boring, you can use bright color accents : paintings, vases, textiles, small pieces of furniture of prominent colors will attract attention and distract the visitor from the true geometry of the room. At least that's what the designers say, backing up this fact with psychology.

Flooring elements are best laid parallel to short walls or even diagonally. Thus, the space of the room can be made visually a little wider. nine0005

One of the long walls can be finished with Perspective Wall Murals . Suitable for urban and natural landscapes. This solution can be recognized as ingenious and universal, since due to the perspective the room expands significantly, and due to other methods, it is possible to completely turn the trailer into a harmonious room of the correct form.

mirrors cope well with room correction. By placing a large mirror on a long wall, you can also achieve the effect of expanding space. It is important not to overdo it, and not to use photo wallpaper and a large mirror in the same room. An interesting solution is to use mirror inserts along the top or bottom edge of the wall, making the partitions airy and creating the illusion that the room is actually much larger than it is. In addition, mirrors perfectly reflect light, making the room more lit, which is very important in our case. nine0005

Some designers advise to use horizontal stripes in the decoration of one of the short walls , which will partially "run into" the adjacent long wall.

#2. Proper zoning

Another effective technique in the design of a long narrow room is the zoning and allocation of two functional centers in one room. The main thing is not to use bulky cabinets and solid massive partitions to divide the space.

For zoning an elongated room, you can use:

  • carpet in contrasting color to the flooring. In this case, all corners of the room will be quietly illuminated by sunlight, but at the same time, the living area, for example, will be clearly separated from the working area with a desk;
  • platform can be used to place a bed or work station on it. The space under the podium can be used to organize storage. It is important to choose the optimal height of the "pedestal" so that, when entering it, you do not bang your head against the ceiling. Additional separation can be obtained due to the different colors of the walls; nine0050
  • small sofa placed across the room . Most of the area will turn into a regular square-shaped living room, and a smaller one can be used as an office;
  • shelving unit with open through shelves works in the same way as the sofa. The main thing is that it should be airy and not block the light;
  • mobile partitions, screens and curtains are suitable when in a narrow long room it is necessary to allocate a place for sleeping and receiving guests, for example. nine0050

#3. Proper lighting

A well-lit room appears more spacious than a similarly dark one. In a tram room, it is better to highlight every corner and make the most of sunlight , so light compact curtains are chosen to frame the window. Roman and roller blinds, blinds are perfect, which make it easy to open the entire window opening completely, and, if desired, protect yourself from street light. If necessary, you can complement the window with a delicate translucent tulle. nine0005

In artificial lighting , it is better to provide several levels: a chandelier for general light, spotlights, floor lamps and sconces for highlighting individual areas, as well as an LED strip for creating decorative lighting.

No. 4. Arrangement of furniture in a long narrow room

This is the most difficult issue in the design of pencil cases. On the one hand, I want to fit all the required pieces of furniture in order to ensure a comfortable life. On the other hand, if you sideways and zigzags your way from the door to the window, then there is no question of any convenience. nine0005

The most effective techniques that designers use when arranging furniture in long narrow rooms:

  • positioning the sofa against a short wall;
  • grouping furniture in one part of the room, leaving the rest more spacious;
  • instead of one large sofa, it is sometimes appropriate to use several armchairs, which form a cozy living room group;
  • it is extremely undesirable to place absolutely all pieces of furniture along long walls - we risk getting a semblance of a railway car, so a small sofa and an armchair set at an angle to it are better than one long sofa; nine0050
  • at least part of the furniture must be perpendicular to the long walls ;
  • leave long walls as free as possible, use of open shelves is allowed;
  • wardrobe is best placed against a short wall. So we acquire a storage place, and bring the room closer to the shape of a square.

#5. What other tricks can be used?

There are a number of ways to change the perception of space and give a long room a more regular shape:

  • To make the room visually a little shorter, a barrier located almost at the far short wall will help. A screen, a bench, a small table, etc. can act in its role;
  • the use of round objects allows you to visually smooth the corners and get rid of the tunnel effect;
  • If possible, small niches can be created in the walls. The difference in the depth of the walls will make the interior more dynamic. For this purpose, rough textures are also used, such as decorative stone and brick; nine0050
  • works well in long rooms asymmetry so feel free to experiment;
  • the number of pieces of massive furniture is best kept to a minimum. The best option is furniture that is capable of transformation, or one that is easy to move;
  • Carpets with stripes running parallel to short walls are a great way to make a space look wider. Rows of lamps located perpendicular to long walls have a similar effect.

#6. Features of different rooms

The rules described above are equally valid for all long and narrow spaces, but still, when arranging different rooms (living room, bedroom, etc.), it is worth taking into account some nuances.

Narrow and long living room

The living room is usually the largest room in the apartment, because it is a gathering place for all household members and guests. If only a long narrow room remains at your disposal, then it will not be easy. It will be doubly difficult if the room is small in size. nine0005

If the living room has a decent length, then it is best to equip several zones . One will have a sofa with a TV and other attributes of the living room, the other will have a dining room, a work desk, or a play area for children.

If the living room is shaped like a pencil case, and at the same time small, then you may have to abandon the traditional large sofa. It can be replaced with a couple of compact sofas or a few armchairs. They must be placed in different planes: parallel and perpendicular to the long wall. Light coffee tables and multifunctional furniture will come to the rescue. Storage places are organized on open shelves and in a small console, which can also act as a TV stand. nine0005

Narrow long bedroom

A bedroom is indispensable without a bed, so its location is considered in the first place. It all depends on the size of the room and the bed itself. The standard length is 1.9-2 m. The width of a single bed is about 90 cm, a single bed is up to 140 cm, a double bed is 160-170 cm. sides, preferably 70 cm.

A single bed is usually not a problem. If you want to put a bigger bed, you will have to carefully calculate everything. It is best to put it with a headboard against a long wall, but another option is allowed. In extreme cases, you can move the bed with one side to the wall. nine0005

If the bedroom is very long, then you can give part of it to create a dressing room. The remaining space on the opposite side can be used to install a work or dressing table.

Long and narrow kitchen

A long kitchen is the hardest thing to do. As a rule, a linear layout is used and the installation of all kitchen furniture and appliances along one wall. It's great if you can use a short wall with a window and install an L-shaped kitchen. In this case, the geometry of space will be partially saved. nine0005

Only part of a long wall can be used as a kitchen set. The remaining space against the short wall can serve as a dining area. This is a good enough solution. You can also advise using translucent chairs.

If the kitchen is small, then it makes sense to move the dining area to the next room, but if this is not possible, then compact bar counters and folding tables will come to the rescue.

Finally, we note that it is worth considering the design of the pencil case room in advance, and during repairs, act with extreme caution so as not to steal usable space, so it is better to refuse drywall as a means of leveling walls if possible. nine0005

Article written for remstroiblog.ru.

Tags: Apartment design

Long rectangular living room design | Domfront

The owner of a square room does not have to think long about how to design a living room. It is not subject to any rules or restrictions. The square is the perfect shape for any room, requiring very little: defining its functionality and creating a design that matches the tastes of the owners. The owner of an elongated rectangular room has more problems and fewer opportunities to let go of fantasy. He has to apply various techniques that help visually expand the space. nine0005

How to arrange furniture in a rectangular living room?

First of all, you should decide on the functionality of your room. It should contain everything you need for family celebrations, visits of guests, friendly gatherings and a comfortable stay with your family.

By itself, a rectangular shape, if the room is long, has to delimit the entire available area into zones. This makes the room cozier and masks its not the most successful configuration. Often, in a spacious living room, an area is separated in which a dining room is equipped. Here they put a dining table, chairs, pieces of furniture designed to store cutlery, and in the other part - the so-called compositional center (home theater, electric fireplace), surrounded by upholstered furniture. In such a room, sofas and armchairs can be placed both along the walls and closer to the center. However, one should not forget about the free space, which makes it possible to move around the room. nine0005

Long living room is divided into a recreation area and ...

... The dining room zone

The design of a long rectangular living room

Zoning in a long narrow room 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 LAND

Arrangement of furniture in an elongated rectangular room

Keep in mind that rigid symmetry will emphasize the shape of the living room. Therefore, it is preferable asymmetrical furnishings . It is advisable to place pieces of furniture both along long walls and perpendicular to them. Corner sofas are optimal for a rectangular living room. A coffee table is best placed in the center of a soft group or in front of a sofa. Some elements - for example, armchairs - can be installed diagonally. The compositional center in a long narrow living room is preferable to be placed on a long wall. All this visually “squares” the room.

A corner sofa is installed, some of the furniture is located closer to the central axis: this is the correct approach This makes the room cozy

Everything you need for a work area (desk, bookcase, shelves) can be conveniently placed by the window, especially if the room is elongated from it. nine0005

If the window is located on an adjacent, longer wall, a different arrangement of furniture is recommended - a closet with doors of the same tone as the walls is built in on the narrow side. The room becomes shorter by the depth of the closet, which makes it closer to the square.

It is important to avoid repeating the most common mistakes often made by owners of non-standard premises. The first error - placing furniture along the walls along the entire length of the room. nine0013 The second - the concentration of furniture in one corner. One mistake leads to a visual lengthening of the room and even a completely undesirable increase in the "corridor effect", the second - to an excess of emptiness and a loss of space harmony.

Entrance door and floor decoration

The feeling of spaciousness is achieved with a wide doorway. It is best to install a sliding door. It is difficult to come up with a more suitable option for distinguishing between the kitchen and the living room, but only if the appearance of the door matches the design of these rooms. nine0005

Light-coloured laminate flooring is quite common. This coating is able to visually give lightness to all three-dimensional elements of the interior. You can visually shorten a long room with parquet planks laid parallel to short walls (across the room). On the floor, a pattern of squares will be appropriate. A soft square carpet in the center of the room will not hurt, which will emphasize the cozy and relaxing atmosphere in the recreation area.

Rectangular living room color scheme

When decorating a room, it is useful to listen to the recommendations of experienced designers.

1. Light colors effectively mask the disadvantages of the layout, visually expanding the room. Use materials of white, beige, light gray, pale blue, light green, lilac, cream colors for finishing the ceiling and walls.

2. Stylish looking walls, the upper part of which is painted with paint, and the lower part is pasted over with patterned wallpaper of the same tone (or painted in a different color or paneled). This division of the walls horizontally contributes to the visual expansion of the room. nine0005

3. Do you want brightness? Add yellow, pink, blue, orange, but try not to overload the interior with them. Your living room will sparkle with colors if textiles and other decorative elements are correctly selected.

4. When choosing a color scheme, consider the location of your living room relative to the cardinal points. If the windows face south, you can choose cooler shades of blue, brown, purple, gray and white. For living rooms with north-facing windows, choose warm yellows, oranges, and greens. nine0005

5. For the expressiveness of the interior, it is useful to use contrasts in its design. For example, to give a richer tone to niches in a room with light walls.

To bring short walls closer to the center (and thus make the room look more like a square), use "hot" or dark colors for finishing them: for example, orange, red, terracotta, warm brown or black. Long walls at the same time remain light, cool.

Narrow living room design in loft style

Large rectangular living room looks like a square thanks to the play of colors

Narrow living room design

However, there are several additional ways to give the space of the “pencil case” room more harmony.

Experts advise not to limit yourself to just the correct arrangement of various interior elements. Do not use massive furniture. Preference should be given to light puffs, small open shelving, glass elements, furnishings that can transform. An interesting solution for decorating the floor in a narrow living room is proposed - a striped carpet, the lines of which are perpendicular to the length of the wall. A transverse pattern can also be introduced on the ceiling (light decorative beams, painting in a wide strip, etc.). nine0005

The illusion of an area that is much larger than the real one is helped by modern photo wallpapers. Their role in creating the interior of a long and narrow living room is truly invaluable. You can adjust the space with high-quality images of natural landscapes, historical landmarks, space landscapes, those places that you have already visited or dream of visiting.

Do not refuse mirrored surfaces and large paintings that can open up the space. nine0005

In order for the process of furnishing your home to please with the results and give positive emotions, be bolder in experiments, show your imagination and use the experience gained by interior designers.

Design of an elongated living room: good examples and mistakes

Large rectangular living room. It looks, however, too elongated. This could be facilitated by the arrangement of rows of lamps along the long walls, which visually lengthened the rooms. It would be worth changing the position of the lamps. nine0005

Red curtains make the short wall appear closer, making the room look more square. Part of the furniture is installed perpendicular to the long walls. The light floor creates a feeling of spaciousness. Everything is done right here. But the picture should be preferred neutral.

Dark colors. Narrow stripe and frequent pattern. All this visually narrowed the room even more. The mirror doesn't help. Stylish, but mistakes are evident.

Green, the color of space, well chosen. The striped carpet on the floor serves as a visual extension. The furniture is arranged correctly. Well thought out design and decor. nine0005

The area behind the sofa is overcrowded, but the room still looks quite wide. This is facilitated by the color scheme and the shelves behind the sofa, giving the illusion of volume.

The small, narrow room doesn't look like a pencil case at all. The living room turned out to be harmonious and cozy thanks to the color, asymmetry, the correct arrangement of elements in all directions (along the long walls, across the room, along the central axis).

In a long rectangular living room, a piece of furniture must always be perpendicular to the long walls and/or diagonally. nine0005

Very long, elongated living room. Uncomfortable and boring. Zoning not thought out. To remedy the situation, it is enough to put a large coffee table in front of the sofa, and place a couple of armchairs or a small couch perpendicular to the long wall on the border of the living area.

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