Long family room ideas
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.
Long Living Room Ideas - Narrow Room Design Tips
Style
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.
Designing a narrow room with a window: how to choose an interior and furnish it with furniture
Turning a long "pencil case" into a full-fledged living space - a living room, dining room, bedroom, nursery, office or dressing room
A narrow, elongated room is not uncommon in our homes.
In addition, in such rooms there is often one window, because of which the lighting of the space suffers. Before you decide how best to deal with the "pencil case", you need accurate measurements.
Polina Anikeeva
3 meters or less?
The width of a narrow room is a critical indicator. If a room is three or more meters across, there are quite a few options for arranging furniture. If it remains in the region of two and a half meters or even less, you will have to get out.
MWAI Architecture and Interiors
Narrow living room
Arranging a living room in a narrow room is perhaps the most difficult task. All family members gather in the living room, so there should be plenty of seating. Your choice - long sofas; it is even desirable that they be longer than usual. Strict lines of perspective will be smoothed out and the room will appear more rectangular.
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The opposite wall can be decorated with shallow hanging shelves or built-in storage. And if the width of the room allows, you can even install a couple of chairs opposite the sofa. It does not matter that they will close the approach to the cabinets - if necessary, the chairs can be easily moved. But such a solution will allow you to conveniently settle down for family communication.
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Make Interiors
It is reasonable to divide not only a narrow, but also a long room into several zones: for communication (armchairs by the window or a desktop), a sofa + TV. Quite often, narrow elongated rooms have an alcove - according to the situation, they have a bed or a built-in wardrobe.
Juliette Byrne
If the length of the room is not enough, you can do without armchairs.
Then compact puff tables will serve as an additional place to sit.
You can use a corner sofa to make up for the lack of seating. The lighter the model, the less its visual weight. If the same sofa were in rich, contrasting upholstery in relation to the walls, it would seem gigantic. Consider the visual weight of objects! nine0005
ABOUT THIS…
Question: Why does the interior seem overloaded? The main thing here is that the floor is clearly visible - this creates a feeling of free space.
Bright accents will also help visually adjust the volume of the room. Look at the photo above - thanks to the bright yellow details, the living room seems bright and spacious. nine0005
Interiors By Agostino's
A room with a window near the door can also be converted into a compact area with living room functions. In this case, an alternative to a long sofa is a soft group of chairs and a table.
A great option is to furnish such a room with structures in the style of the 50-60s of the last century: visually light, on high wooden legs and with wooden armrests. Complement them with a shallow chest of drawers-credenza, as in the photo.
RELATED PHOTO…
► Narrow living room
COUTURE INTERIORS
Narrow bedroom
If the width of the room is more than 2.6 m, then the double bed can be placed across the room with the headboard against the wall and placed closer to the window. If the width is about 2.3 m, then you will have to forget about a large bed in the bedroom, unless you make it built-in from wall to wall or not be content with a "one and a half" - a narrow double bed 140 cm.
In the case when the bedroom is very small , try to expand the end wall with a headboard with decorative techniques: for example, decorate it with mirrors or wallpaper with an optical effect.
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RELATED PHOTOS…
Narrow Bedroom Design
Interior Marketing Group
There is another way out: to save inches for passage, discard the bed frame, order the heaviest and thickest mattress and put it on a low base as is usually done in hotels.
A thick mattress in a stretch sheet will look like a full bed, but at the same time you will save at least 15 centimeters on the frame of the bed itself. There should be at least 40 cm left for the passage between the wall and objects, preferably 50–55 cm.
Photo on the topic ...
► Design of a small bedroom
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Task: design of a narrow bedroom
Beau Intérieur
If the passage is located between the bed and the wardrobe, then this is the distance big. In this case, it is more convenient to place the bed along the room close to the wall and headboard towards the exit.
As an option, you can make a high headboard combined with shelves. This cabinet will successfully zone the space. On the other side of the closet, you can organize a mini-wardrobe or put a small table for a laptop. nine0005
INT2architecture
It may be successful to have a built-in structure that leaves no passages between the bed and the wall at all. However, this option is more suitable for young people. For older people (they often wake up at night), getting out of the depth of the bed and climbing back will be inconvenient.
aminteriors
Built-in designs offer many options: in a narrow bedroom, you can provide an additional pull-out mattress or a wardrobe in the headboard. nine0005
Turchenko Natalia
In the photo: the bedroom is so narrow that the bed could be placed either across (as in the photo) or with the headboard to the window (the hostess was uncomfortable).
The passage was deliberately narrowed - the bed rests against the ledge, which allowed the sofa to be placed from the side of the kitchen (see plan)
AIBD - American Institute of Building Design
Narrow children's bedroom
Reception of a symmetrical arrangement of objects often saves narrow rooms. Especially children's bedrooms for one or two children. Children are usually not embarrassed by the small distance between the beds. Moreover, they are happy about this and will jump from bed to bed with pleasure in the absence of adults. nine0005
Important: If the location of the window allows, it is better to place two beds opposite each other than on top of each other (on the upper floors of loft beds it is usually stuffy).
RELATED PHOTO …
► Narrow children's room for two children
Olga Shangina | Photography
Photo idea: a bed in a narrow bedroom often has to be moved with the long part against the wall.
Designers in these cases turn it into an ottoman - a sofa with an orthopedic mattress: we remove the linen and use it like an ordinary sofa
Maria Pilipenko
Narrow cabinet
In cabinets, you can use the same symmetry rule with respect to the window, only for built-in cabinets and surfaces. If both shelves and surfaces are the same width, this will visually balance the room. Yes, perhaps the table would like to be wider, but even this, less than 50 cm wide, is quite enough.
FRUKTOV INTERIORS
If the window is not located in the center of the room, but closer to one of the walls, then it is logical to make insets only on one side, but in this case it will be possible to increase the depth of the working surface. Built-in tables make it easy to bypass load-bearing columns if there are any in the room. nine0005
Clifton Leung Design Workshop - CLDW.
com.hk
In rooms where the width varies from window to door due to load-bearing structures, several workstations can be marked out: one along the window, the other along the wall. A very useful thing if there are two people actively working from home in the family and it is inconvenient for them to share one table.
Yana Ivanchenko
Narrow dining room
Oddly enough, but a narrow room with one window may well be a dining room if the kitchen and cooking area are nearby. The main thing here is to choose the right table. If you need a non-standard narrow version, you can look for ready-made tabletops for desks (they are already dining tables) and complement them with designer legs. Or make a table to order. nine0005
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9 best ideas for a long living room • inTrends
The living room is the place where we come to think, to slow down the world for a moment.
Jason Winston George
You have a problem, a long living room. She is uncomfortable. Strange empty zones form in the end sides of the room. Perhaps something divides the room in two, and both halves seem cramped. nine0005
No need to put up with uncomfortable living room space.
What you need to do is to choose the right furniture, the design of which would suit your room. In addition, it will help you think about plans for this territory. Maybe you prefer a small living room, and use the rest of the space as a dining room.
Long living room ideas will encourage you to try new family room seating arrangements. Instead of resisting her form, go with her! Create a comfortable space that represents the interior design you desire. nine0005
Ideas for a long, rectangular living room
When designing a rectangular living room, try to create an open space through which you can freely move. You should not arrange a dead end, having entered which, you will have to return the same way.
It is necessary that through the room it was possible to pass through without turning around.
To create a sense of openness, plan your aisle by highlighting it with chairs, coffee tables, tables and ottomans. Consider the location of the room in the common space of the house. nine0005
Avoid awkward barriers to movement between rooms. They can form if you place a bulky sofa and it will create a cul-de-sac. Placing parallel couches along the length of the room will completely eliminate the problem, the passage will be free.
Ideas for a small, long living room
If your small living room is also rectangular, you have a specific problem to solve. You are not just dealing with a narrow and long space, but also with a smaller size than ordinary living rooms. Equipping it, you will have to keep in mind both the shape and size. nine0005
Start by choosing furniture that fits the scale. Measure the space intended for the sofa and choose one that will fit. Choose furniture that will not look bulky.
This means preferring a sofa with a modern look, rather than a soft, stuffed one.
It should be on legs and placed above the floor to create a feeling of spaciousness. So you will avoid the impression of constriction or overcrowding of space. As for other items, choose them so that they do not block the view - open tables, bedside tables. nine0005
Ideas for a simple, long living room
Modern and minimalist style characterized by long, straight lines. A narrow, oblong living room is ideal for this style, because it is expressed in its very structure. Let's continue the correspondence by emphasizing the long, straight lines of the room with seats with the same lines. Place elongated structural sofas along long walls. Above them, you can strengthen the long shelves. When viewed from the side of a short wall, several lines will be visible stretching the room. nine0005
The modern living room has a minimum of furniture and decor, but there should be a functional space.
For example, a low, long coffee table, in harmony with the look of the room. The low outline of all furniture creates the illusion of a high ceiling. Such an arrangement can balance the narrowness of the living room.
Long Living Room Design Ideas
A significant advantage of the long living room is that it has plenty of wall space, making it ideal for creating a gallery. Hang family photos on the walls along the entire length of the room. nine0005
Another option is to create a formal space in the living room. Half of the room can be a regular area with a comfortable sofa in front of the TV or by the fireplace. The other half will be an official space with chairs and tables against the walls. The room will be more flexible to meet your relaxation needs.
Consider the style of the space when thinking about decorating your living room. Let decor serve as an addition to chairs and armchairs. A casual, cozy space looks great with a few family photos. In the formal area, painting or fine sculpture looks good.
A space inspired by minimalism looks best if there is nothing but the bare minimum on the walls. Artistic style involves the presence of shelves with vegetation. With the help of a large tree with exquisite leaves or a floor lamp, you can fill in uncomfortable voids in the corners. nine0005
Long living room layout ideas
The first thing to decide when considering furniture arrangement is what you want to be the focal point of the room. Do you want to highlight the fireplace, the TV or the stunning view from the window? Place a seating area around the main point. The space of the floor must also be taken into account when placing individual objects around it.
If the focal point is on a long wall, the seating arrangement also needs to be stretched out a bit. It can be a long sofa along the opposite wall and chairs on the other side, emphatically framing the space. If the focal point is on a short wall, you will need a short sofa to match its width. Next, you can purchase a carpet to tie together all the many items.
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Be aware that if the focal point is on a short wall, the seating area may appear cluttered. Because of this, the room can be divided in two, so plan less furniture so that it fits comfortably into the reduced space. You can place a side table at the back of the sofa to separate and define the space. This extension table will also provide you with additional hidden storage space.
Ideas for a long, narrow living room
Don't let a long, narrow living room get in the way of your intention to create a beautiful and comfortable space. Just like in other rooms, scale furniture to fit the space. Sofa take a small width, narrow enough to look harmonious. Choose a long and thin coffee table. Your lighting should also reflect this approach, so consider pendant lights running the length of the room. nine0005
Another approach to furnishing a narrow room is to use pieces of furniture with a smaller footprint. Instead of trying to cram a large, long sofa into the room, you can purchase multiple chairs.
Dividing the space with several pieces of furniture hides the narrowness of the room. Fixtures with this approach are preferably built-in, rather than suspended, distribute them throughout the ceiling.
Long Living Room Interior Ideas
If your long living room is the inner room of the house, then the arrangement of the furniture can be turned inward. Arrange sofas and armchairs around the perimeter of the room so that they face each other. It promotes interaction and interconnection between subjects. This design is suitable for creating a cozy atmosphere, as it closes the space. nine0005
However, if your living room overlooks a beautiful landscape, the opposite approach is better. Large glass doors or windows can be arranged in one of the walls. Arrange the furniture so that you can enjoy the stunning view while staying in the comfort of your living room. If you put furniture in front of the windows, then wherever you sit, you will have a good view.
An open room can also be useful in this approach.
Instead of turning furniture towards large windows, position it so that the rest of the house opens up. This will make it easy to move from one room to another. nine0005
Large living room ideas
If you have a large living room, you need to fill a lot of space. There is a concern that otherwise the room may look empty or cold. You can use soft sofas of large size. Try to match the scale of the furniture to the room. If minimalism is not to your liking, consider that structured furniture with legs will give the space a sense of emptiness and look in the spirit of minimalist design. nine0005
In some cases the room appears large due to the high ceiling. While this is a desirable feature, it can take away the coziness of a room. One way to correct this feeling is to lower the chandelier. A lower level will lower the space without sacrificing ceiling height. Another way to fill the space of a large room is to form a height. This can be done with a tall decorative pot with plants or with a house tree.
