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Narrow family room ideas


Ideas for Decorating a Long and Narrow Living Room

By

Lauren Flanagan

Lauren Flanagan

Lauren Flanagan is an interior design expert with over 15 years of experience writing, editing, and producing articles for renowned Canadian publications and shows for HGTV on home decor. She worked in high-end home decor retail before discovering her passion was to share what she knew in publications and on television.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 12/10/21

The Spruce / Alyssa Vela

If your living room looks like a long hallway, use a few clever illusions to open up the space so you don't feel like you're living in a bowling alley. You may be tempted to push furniture up against the walls in a long, narrow living room to open up the space, but the effect will only highlight the shape of the room, making it feel longer and narrower. Minimize tunnel vision in your home with ideas to manipulate the space.

Watch Now: 5 Clever Tips for Decorating a Narrow Living Room

Form a Straight Walkway

Creating a pathway for foot traffic in a narrow room is tricky. By tweaking your arrangement, you'll create an intimate atmosphere instead of an awkward footpath through the middle of your furniture. Arrange a seating vignette on one side of the long wall of your living room. For example, place a sofa up against one wall and pull close two chairs that face the couch. By creating a small seating area, you've created a clear path behind the chairs on the opposite long wall of the space. The effect is a well thought out sitting area that isn't interrupted by foot traffic.

Create a Curved Pathway

Break up a lengthy space by creating a curved path through the room. Achieve this visual trickery by using both long walls for your furniture and dividing your space into two separate seating zones. You can quickly sketch this out for yourself or use a free room planning app so you can see the curvy pathway on paper. For example, here are two zones that create a curved flow in a long, narrow living room.

As a result, you've broken up the tunnel feeling of the room, maximized the space with two zones, and created an easy flow throughout the living room.

The Spruce / Alyssa Vela

Pull Furniture Away From the Walls

Furniture pushed up against a wall in a narrow living room emphasizes the length of the space. Instead, pull all of your furniture away from the walls and float a seating arrangement in the middle of the room. It helps even if your furniture is only a few inches away from the walls. The result will be a cozy seating area with two narrow walkways on either side of the sitting area.

Use Circular Pieces

Eliminate long horizontal lines with furniture that has soft, rounded edges. There are several easy ways to break up an abundance of straight horizontal lines.

Tip

Along with round furniture, consider upholstery with circular patterns and use round area rugs that call the eye to the floor.

The Spruce / Alyssa Vela

Create an L- or U-Shape Seating Area

Place a sofa on the wall and put a love seat or two chairs perpendicular to the couch to break up the length of the room. Add another love seat or set of chairs on the opposite side of the sofa to create a U-shape seating arrangement. It's another way to create a path along the opposite long wall of your room.

Divide the Space

If your room is particularly long, divide it into two separate zones. Consider two different conversation areas. A seating area and a small office or dining area is another option to make the most of the space. Use area rugs to define each area. Help the two spaces appear organized and orderly by placing all of the legs of each piece of furniture on the rugs.

Tip

Consider creating two zones in a long, narrow living room by using one piece of furniture. Place a sofa perpendicular in the room and put a console table or short cabinet against its back. Use the table or cabinet as a desk for a small home office zone.

Maximize Vertical Space

Draw the eye high by making the most of vertical space. A tall armoire or bookshelf breaks up an expanse of long horizontal space. Move the eye upward by creating art and photo arrangements that go high and close to the ceiling. Hang floor-to-ceiling drapery, preferably with vertical stripes, to create the illusion of height.

Watch Now: 3 Ways to Make Your Small Space Appear Bigger

How to Decorate a Long Narrow Living Room

Is your living room a hallway?

No?

It’s just really long and narrow, so it gives off the vibe of a hallway.

Well, it doesn’t have to.

In this guide, we share how to decorate a long narrow living room, transforming your hallway into a cozy living space.

Furniture arrangements

The way you arrange your furniture in your long narrow living room can change the perception of the shape of the space.

Plus It sets the foundation for the room and the rest of your decor going forward.

Here are a few different arrangements for long narrow living rooms.

Courtesy of decorsteals.com on Pinterest

The Straight Pathway

Pushing all of your furniture up against your walls might be your first instinct when decorating a long narrow living room. 

But this tactic works against you, as it emphasizes the length of your space. 

Instead, thespruce.com suggests pulling your furniture out and away from the wall.

Then, arrange your seating in the center of the room underneath a light. 

This creates a cozy central space with footpaths on either side.

Easily achieve this look with a sectional or a combo of a sofa opposite two chairs for an intimate seating arrangement. 

If you don’t like your furniture in the middle of the room, apartmenttherapy.com suggests pushing it up against the wall underneath a window or piece of wall art.

BONUS TIP: Arrange your furniture cross-wise to give your living room a wider appearance.

Courtesy of patticakewagner.com on Pinterest

The Curved Pathway

While the straight pathway does make traversal convenient, it can accentuate the length of the room. 

Break up a long narrow living room by arranging furniture in a curved path. 

To achieve this illusion, use your furniture to divide your space into two separate seating zones.

Courtesy of decorsteals.com on Pinterest

Separate the Space

Instead of decorating one long, narrow living room, separate the space into two different conversation areas.  

These could be:

By segmenting the space into U and L furniture arrangements you guide foot traffic into an arc.  

This negates the hallway feeling that long-living rooms can have while making more use of the available space.

BONUS TIP: You can also zone these separate areas with rugs, lights, and color, making it feel intentional.

Courtesy of settingforfour.com on Pinterest

Decorating a Long Narrow Living Room

Now that you have your larger pieces arranged in your long, narrow living room, you’re ready to decorate!

Here are a few tips for using your decor to reduce the visual length of your living room.

Courtesy of modsy.com on Pinterest

Recommended Round Pieces

A long narrow living room is essentially a big rectangle. 

That's painfully obvious when staring from across the room. 

To help counter long horizontal lines, thespruce.com recommends using circular pieces with soft edges.

Courtesy of classiccasualhome.com on Pinterest

Rely on Rugs

Striped area rugs are a great way to make your living room look and feel wider than it really is.  

If a striped rug isn’t your style, use other styles to define distinct areas we mentioned earlier.

Courtesy of decorsteals.com on Pinterest

Space Saving Shelves

You can only put so many items across the width of your narrow living room. 

We’re no stranger to decorating small spaces, and floating shelves are a great way to save floor space. 

As we mentioned in how to decorate around a tv, floating shelves can help decorate your living room.

They’re excellent tools for providing additional storage without taking up any precious floor space.

Courtesy of thesavvyheart.com on Pinterest

Maximize Vertical Space

Drawing the eye upward will take the focus away from how narrow your living room is. You can do this in several ways. 

A tall armoire or bookshelf will point towards your ceiling while also adding additional storage.

Homedesignlover.com suggests breaking up your horizontal space with an array of photos, artwork, and mirrors.  

This helps define specific spaces within your living room, and reflective surfaces will bounce natural light, making it feel larger. 

Add floor-to-ceiling drapery with vertical stripes to create the illusion of height, and you should be good to go.

 

Now It’s Your Turn

There you have it, how to decorate a long narrow living room. 

Hopefully, you’re more confident in transforming your space from a hallway into a hallmark of a cozy, stylish living room.

Will you be organizing your living room into a straight pathway or a curved pathway? How did you design your sections? 

Let us know which tip you’re going to use on your long narrow living room in the comments below!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

Read also
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Teresa Sapey + Partners

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Narrow room (39 photos) design ideas and furniture arrangement

What to consider in interior design?

First of all, let's understand the terminology: a long narrow room is a room where a short wall is 1.5 or more times smaller than a long wall. For example, bedroom 5*3, living room 6*3.5, etc. will be considered elongated rooms.

Important! The width of a long narrow room is more important than the length: if it is less than 3 meters, it will not be easy to organize the ergonomic arrangement of furniture.

The photo shows a bright armchair at the far end of the hall

The first thing to consider in the interior of a narrow room is the wrong ratio of its sides. The task of the designer is to bring the space closer to the correct shape - a square. How to achieve this will be explained in the following sections.

Read also

Narrow bedroom design (photos, layouts, how to position the bed)

The second important aspect is the location of windows and doors. Most often, in standard layouts, they are located opposite each other along short walls. Although this layout is not the most convenient, it is perfect for zoning a narrow room.

If window and door openings are placed on long walls, this opens up more design and furniture options.

Choosing the right color scheme

The design of a long narrow room relies on color: it can transform it both for better and for worse. To prevent the latter from happening, pay attention to the advice of designers.

The smaller the area of ​​the room, the lighter the palette should be. Choose white, beige, gray light colors for the main walls and ceiling, it is better to make the floor medium in saturation.

The photo shows a narrow white kitchen with a balcony

Make one of the short sides brighter or darker in comparison with the rest - it is advisable to choose the one that is located opposite the entrance. Visually, it will look closer, and the room - wider.

Tip! If there is a window opposite the door, replace the wallpaper with contrasting curtains - they will also correct the narrow geometry.

Another working diagram of how to renovate a room is monochrome. When all the walls, ceiling and main furniture are made in the same color (white, gray, sand, pastel), the boundaries are blurred and the geometry is distorted.

Decorating tips to visually expand a room

  • The flooring is laid across - the seams along the short walls visually stretch them left and right. Carpets and rugs are also chosen with geometric cross patterns.
  • Wallpaper with horizontal stripes is glued exclusively on the short sides, long walls are decorated with companions in a suitable shade.
    • On the photo, the unusual design of the walls in the living room .
  • Don't forget the simplest but most effective technique: reflective surfaces. Mirrors and gloss reflect light and create a natural perspective. A mirrored headboard behind a bed or sofa visually expands the space. The same effect creates a glass coffee table, glossy facades of the kitchen.

Zoning Recommendations

Surprisingly, partitions and borders will make even a small narrow room look bigger. Separation as an idea for a narrow room is not just possible, but must be used! You can beat several zones not only with the help of a partition.

Read also

Podium in the interior (70 photos)

Podium

It is convenient to organize a sleeping place, office, dining area on it. The difference in levels will increase the area, because the sections on the podium and without will be perceived separately from each other.

Color

Different shades in the wall or floor decoration, a bright carpet on the floor emphasize the desired areas. In the living room, it can be a wall behind the sofa, in the bedroom - a dressing table, in the nursery - a play space.

Furniture

Interior items suitable for zoning a narrow space:

  • rack with open shelves;
  • functional pencil case or cabinet;
  • sofa;
  • table.

The shelving unit is ideal for nurseries, the sofa is often used in living rooms and studios. If you need to equip the kitchen separately from the hall, set the table across.

The photo shows the use of a podium and perspective in the bedroom

Light

Read also

How to arrange a narrow living room?

The abundance of lamps, which differ from each other over different areas, also visually divides the room. How much should be analyzed using the kitchen as an example: an overall bright chandelier is hung over the dining table, and inconspicuous tires or spots are hung over the working area.

Partition

There is also a physical separation of the premises. Screens work best in rooms that need to be zoned into two completely different areas: a bedroom and a living room, a hall and a kitchen.

Railings should not be solid, blind - choose light structures with gaps: like a pattern cut by a router, cells, etc. They will cope with the task of differentiation, while allowing light, sound and sight to penetrate.

Modern interiors feature glass walls with metal frames. Inside, they can be closed with curtains, and when you don’t need to hide, the curtains can be easily opened and again “combine” the room into a single whole.

Tip! By the way, curtains can also be used separately: soft drapery elegantly divides the space, and the design itself suggests the possibility of open and closed use.

How to arrange furniture?

The main mistake made by many in the layout of a narrow room is the arrangement of furniture along the walls. If you are not dealing with a passage room, give up this idea - otherwise the narrow living room or nursery will look like a wagon, and not a cozy living room.

To properly arrange furniture in a narrow room, start with an inventory and check if you really need a lot of items? Every attribute counts. Competent minimalism in this case is relevant at least because the more free space, the wider the room will look.

Read also

Design of a narrow kitchen: layout, decoration, furniture arrangement, photo

The second nuance that deserves attention is the size. When choosing items to furnish a narrow room, take a few compact ones, instead of one overall.

Example: a small sofa and a couple of armchairs instead of a large corner one, a dining table with individual chairs instead of a massive kitchenette. The only exception is the bed. In the room of a married couple, she, of course, should be solid.

When thinking about the shape, use a circle if possible: this applies primarily to tables. If you take a rectangular table, set it transversely to the long sides.

The very arrangement of furniture involves the maximum use of the center of the room. It is permissible to put a sofa across, armchairs - on the contrary, it is also better to place the bed with a headboard against a long wall.

An important role in the overall perception is played by the design of far corners or niches: they should not be empty. Place a decorative screen, a tall floor lamp, hang curtains or a picture.

How to organize lighting correctly?

See also

How to create a harmonious design for a narrow bathroom?

The first rule of light: there must be a lot of it! And you should start with a balcony and a window. Keep them as open as possible, you can refuse curtains altogether, or replace them with horizontal models (for openings on short walls): blinds, Roman blinds.

For windows on the long sides, on the contrary, the framing is vertical and unobtrusive: ordinary curtains to match the walls without unnecessary decor will suffice.

In artificial lighting, an unambiguous “no” is said to the central ceiling chandelier, replacing it with several small spots and adding lamps on the walls and tables.

Tip! A few sconces with bright lamps along the long sides will help expand the room and get rid of the oppressive feeling.

The photo shows a lot of lamps in a spacious living room

What to do with curtains and decor?

See also

How to create a harmonious design of a rectangular kitchen?

The topic of curtains was covered in the previous section, but it is worth noting once again: for a window on the short side, choose contrasting and horizontal models, on the long side - vertical ones to match the wall.

The same goes for the rest of the decor. Accents will help visually bring the plane closer to the end of the room: bright paintings, carpets, accessories.

If you need to decorate a wall that is longer, take neutral, unobtrusive style elements.

Learn more