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Placing furniture in a small living room


Small living room layouts – 13 ways to arrange furniture in a tiny space |

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(Image credit: Rei Moon)

The pressure’s on when it comes to small living room layouts – you’ve got to juggle storage and seating and surface space and soft furnishing, while also making sure it feels calm and spacious. And yes, sometimes it feels like a bit of an impossible task. How can you ever arrange this amount of furniture into a small space while still keeping it feeling open and airy?

However, with some savvy planning and a discerning eye, it’s possible to create the perfect small living room layout. The living room is often a place to chill, a place to work, a place to entertain, and sometimes even a place to sleep, so it’s got to be a hard-working multifunctional space. 

Flexible living room furniture is king, such as modular pieces or those that can double up as seating and storage, yet it’s important not to cram it all in. Sometimes less is more, and leaving space to walk freely around the furniture will create a luxurious feel. 

How do you layout a small living room?

As more of us work and play at home, the living room now has to cater to various roles. It’s important to really think about how you spend your time in the space, as this will largely determine your layout. 

When it comes to choose the best furniture for small living rooms, ditch the trad three-piece suite and go for versatility and mobility. A couple of stylish slipper chairs or a cozy love seat paired with footstools or ottomans that can double up as seating, storage or side tables, will be more valuable than a pair of bulky sofas. Look for shallow-depth furniture, modular designs and bespoke built-in solutions that will all curb clutter and save valuable floor space.

(Image credit: David Butler)

'Once you’ve decided on your key pieces, lay newspaper to mimic the size of the furniture you're looking to put in to help you visualize just how much room everything will take,' says Emma Deterding, founder of Kelling Designs . 'It'll also help you make important decisions about the size and scale of big pieces and whether the room will feel spacious or restricted.'

1. Opt for a symmetrical living room layout

(Image credit: Benjamin Moore)

'Symmetry makes everything easier on the eye and it’ll automatically make the space feel orderly and calm.' says interior designer Naomi Astley Clarke . 

However, don’t go too streamlined; small spaces can often feel boxy so break up lines with plenty of curves and textured surfaces to add interest. She also suggests incorporating seamless hidden doors when wall space is at a premium – you can hang pictures on it, or even create a recessed bookcase within the door itself. 

2. Float your furniture

(Image credit: Farrow & Ball)

Floating furniture is another good small living room layout idea, as it leaves the floor free, enhancing the proportions of the space. 

As your sofa is likely to be the largest single item in your living room, it's worth paying attention to getting this key piece right. Our guide to the best sofas has some great options for smaller spaces - think compact shapes elevated on tall legs that add a feeling of spaciousness by allowing your eye to travel underneath the sofa to the farthest walls

Use a bit of visual trickery too – layered lighting will make a small living room feel larger by drawing the eye around the room. The same goes for furniture; ensure you have a range of heights in the space as it’ll feel two-dimensional if it all sits on a low level.

3. Build it in  

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Swapping a sofa for a space-saving bench seat is a smart way to make the most of the space underneath a window. In this chic San Fran pad, ABD Studios utilized the corner by creating a stylish shallow-depth lounger, swapping a bulky backrest for a stash of plump cushions propped up against the windows. 

4. Break it up 

(Image credit: Emily Rickard)

If your budget won’t stretch to bespoke designs, modular furniture is the next best thing. Interior designer Emily Rickard hacked this Ikea Soderhamn sectional sofa to fit her space by popping a nifty triangular storage table in between two sections. It meant the sofa could fan around the corner of the room to gain extra floor space.

5. Make mirrors key in a small living room layout

(Image credit: John Marshall)

Mirrors are a brilliant way to enhance the perception of space and an essential to creating a small living room layout that feels light and open. Why not go one step further and add a statement mirror wall for real glam factor. 

'We always strategically place mirrors opposite windows to make a tight layout feel bigger and brighter,' says Costanza Ranieri of Ivar London . 'Just make sure it’s not reflecting other mirrors, as you get that never-ending effect, which makes for a very odd and kitsch space.'

6. Go floor to ceiling with storage

(Image credit: Future)

The best way to boost a small living room layout is to go for floor-to-ceiling living room storage. It’s an opportunity to create a shelfie-worthy space that will add bags of charm in a limited space. 

Kingston Lafferty designed this playful bookcase with a ladder to access the full-height storage. 'Using mirrored paneling breaks up the solid block of cabinets and gives the illusion that the floor runs on beyond the furniture,' says Becky Russell of Kingston Lafferty .

7. Choose space saving furniture

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Corner or chaise sofas are often a go-to in small living rooms as they give max comfort and take up minimal floor space, plus they’re fab for impromptu sleepovers. 

Or, if you regularly have overnight guests, then you could take multifunctional furniture to the max by swapping your sofa for a sofa bed. Our guide to the best sofa beds has options that are comfortable enough to use as your everyday seating.

Also, choose curvy pieces – they not only look chic but save valuable inches by shaving off the corners. In this scheme designed by 2LG Studio , a sultry raspberry-red slipper chair adds glam without the footprint, while a matching footstool doubles up as a makeshift coffee table.

8. Create a cozy nook

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Quirky niches and recesses are ripe for transforming into comfy seating areas as they don’t eat up valuable floor space. Even better, add storage underneath like in this apartment renovation by Vanrenen GW Designs to stash any inevitable living-room flotsam.

9. Work with a narrow living room 

(Image credit: Future)

If you’ve got a long narrow living room layout to work with, think outside the box – literally. Carve out niches, recesses and oriel windows to create seating opportunities as well as extra surfaces for books and knick-knacks. Architecture firm Loader Monteith added a series of frameless windows in this living room to avoid a dark corridor effect and to make it feel visually wider.

10. Make the most of wall space

(Image credit: Future)

If you’re working with a super-tiny space, slim picture ledges are a slick way of incorporating storage without taking up room with bulky furniture, as well as adding interest with books, art and photos. To maximize the illusion of space, a clever trick is to go dark – by painting both the walls and shelving black, it’ll make the walls look further away than they really are.

11. Pick a small living layout that embraces the coziness

(Image credit: Future)

“Avoid pushing the furniture back against the wall, even if you feel like you can’t fit it in,” says interior designer Emily Rickard. “A little breathing space around key pieces makes the room feel bigger, plus it will create an intimate and cosy vibe.” A rug will also help ground the furniture and leaving a border of floor space will enhance the sense of spaciousness.

12. Utilize the back of the sofa

(Image credit: Future)

In a small living room, every surface is an opportunity, so think about using the back of a sofa, especially in an open-plan layout. 

'We wanted to include a study space without impacting the elegance of the sitting room, where we knew we wanted two slim sofas facing each other,' says Sarah Peake of Studio Peake . 'Putting a slim desk against the back of a sofa was the perfect solution. Always try to incorporate a view if you can – we positioned it so you can gaze out the window beyond the sitting room.'

13. Rethink your lighting scheme

(Image credit: Sigmar)

Obviously, even small living rooms need decent lighting, but when you’re trying to squeeze every square inch out of the floorplan, table and floor lamps can feel like a luxury. Swing-arm wall sconces are a savvy choice as they make stylish reading lamps, leaving side-table surfaces free.

How To Arrange Furniture In A Small Living Room

In this post I’m sharing helpful design rules on how to arrange furniture in a small living room.

These design tips will show you how to arrange your furniture – the right way  – to create a cohesive layout that feels stylish, cozy and looks pulled together!

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What Is A Small Living Room Size?

A small living room is typically defined as less than 130 square feet.

What Home Situations Have A Small Living Room Space?

You are probably reading this article because you have one of the following home styles:

I’ve seen this so many times in my design clients homes – they buy a new open concept home or build one…. and then realize the living room area is actually quite small!

An open concept home’s living room can actually be much smaller than a separate living room space.

Open concept living rooms have less wall space and lots of pathways, so the amount of space for the furniture can actually really be quite tiny with open floor plans.

For open concept small living rooms it’s important to separate the living room zone from the dining room. Ensure the dining table and dining chairs have enough space to move around and to pull chairs out.

If any of these situations applies to you, then you need small space furniture arrangement ideas to create a gorgeous living room that fits the room’s footprint!

More furniture arrangement tips:

What Is The First Step In Arranging Furniture In A Small Living Room?

The first step to take to get the perfect arrangement in a small living room is to edit your furniture and decor pieces!

Remove every piece of furniture and object that’s on the living room floor that you don’t use every day, doesn’t meet your needs, have different styles that clash, or doesn’t match your style.

Every piece of furniture in your small living room must be essential to the function of your room and your needs.

For example, if you need more storage get rid of end tables that don’t have a shelf or drawer.

Move the chair you inherited, but don’t really love, into another room – or sell it and let someone else enjoy it!

Get rid of the sofa that’s dated and you don’t love anymore.

Remove accents that take up a lot of floor space like large plants in pots.

Also remove rocking or gliding chairs from a small living room because they take up a lot of space! They have to sit out from the wall and away from other furniture pieces in order to glide/rock.

Edit, edit, edit your room!!

Many times my design clients come to me with living rooms that look like furniture showrooms – with too many pieces in it!

Here is a beautiful small living room with furniture sized to fit it. Also this room is beautifully edited and isn’t stuffed with a lot of furniture. There is a sofa with ottoman, coffee table and chair – that’s it!

Don’t Design Your Small Living Room Setup For Occasional Entertaining

So many times my design clients ask me for a small living room design that will seat 4-10 extra people for the occasional BBQ get together or Christmas gathering.

They want living room sofas and chairs that are big enough and numerous enough to seat extra people that visit occasionally.

But the living room is so small that dedicated seating for 5-10 extra people just isn’t realistic.

The reality is your living room should be designed for your every day needs, and how you use it everyday! Not for how you use it occasionally. You don’t have company over every day.

If you need extra chairs for the occasional get together, buy some stacking chairs like these and store them in another room. Pull them out when you need them!

Measure Your Living Room!

Measure your room, length and width.

Also note where sliding glass doors, stairs and pathways are located – they can’t be blocked by furniture.

You’ll need these measurements when you’re furniture shopping for new furniture pieces and to assess the furniture you have.

This picture shows how to arrange furniture in a small room to maximize wall space and accommodate a window:

Factor in Traffic Flow and Spacing

The size of your furniture has to accommodate traffic flow and spacing.

Here are the size, distance and spacing design rules for a living room:

If your furniture blocks traffic flow to sliding doors and pathways and doesn’t fit the above spacing measurements, it’s time to remove them from the room and add pieces that fit.

This is a beautiful  example of how to arrange furniture in a small room to allow for traffic flow to separate doorways and around furniture:

Be Realistic About The Furniture You Have

Chances are, that if you are here reading this article your furniture is too big for your space or you have too many pieces of furniture.

Your living room foot print is what it is, and stuffing furniture that’s too big into it will make it look even smaller and look cluttered.

Be realistic about the size of your living room and the size of your furnishings!

If your sofa or sectional is too big…. it’s too big!

What To Do If Your Furniture Is Too Big For The Room Or You Have Too Many Pieces

Move furniture that’s too big to another room or sell the pieces at your local buy and sell and use the money to buy furniture that fits your room.

You can also donate your furniture to charity! Some charitable organizations will even pick up the furniture at your home which is so convenient!

The Problems Created By Furniture That’s Too Big

Furniture that’s too big will make your living room look even smaller than it is, look cluttered and choppy.

It will always fight with the dimensions of your room and usability of it.

Also if your furniture has large overstuffed arms, it’s time to part with it.

Large arms on a sofa can stick out into pathways and traffic space.

Large arms also take up valuable real estate space and can prevent you from adding a side table.

Here is an example of a beautiful small living room with a sofa that has small arms and a narrow end table:

How To Avoid Buyer’s Remorse When Purchasing New Furniture!

Many times my design clients come to me after they have purchased new furniture asking me for help because it doesn’t fit their living room and they can’t return it.

That makes me so sad to hear of these mistakes that can easily be avoided with good design planning, sticking to the room measurements and a proper furniture layout.

I can help you pick out the perfect size and shape of furniture that will fit your small living room’s footprint! See my online design service information here and let’s chat!

It’s crucial to focus on your living room measurements and spacing when you are shopping for new pieces!!

And even if you fall in love with a piece that’s too big, don’t buy it! It won’t look right in your small living room and you’ll have buyer’s remorse!

Also its easy to fall in love with a piece of furniture in a showroom setting or in an online living room photo… but if the piece is too big, it’s too big and don’t buy it.

Again, stick to your living room measurements and don’t buy pieces without knowing for certain they will fit!

Which Sofa Is Best For A Small Living Room?

The best sofa style for a small room is to use an apartment or condo sized sofa.

Replace a standard size sofa with an apartment size piece!

A typical sofa is 84″ long. Sofas can also be longer than this.

However apartment sized sofas are smaller in length and can fit easily into a small living room.

Today’s apartment sized sofas are smaller in footprint but huge on comfort and style!

You can also find sofas that are less deep than a regular sofa which frees up more floor space!

Click on the images below to shop beautiful apartment size sofas:

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Get Rid Of The Sofa

Instead of a sofa, why not use a loveseat?

Or substitute the sofa with 4 chairs. A grouping of 4 chairs can be the best furniture arrangement solution for your small room.

Arrange 4 chairs around a small coffee table like the room below :

Are Sectionals Good For Small Living Rooms?

In some instances a small sectional sofa can be better than a sofa and 2 chairs in a small living room, because you’ll have the same amount of seating but take up less floor space.

Here’s an example of a small sectional sofa in a small living room basement area:

 

Get Rid Of Large Reclining Furniture Pieces And Large Armchairs

Remove reclining sofas and chairs that don’t fit your small living room because of the amount of room they require to extend.

There are hybrid recliner chairs and hybrid recliner sofas, where the foot rest extends but the back stays stationary, that may work better in your space.

Selecting stationary furniture pieces (that don’t recline, glide or rock) is typically the best style of furniture for a small living room.

Swivel chairs can also be the best idea in a small living room.

Also some armchairs, especially the pouffy leather variety, can be very large in width!

You can replace them with small armchairs that are still comfortable, but take up less space.

Here is a small living room arrangement with 2 small armchairs:

Pick A Focal Point In The Living Room

Typically the focal point in a living room is the TV or the fireplace.

It’s possible to arrange your furniture in a living room that has two focal points: with the fireplace on one wall and the TV on another wall.

However in a small living room its best to pick just one main focal point.

Furniture needs to be arranged around a focal point to make it look cohesive and pulled together.

Here is a small living room furniture arrangement with a small modular sectional sofa placed across from the fireplace focal point:

You can create this look below using two of these modular armless chairs  and one modular corner chair

 

How Do You Layout A Small Living Room?

Here are several furniture layout options for a small living room:

1. If you have one sofa and two chairs place the sofa across from the focal point (fireplace or TV for tv-watching).

Place the chairs opposite the sofa to create a conversation zone.

I love how these slipper chairs take up less space than chairs with arms!

2. Or you can place the sofa 90 degrees from the fireplace (or TV) with 2 chairs facing the sofa.

3. If you own a sofa chaise place it across from the focal point with one or two chairs on either side.

4. A living room layout idea if you have a sectional sofa is to place one part of the L opposite the focal point. You can add one chair on the other side. Arrange the furniture in a small room to create a conversation zone. Like this small living room demonstrates:

5. Place two small sofas across from each other. Arrange the furniture in a small room as a balanced configuration:

 

Where Is The Best Place For The TV In A Small Living Room?

In a small living room the best place to put the TV is above the fireplace instead of using a media unit that will take up floor space. This will free up a lot of floor space for seating!

If you must keep a media unit, replace large TV armoires and large bulky media units with small TV units that are under 48″ wide.

Floating media units that are mounted to the wall above the floor are a great option for small living rooms because you can use the space underneath for storing ottomans & poufs.

This small living room features a small TV unit:

Is it OK to put a sofa in front of a window?

Yes you can! IF and only if the sofa has a low back like the one below.

A sofa should never block the window but if it has a low back it can be placed in front of the window in a small living room.

Don’t place the sofa right up against the window frame. Make sure there is enough room behind the sofa for the drapes to sit and be closed.

Once the sofa is placed in front of the window arrange furniture around it to create a zone grouping:

 

Should You Have a Coffee Table In A Small Living Room?

Replace large coffee tables with small nesting coffee tables, one or two small ottomans or a small upholstered bench.

Or omit the coffee table completely!

This small, narrow living room doesn’t have a coffee table and looks gorgeous! A small rolling cart to the side is used to set drinks and magazines on:

Interior Design Tricks and Hacks For Arranging Furniture In Small Living Rooms

Here are 6 interior design tricks and hacks for small living rooms that will free up even more space, make your small room look as big as possible and maximize your small living room square footage!

1. The Right Sized Area Rug

Use an area rug to ground your small living room furniture arrangement.

Make sure you buy a size big enough so that the front feet of all of your furniture is on the rug!!!

People usually make the mistake by buying a rug that is too small.  This makes the space look even smaller! It looks really terrible!

I’d rather see a living room with no rug than one that is too small!

Design Tip: How to Choose the Perfect Area Rug

This small living room sofa has an area rug that’s the right size. The front feet are on the area rug:

 

2. Lighting Tricks For A Small Living Room Furniture Arrangement

Add wall sconces instead of floor lamps and table lamps, to free up floor space! 

Also another tip is to add a beautiful chandelier or pendant light with daylight bulbs to add lighting to a small living room.

(Adding a dimmer switch to sconces and ceiling light will allow you to brighten and dim them as needed!)

I love these beautiful swing arm wall sconces  flanking a gorgeous piece of wall art above this sofa:

3. Use The Vertical Space

Use the vertical space in your small room and add floating shelves to display art, plants, books and decorative boxes.

4. Use Small Accent Furniture Pieces

Small accent furniture pieces are perfect for small living rooms!

Use a small side table like this one instead of a regular sized end table.

Use pouf ottomans instead of chairs in a small living room. They can be used in a pinch for seating and they are so beautiful!

This small living room uses a sofa chaise and two pouf ottomans as coffee tables:

If you’re looking for furniture layout help with your open concept design email me at [email protected] to book an online design consult! You can see more information about my online design services and client reviews here.

5. Scale Down Your Plants

Replace large potted trees and large bulky plants that sit on the floor with small potted plants that sit on floating shelves on a wall or can be contained in small plant pots, tucked into a corner. 

Avoid plants and trees like palm trees that spread out a lot and are wide. Use beautiful snake plants that grow upwards not outwards and are narrow in width.

Use beautiful wall planters like these to move your plants off the floor and off tables onto the wall.

6. Use Multifunctional Storage Pieces

If you need lots of storage in your small living room use furniture that is multifunctional, like a small coffee table with storage, small end tables with shelves and drawers, lidded storage ottomans.

Instead of two chairs and a sofa this small living room features a small sofa and two ottomans for seating, to create a gorgeous cohesive look that fits the room!

With these design tips your furniture will be arranged the right way to fit your small living room space!
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Arrangement of furniture in the living room: types and basic rules

Stalinka - an apartment in the center

From the colloquial name, it is clear that this housing was built from the late 1930s to the mid-1950s. A distinctive feature of these apartments are ceilings 3.5 meters high. Therefore, there is more air in them, space and the spirit of the times are felt.

Builder's layout

The apartments had from 1 to 3 rooms. The living room more often became the largest room itself.

In stalinkas, they had a rectangular shape, the area was from 16.5 to 19.4 sq / m.

Living room furniture arrangement

In this case, the plan for arranging furniture in the living room comes down to several options:

1. The sofa is placed against the wall, on the contrary, furniture is placed under the TV.

With this arrangement, the middle of the room remains free, the passage to the window is open. Additionally, you can put a coffee table, a small pouffe or an oversized chair.

Furniture should not occupy the entire space, interfere with the household. Minimum distance between furnishings - 60 cm.

2. The furniture group is formed near the window. It turns out a cozy corner, which can be supplemented with the directional light of a floor lamp, a stand with flowers, a fountain, a table.

The distance between the chair and the window must be sufficient for free passage to the curtain.

3. There is an interesting layout in Stalinist apartments, where the room has hinged doors in the center. If they are preserved, then the sofa can be placed with its back to the entrance. This is a bold and interesting decision. This arrangement of furniture in the living room is close to European, an example in the photo.

In the interior of even a small living room, two sofas located in parallel look cozy and modern. Such a zone is appropriate opposite the swing door. In the center is traditionally a coffee table. A large company will sit behind him for games or tea drinking. And the guests will communicate without a TV, looking into each other's eyes.

Sofas of the same design should be selected, models identical in color and size form a single ensemble.

The smaller the area of ​​the room, the more minimalist the furniture. Avoid bulky armrests and frilly backs. They steal centimeters.

Khrushchevka - mass building

Khrushchev houses were built from the late 1950s to the early 1980s. It was they who received the name "cells" for their small areas and low ceilings of 2.5 meters.

Small but own

The living room in the odnushka had a large open span from the corridor to the kitchen. As if part of the wall was missing. In such a room, it was necessary to arrange a lot: a wardrobe, a table, a sofa bed, a children's corner (if there was a child in the family).

Modern methods of space division

This is where zoning comes in. You can clearly delimit the space with a rack, a filament curtain (muslin), flooring and wallpaper.

A place to rest for the night is transformed into a sleeping place, so a sofa bed is needed. The set can make a chair-bed for a child.

Narrow armrests save space and emphasize the seating area.

A sofa or furniture group can become the center of the interior, a bright color will emphasize this. The color of the upholstery is combined with textiles and decorative elements, with Anderssen you get a design for the interior of your living room.

The sofa is placed against a blank wall, leaving the middle of the room free. On a small wall with a kitchen, they put a rack under the TV, opposite a desk or computer desk.

Such a furniture ensemble will become the basis of the situation in the living room.

Two- and three-room apartments from the time of N.S. Khrushchev have a walk-through room. Complicates the arrangement of furniture in such a living room, the arrangement of doors diagonally.

A corner sofa will help separate the seating area from the aisle.

Each corner of the walk-through living room can be decorated in an individual style. Create islands of comfort for reading, meeting guests or watching TV.

Oversized sofas on one side are suitable for this.

and original armchairs on the other.

A small area for relaxing with a book or a cup of tea takes up little space. The upholstery is matched to the color of the interior.

A low coffee table will complement the composition and create a separate workplace in the living room.

Brezhnevka - an apartment with an improved layout

In apartments built from 1964 to the beginning of the 80s, there were ceilings 2.65 m high, the area of ​​​​a large room was from 16.5 to 18.3 sq / m. All of them are regular rectangular in shape.

Planning a layout in a rectangular living room

How to arrange furniture in such a living room, the owner decides. There are several schemes applicable for such a room.

Pieces of furniture are arranged in pairs. It can be sofas, armchairs, chests of drawers, shelving, floor lamps. This arrangement of furniture in the living room is a win-win. A calm, cozy interior is created, in which it is pleasant to be every day.

The interior is harmonious due to the thoughtful arrangement of furniture, selected colors. You can combine a sofa and 2 armchairs or make a corner sofa an accent. Minimalist poufs, bulky shelving and display cabinets will be appropriate.

Malosemeyka: how to sit on 12 square meters

Apartment with a total area of ​​20–23 sq/m. The room in such flats is 12–14 meters, with a window almost the entire wall, and pipes pass through narrow piers. If one person lives on such an area, then it is possible to put a small double sofa, a table, allocate space for a computer and a wardrobe.

You will have to save space on everything: armrests, backrest are minimalistic. Drawer for extra storage.

Studio

Studio apartments have a single area, sizes from 22 to 130 sq / m. The owner gets 4 walls, with one or more windows. The kitchen area is marked with a sink, otherwise there is complete freedom of creativity. The most common furnishing option is zoning.

The dining area is formed by a bar counter or a small table. Rest and sleep area combined. Corner sofa will accommodate guests, will allow you to relax in comfort. Hanging shelves with interior baskets and boxes or a cabinet of small depth will solve storage problems. Each zone is decorated with a separate carpet or different floor coverings.

It is necessary to think over the arrangement of furniture in the studio carefully so that there is a feeling of spaciousness, and not crampedness.

Modern new buildings

Now the apartments have an area of ​​40 sq/m and up to "infinity". But even in one-room apartments there are separate dressing rooms or areas for a built-in wardrobe, which makes it easier to create an interior. Now the wardrobe giant is not needed.

The rules for arranging furniture in the living room depend on the chosen style and the needs of the owners.

The ANDERSSEN online store catalog contains sofas for modern styles (loft, contemporary, grunge, minimalism), Scandinavian and English interiors, and just for people who appreciate comfort and coziness.

we are waiting for you in the showrooms of the ANDERSSEN upholstered furniture factory

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How to arrange the furniture in the living room: step-by-step instructions - INMYROOM

Small apartment

dressing room and office. How to find a place for design and decor in this cramped space?

The living room or, as we often say, the hall is almost always furnished in the same way: sofa, TV, coffee table. Usually it serves as a bedroom at night, sometimes it houses a library, almost always - storage space. A little less often, a work area is added to this set.

We have collected several detailed recommendations that will allow you to competently zone such a living room with the help of furniture: the one in which they receive guests, sleep and periodically work.

1. Prepare the layout plan

Moving furniture on paper is much easier than in reality. Proper layout starts with a plan: draw the room from the top. Experts believe that the most convenient scale is 1:20.

Specify where the windows are located, to what depth and in which direction they open. The same applies to the balcony and the front door. Mark out radiators, sockets, outlets for lamps, ledges of load-bearing walls, beams on the ceiling.

2. Sketch scenarios

Designers, architects, and even feng shui experts recommend starting with as the main piece of furniture in the room. Therefore, to begin with, it is important to understand what all daily actions and manipulations will line up around in the living room.

If this is really a gathering place for a circle of friends or a large family, then becomes the center of attention of the soft group. If people sleep in the living room at night (we accepted this condition from the very beginning), then the main object will be sofa bed , which should be placed first of all with the comfort of those sleeping on it.

There are owners who like to dine in the living room - they will have to take care of the dining group. There are those who keep a lot of things in this room - simply because there is nowhere else. Often there is a need for a workplace. But, in fact, the new functionality of the living room is a place for general relaxation, one large sofa with a table on which you can put decorations, flowers, candles and something tasty. It is such a living room, not overloaded with other furniture, that can be a very comfortable bedroom.

3. Estimate the scope

Imagine how your furniture “works”. Arrange the squares and rectangles cut to the desired scale according to the grid plan so that they do not interfere with each other. And not only in static positions: measure and take into account the depth to which drawers open, cabinet doors, the sofa moves apart.

Create space between objects for comfortable use and free passage. For example, the distance from furniture with hinged doors should be equal to the width of the door, plus a minimum of 60 centimeters (this is the width of the minimum passage).

You will find a lot of interesting things: a chair, moved up to the table according to your plan, may not block the passage - but, being set aside, it blocks half the room. If you decide to hang shelves next to the door, see if it will bump into them. Thus, it is important to think over and mark out all movements and functional movements associated with furniture.

4. Apply the laws of composition

The first rule, especially important for small rooms - rule in proportion to . For most of our living rooms in typical apartments, it is better to choose compact furniture - leave huge sofas and wardrobes to country palaces.

If you absolutely need to use a large piece of furniture in the interior (for example, you cannot refuse a large armchair or you cannot raise your hand to throw away a huge wardrobe), place such an object away from windows and doors.

Another composition law: symmetrical arrangement pieces of furniture more suitable for large rooms . But if you want to bring the spirit of classic interiors into a very small room, use narrow tall shelving or compact console cabinets. Upholstered furniture (miniature sofas and small armchairs, preferably with legs) should be placed symmetrically opposite each other.

In general, asymmetric arrangement is more suitable for small rooms. Different heights and depths of pieces of furniture visually create an interesting and slightly unpredictable pattern. So in addition to the plan, you might also want to draw a wall map to give you an idea of ​​how objects of different sizes will look.

5. Add air

In all the current photos of the interiors of modern living rooms, there is almost no high furniture. And this is absolutely logical: the living room suggests splendor, this is the most representative room in the home, do not overload it with excessive functionality.

Even if you have only a small kopeck piece, you can make the living area “idle” and refined at least by removing high furniture from it. If necessary, design a closet at one of the end walls of the room, preferably closer to the entrance, so the rest of the volume will be freed from unnecessary clutter.

Organize storage inside the closet so that you can do without additional modular furniture. The “walls” familiar to us, contrary to popular belief, small living rooms do not decorate in any way.

Leave one of the walls empty if possible. Or closed furniture up to half. This can be free space above the sofa - or a wall opposite it, on which a screen is usually located. More air - more visual comfort, and in fact it is necessary in the living room!

6. Organize alternative storage

The modern look at furnishing does not imply a complete rejection of tall cabinets, but it would be better if shelving units act in their role. Narrow column shelving looks great in a small living room and can become a versatile zoning tool.

For example, they can be used to separate the workplace from the public area. They can frame the sofa - if it unfolds, the racks in their middle part will play the role of bedside tables, and upstairs you can remove items that are not used daily.

Racks can also be placed along a conditionally “empty” wall by turning them horizontally. Books will fit perfectly inside, and the end surface will turn into a shelf for decor.

7. Equip additional functional areas

If the living room needs a place to care for clothes, place it next to the built-in wardrobe (if any), partially fence off the dressing area from the rest of the space, find a place for an ironing board (in the same wardrobe , for example) and a large mirror.

The sofa can be installed not close to the wall, but at a certain distance. Behind it, put cargo racks , like kitchen ones: they go in both directions (provided that there is enough space for such a reception).

Those who are used to working in the living room should pay attention to corner computer desk - such models are usually compact and designed as ergonomically as possible. If it is important to arrange a workplace by the window, build up the window sill using a countertop.

The same technique will allow you to place the so-called coffee zone near the window in a non-trivial way: if there is no room for a small table and pouffes around it, then table-top-sill and high chairs will perfectly cope with the role of a coffee bar.

Choose light, openwork chairs with thin legs. And pouffes can be found hollow inside, with seat covers - and you can store, say, art supplies in them. Or home clothes.

8. Let go of stereotypes

The living room today is a place for informal pastime, so do not try to repeat the design from the picture.

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