Instead of relegating furniture against the wall, if you hang it, it will make your room feel larger and also make it easier to move around in.
Point the sofa in the direction of a wall focal point, like a fireplace or gallery wall, and enclose your sofa with coffee tables, side tables, and table lamps to plug any voids.
Function
Your living room arrangement affects the performance in no small measure. Whether you’re the creative person who has gallery walls and pictures instead of family albums; the sports fan who wears jerseys on their chests; or the television-show junkie with HDTV mounted to watch every episode of every show – what you do with your space is crucial to how it’s designed.
You have to factor in how your people will move in and out of your room, the natural paths they’ll take will determine what furniture you need. Clear pathways for movement so there is no bottleneck or entanglement in flow.
When watching TV you can make sure it’s always the main activity: set sofas U-shape to make the best viewing surface and divide off conversation areas. This trick can prove very handy in open plan homes, where living rooms also double as extension of the dining and kitchen space.
Focal Points
Focus points are what grab your eye as you enter a room, whether that’s architectural details like fireplaces and big windows, or a decoration such as artwork or wallpaper. Once you’ve got one of these focal points in your space, it will influence where you sit and what you decide to arrange.
Start with your largest piece – a sofa for example – and put it in front of the light. Place other seating next to it, or adrift of it, depending on your style and the use you plan to make of the room.
Never be afraid of two focal points in a room: if there are more than two it gives the room a lot of variety and movement. A modern television with an old-fashioned fireplace, for example, is a fun way to mix it up. And with color and texture you can also create visual associations between these two focal points, visual links that unite them.
Lighting
Lighting is part of a lovely living room and there are several other lighting options other than recessed ceiling lights. Start by taking all the activities you have going on in your space into account and planning for light areas with additional luminaires.
A good reading space floor lamp will light the room to the right levels for reading in the most comfort possible, and also bring attention to the books or room decorations. This kind of lighting you can turn down and change the mood based on what is happening in the room.
Traffic is another big deal for your space. Check that all furniture is easily accessible, including doorways. This also avoids accidentally bumping into walls as you navigate your living space – your living room shouldn’t be a climbing wall, it should be a place where you can just hang out and unwind!
Storage
Your living room is an active place that you can use multiple times (watching TV, with the family, partying and working in the house), so having some kind of storage is essential. For example, putting in built-ins on one wall or freestanding pieces such as console tables with drawers to hold items.
Create a path behind your furniture if possible – this will make the space feel larger and it will let people pass more easily instead of swiping between furniture pieces.
Another great alternative is a modular shelving unit in your living room as the center of attraction. Open shelves are for books and accent pieces; closed cabinets contain bigger items such as throw blankets, board games and entertainment supplies. Sprinkle these shelves with wallpaper patterns – they will not be as crowded!
