[Kristin]

Get tips for arranging living room furniture in a way that creates a comfortable and welcoming environment and makes the most of your space.

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How to Arrange Living Room Furniture

From family game nights to book club gatherings, the living room is a social hub. The proper placement of the room's furniture goes a long way toward making the space feel welcoming. Nothing is worse than a living room -- no matter how attractive -- where people have to perch against the walls, as if stuck there by magnetic force. Rather, push seating together so everyone can sit close and converse comfortably.

Where to position this grouping depends on the natural focal point of the space. In some rooms, this is architectural, such as a fireplace or a set of windows. In other living rooms, the focal point is a television. Once you determine this feature, orient the seating toward it. This feature now has the attracting qualities the walls used to -- let the furniture gravitate there.

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Flexibility
How to arrange the living room furniture is up to you and your particular pieces. Most of us have a sofa and another chair or two, which we can position and reposition as often as we like. When trying out each new arrangement, make sure to allow enough space between furniture corners so people can swish past in search of a comfy spot. And give everyone a reachable drink rest, even if it's just a stack of books on the ottoman.

Straight On
The most basic and functional furniture arrangement is to place the sofa across from the focal point with all other pieces angled to face the same direction. This allows everyone a good look at the television or crackling fire. When entertaining, round the grouping into a conversational circle by adding ottomans or pillow poufs that face back at the sofa.

Passing Through
For spaces with multiple doorways, draw an imaginary line that angles through the room from opening to opening, creating a straight trail between furniture pieces. This dynamic arrangement of furniture keeps the focal point in mind but also directs people through the space. Blocking the corners of the room like this can be helpful when you have children's toys or hobby supplies you'd like to hide.

Source: www.room-designing.com

Around the Corner
When a sectional sofa is your primary seating, you might be tempted to push it into the corner of the room and call it a day. But this can feel claustrophobic, especially to those people seated on the deepest cushions. Pull it away from the wall to let light and air flow around it. Place a brightening lamp or slender console table at the back, and put any other seating in position to see people seated at both ends of the L.

Classic Symmetry
A traditional and popular furniture arrangement is the face-to-face stance. Two sofas (or a sofa and a pair of chairs) sit directly across from one another, with the focal point at one end. Positioning the seating this way facilitates conversation because no one has a direct view of the focal point. It's useful when activities such as reading, working on a laptop, or listening to music are just as important as watching television.

Get a perfect furniture arrangement before even moving a single piece

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[Kristin]

How to Arrange Living Room Furniture: Important Tips for Furniture Size and Placement

By: Lauren Flanagan

Source: www.decorola.com

Living rooms serve different purposes for different people. In some homes they serve as the main gathering area for family, while in others they're more of a show room, used only when company comes over. Either way, there are certain issues that always come up when trying to arrange living room furniture. Check out these tips for placing furniture in your living room.

Living Room Basics

There are a few important things to remember when arranging living room furniture.
- Establish the focal point of the room and arrange furniture around it. In some rooms the focal point will be an existing feature such as a fireplace or window, and in some it will be something you bring in to the room such as a television.
- Use the furniture to create conversation areas. People should be able to comfortably talk to each other without straining their necks or shouting. If the room is particularly large you might want to create a few different conversation areas.
- Don't forget about traffic flow. Leave enough room for people to walk around furniture so they can easily get from one side of the room to another.
- Pull furniture away from the walls. Having all the furniture backs touching the walls is one of the biggest mistakes people make in the living room. If the pieces are closer together it will create a more intimate setting. As long as the backs of the pieces are finished, there's no reason not to show them off.

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Furniture Sizes and Placement

When it comes to living room furniture, size matters.

Sofa and Chairs

These are often the big-ticket items so it's important that they suit the space. The most important thing to do is measure the space before buying any of these pieces. You don't want them to be too big or too small, so it's best if you draw up a floor plan ahead of time. Sketch out the room on a piece of graph paper using all the appropriate measurements. Try putting the sofa and chairs in a few different spots and see what works best visually and in terms of leaving space to accommodate traffic flow.

Rug

Using area rugs is a great way to define seating areas, but the number one mistake people make in the living room is using an area rug that's too small. Remember that all of the furniture should be able to comfortably sit on the carpet. If space doesn't allow it, make sure that at least the front legs of any large upholstered pieces are on the rug. (Small pieces like side chairs and tables should always have all four legs on the rug.)

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Coffee Table

Coffee tables are practical pieces that are often found in the center of conversation areas. If you choose to use one remember that the height should be slightly lower than the seat height of the sofa and chairs around it. The length of the table should also be roughly one half to two thirds the length of the sofa. If you don't want to use a coffee table you can try using a couple of smaller tables or benches to achieve the same look. Just make sure they're not too small. People sitting around them should be able to lean over to put down or pick up a drink without having to get up from their seat. At the same time be sure to leave enough leg room between seats and tables: 14 to 18 inches should do the trick.

Side Tables

Side tables tend to be an afterthought but they're actually very important. The number you need will depend on how much seating you have. Everyone should be able to comfortably set down a drink without having to get up and walk over to a table. Try to have one on either side of the sofa (unless there isn't enough space – in this case people can use the coffee table), and between pairs of chairs. The key is to have enough surface space without overcrowding the room. The tables should be approximately the same height as the arm of the chair or sofa they're next to.

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Living Room Accessories

Once the furniture is in place it's important to think about where to place the accessories. No doubt you will have some window treatments and artwork, and maybe a television and some sconces. Give just as much thought to placing living room accessories as you do the furniture.

If you're unsure about what will work try using an online room planner to create an arrangement. Test out some different looks and see what looks best and what works for your lifestyle. If you're not too computer savvy you can make up a living room floor plan using graph paper. Just make sure to use all the appropriate measurements so you don't face any unwelcome surprises when you actually put the furniture in the room.


Article Source: http://interiordec.about.com/

[Kristin]

How to Arrange Furniture in Long Narrow Rooms

By: Lauren Flanagan

Source: www.pinterest.com

Arranging furniture can be tricky enough in an average room but when your room is long and narrow it can be even more difficult. How do you create conversation areas and ease of movement in a room where space is at a premium? Here are a few tips.

Arranging Furniture

Before you try to arrange furniture in an awkward space make sure you understand the principles of arranging furniture. It's important to understand the rules before you start breaking them. Once you understand how to place things in an average room you can start tweaking things so they work in a small or narrow space.

Leave a Walkway on One Side

One of the trickiest things about long, narrow rooms is arranging furniture in a way so that people can walk through the room without tripping over things. You don't want people to have to walk around furniture pieces and zigzag through the room. Whenever possible keep the furniture arrangement to one side of the room and leave a walkway on the other side.

If this simply isn't possible you can arrange the furniture in a way so that there is a path crossways through the room. This can be a little tougher because you'll have to make more of a corner arrangement, but it's still preferable to having people bang their legs.

Put Furniture on an Angle

If your room is particularly long and narrow and you don't want it to have the 'bowling alley' effect try putting some of your furniture on an angle so that it breaks up the space.

Use Some Circular Furniture

A circular coffee table or large ottoman can do wonders for breaking up the straight lines of long rooms. Even circular side tables can help. They can really counteract the tunnel effect that can be hard to avoid in long, straight rooms. They also have a way of making small rooms look bigger. This also goes for light fixtures – a round hanging pendent can definitely help break up a long, narrow room.

Think Vertically

Like with any small or awkward room you want to make use of all the space you've got. Use wall space for shelving and lighting. Sconces are always a good idea since they don't require floor space and floating shelves can be installed on the walls so you can make the most of your space.

Edit Your Furniture

It can't be stressed enough – don't try to cram too much furniture into a small space. Know your limits. Rather than trying to fit a lot of pieces try to find things that can double as other pieces. For instance, opt for closed storage cubes that can be used as extra seating, footstools or as extra table surfaces when necessary.


Article Source: http://interiordec.about.com/