My husband and I had a huge chocolate brown sofa in our living room, with brown chairs and an Ottoman Empire. We were in our early 20s and I was in the first stage of falling in love with the interior. I was ignorant of the layout and scale of the living room. The furniture was comfortable, but I definitely found the flow of the space to be bothersome and troublesome. In fact, it was one of my first experiences to realize that the room wasn’t working, and that further peaked my interest in design. Fast forward ten years later, but I still can’t own chocolate brown furniture. I learned a thing or two about living room layouts.
The layout of the living room doesn’t have to be complicated, but there are definitely common mistakes people make (including me!). First, I chatted with Principal Designer Jennifer Jones. Niche interior and Melanie Bryant Melanie Bryant Interior To get what they do about how to lay out a living room.
Don’t: Ignore the scale
Ignore the scale and start strong with my own mistakes. “If the furniture is too big, it overwhelms the room. It’s too small and it looks like everything is floating,” says Bryant. “Scale is everything.”
I was browsing the decorations and furniture without any plans. I just drop anything I think would look beautiful in my cart. Now I consider it a surefire way to guarantee a gust of winds. This is exactly what happened! Since then, I have learned that tape measures can be a respected property, especially for design lovers.
DO: Choose furniture that works in your space
It is most important to measure your space before making a large purchase. I’d like to make sure that the potential furniture fits. “There’s no formula that’s perfect for every size, but the rule of thumb is to leave 14-18 inches between the sofa and the coffee table,” Bryant recommends. “This ensures that the piece fills the space without blocking movement. If the room still feels ‘off’, it’s usually a scaling issue. ”
Don’t: Buy a rug that’s too small
After all, scales aren’t limited to furniture. “This mistake is common: it’s a big couch, a small rug,” says Jones. There’s nothing more troublesome than a beautifully designed living room with a rug that fits only under the coffee table.
Rugs can be a huge expense, so it makes sense for homeowners to try and get away by buying a rug that is a little too small. result? “They actually make the space feel small,” says Bryant.
Do it: Take some space on the rug
As for the living room rug, I’ll either grow up or go home. “The area rug must be big enough for all the seats in the room to sit comfortably on top,” Jones says. Bryant agrees. “Set the furniture in a place where it works naturally and at least choose a rug that extends under the forehead. “It grounds the room and makes everything feel more connected.”
Don’t: bare corners
When we first moved, I have a nasty corner in my home office that was exposed for months. I didn’t know what to put there, but I couldn’t stop staring at the corners of the sky. It got me hooked! The same goes for the layout of the living room. She screams, as the corners of the sky can feel cold, Jones “Do not die corners!”
do: Add plants
“Do you have a sad, empty corner in the living room? Jones muse. “Instead of adding another furniture, consider bringing in greenery in the form of large houseplants or indoor trees.”
The nasty corners are cozy spaces waiting to be filled, and this simple change of mindset can open up a world of possibilities. Personally, I think plants are always an ideal addition to any room. Jones agrees. “Plants add a lot of life and interest to the space,” she says.
Don’t: Push all the furniture into the wall
“One of the biggest layout mistakes we see is all the living room furniture that’s shoved into the wall,” says Jones. I have to admit, this is a mistake in the living room layout I made!
“Listing all the furniture along the wall may seem like a big room, but it often has the opposite effect,” says Bryant. “It flattens the space and kills the flow.”
DO: Create a space for conversation
Instead of pointing everything towards the wall, Bryant suggests pointing at least one piece of furniture into the middle of the living room. “Even in an average-sized room, floating key pieces like sofas and chairs create more attractive layered layouts,” she says.
Floating furniture also means primming space for connections. This is always welcome in the living room. “We create an intimate seating area where all the furniture is placed close enough to keep the conversation going with ease,” Jones suggests.
“There’s no perfect formula. Just dragging things, sketching them, and it’s an analogy,” adds Bryant. “But the goal is always balance and breathing chambers.”
Don’t: It will conges the space
When brainstorming ideas for living room layouts, the flow of the room should always be taken into consideration. Nothing more is always better. “I always explain the ease of circulation and the movement of the entire living room,” says Jones. “It’s awkward for guests as furniture is often crowded with spaces where there’s no room to navigate.”
DO: Create a route
If moving from one seat to the next is troublesome, or perhaps there is a coffee table, get it as a sign to create a better pass. For even more accuracy, tape measures are useful. “For the main route, leave 30-36 inches of space,” Jones recommends. “For a small area between the armchairs, it’s at least 24 inches apart.”
Don’t: Ignore the confusion
Even if you find the perfect living room layout for your home, you can ruin the atmosphere. “Clutter kills good layouts,” Bryant said. “Even well-designed rooms can be chaotic when remotes, blankets, cords and random nicks are scattered everywhere.”
DO: Use storage
When putting together your living room, consider storage solutions from the start. Identify the items that need to be stored. Blankets, cords, and remote controls come to mind. Then I’ll work from there. “For small items, use decorative boxes, baskets with lids or blankets covered in ottomans, and neatly tape or root cords behind the furniture,” suggests Bryant. The cord cover is also a miraculous worker. Especially when mounting a TV on the wall, it’s a miraculous worker. Clear the Clutter and the space will automatically settle. “A little thoughtfulness goes a long way in helping to refine the room and make you feel like you’re pulling it together,” adds Bryant.
Your living room should be a space that will make you feel as good as it looks. By making some thoughtful adjustments, you can create a living room that truly works for your home and your lifestyle. Whether you start from scratch or simply move things around, small changes can have a big impact. Happy repositioning!
Source: Camille Styles – camillestyles.com
