<\/span><\/h2>\nFrom the reader: \u201cOur living room has been a struggle for me since we moved in! The dimensions from fireplace to barstools is 15\u20199\u2033 and the width from the wall to glass slider is 18\u20195\u2033. I know the area rug is too small for the width of the couch (~7\u20195\u2033), and I probably just didn\u2019t buy the right couch. The space is really small and backs up to the kitchen island so it\u2019s hard to figure out optimal seating\/livable\/entertaining arrangement. I\u2019m also thinking the TV is just too high and while I\u2019m dreaming maybe shave off the top of the fireplace casing and reface the whole thing. I\u2019m honestly just unsure how to make this room livable and look decent. HELP please!\u201d \u2013 Erin H. <\/em><\/p>\nDearest Erin, fear not, I\u2019ve got you! Because the space butts up against the island, you kind of just have to be okay with some things feeling a little tight, but I have ideas for a much better arrangement that doesn\u2019t leave a giant empty space at the end of the rug or an awkward position for viewing TV. Plus, I think we can get in more storage to boot (or change where the TV is entirely, but that might not solve the awkward TV viewing thing). Here\u2019s what I\u2019m thinking: <\/p>\n<\/figure>\nWhen I first looked at this, I immediately had the itch to get that sofa off the wall. Pushing it to the right wall makes the seating kind of disappear, and then just opens up space that isn\u2019t being used for much (I\u2019m guessing it\u2019s a little play area due to the toys on the floor). Here are a few more angles: <\/p>\n\nIf she were to shift the sofa to face the fireplace at the edge of the rug where it currently is, she could then move the chairs to the opposite side of the rug, closest to the fireplace and built-ins. I can see one more nestled onto the rug to be more in arrangement with the sofa, and then placing the lounge chair in the right corner. I\u2019d move the blanket ladder to the left under where those triangle mirrors are, and then add some great storage piece on the wall where the current sofa is. She can either leave the TV up high where it is now so it\u2019s opposite the couch, or move it to be on top of the new storage unit if it\u2019s low enough. That\u2019ll still be awkward for viewing, but it would feel out of proportion with the height of the sofa at least. To help with the TV on the wall, they could try to see if an extended arm tv wall mount like this one might be helpful. Because the space is small, this still leaves room in front of the sliding glass doors to move around, and in front of the storage piece (that can be used for toys, games, etc.!). Here\u2019s a floorplan I put together:<\/p>\nPlease remember this is NOT to scale. I did try to estimate the size of the sofa she mentioned (7.5\u2033 roughly) to the size of the room, but it\u2019ll likely feel a bit more squished than you see here, though totally liveable and kind of cozy. <\/p>\n
Another option that I just thought about while writing this is taking the sofa and putting it in the opposite spot that it\u2019s in now (in front of the sliding glass door but with at least 3-4 feet of distance), then putting the chairs on the other side of the room (but closer to the seating area then they are now), and still adding some kind of media cabinet with TV. This would shift the focus of the room from the fireplace to the media cabinet, which I don\u2019t love, but it\u2019s worth a try, especially if Erin were open to getting a much larger rug (9\u00d712 would be great) where all the seating could be placed atop it. The larger rug would be helpful for the arrangement in the floor plan I brought forward, too, as it\u2019ll make the room feel bigger and more purposeful than the smaller 5\u00d78 (I\u2019m guessing) she has. <\/p>\n
<\/span>Move Away From The Window<\/span><\/h2>\nFrom the reader: \u201cI have a living room that I feel like should be very straightforward, however, I am stumped with our layout. We have two young kids and are reclaiming our living room from being used as a playroom to an actual functional living room. We want to pull the couch forward off the window, add a table for plants there, and then add two more chairs to replace the IKEA one for a better seating arrangement.\u00a0However, when we pull the couch off the window, the space behind it is quite awkward (maybe not enough room for anything?) And the same on the opposite side of the room. When we add chairs, suddenly everything feels very tight. Maybe I need to change the orientation of the furniture, but I don\u2019t know where to begin.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nThe room itself is quite large (16\u2019x15\u2032), so it feels like there should be plenty of space. But what we\u2019re finding is everything is quite awkward.\u00a0There isn\u2019t enough room to walk around the furniture how we\u2019d like when we pull the couch off the wall.\u00a0You can see that we\u2019ve already taped some markers on the carpet for\u00a0some chairs\u00a0that we have our eye on. Also some tape on the hardwood for a\u00a0larger console\u00a0that we\u2019re thinking of purchasing. But now I don\u2019t know if we need to look for different options. But the space feels SO BIG, and we know we need more furniture, but maybe the layout we have in mind isn\u2019t quite right.\u00a0As you can see I\u2019m going in circles in my head.\u201d \u2013 Liz W.<\/em><\/p>\nA room that\u2019s both too small and too large, what a conundrum! I get it. Liz, you seem to be dealing with a similar situation as Erin from above. Too much open space but not enough room for actual furniture. Before diving into my suggestions, I do want to say a quick thing that I often have to remind myself of. Whenever you change the orientation of the furniture in a room, you have to live with it for at least a week or so. Anything you do is going to shock the sense a little, and possibly feel too tight because your body isn\u2019t used to working within the new space confinements. Give it some time, let it breathe, and *then* decide if it works for you or not. You\u2019ll be surprised how things start to feel the more you live with them. <\/p>\n
Anyway, let\u2019s have at this space\u2026<\/p>\n\nThis room is kind of the flip of the room before it, with the large span of window on the right side, and a full wall on the left. It\u2019s not quite as wide, so there\u2019s less opportunity to have pieces overly spread out (a common mistake!), but I\u2019m using a similar technique. First things first, turn the rug 90 degrees so the width of it follows the width of the room (a good rule of thumb for a rug, FYI). Then, move the sofa off the window to face the fireplace. The back of it will be open to what I\u2019m imagining is a walkway into the rest of the house, so they can either leave it bare or add a narrow sofa table. I like keeping the arrangement tidy, so I\u2019d place one of each of the new chairs they\u2019re eyeing on either side of the rug in front of the sofa, add in side tables, bring in a thin plant table in front of the window as they like, and swap the music cabinet they have now for the larger piece she linked. This way, the space feels better for entertaining, and conversation and is oriented just generally better to the shape of the room. <\/p>\n
Here it is in a floorplan: <\/p>\nI see this layout and take in a deep sigh of relief. Probably because I like symmetry but also because I truly do think it makes better use of the space. Now, for the third room. <\/p>\n
<\/span>You Guessed It: Float The Sofa<\/span><\/h2>\nFrom the reader: \u201cMy living room layout issue is that this room contains the front door and also connects to the dining room. The room dimensions are 20\u20192\u2033 x 13\u2032. The current layout leaves a lot of unutilized space behind the couch and in corners. I am having trouble figuring out where to place furniture that doesn\u2019t block the door and dining room circulation and also looks right for the space.\u201d \u2013\u00a0Lucy C. <\/em><\/p>\nLet me tell you a very quick story. I sat down at my desk to plot out floorplans for all these readers by hand. I did it one at a time on an individual basis. What would work best for each of their houses given the room and space? I sketched, I changed a few sketches, and finally landed on something that felt really good. Then, I put them all side by side and laughed. Hard. With the exception of one room (the last one), I had plotted out the SAME arrangement for every room.<\/p>\n
Now, maybe this is because I\u2019m a one-trick pony. Or maybe, just maybe, I realized why so many people have issues with their room layouts. I\u2019m going to say something loudly for everyone to take note of. Ready? <\/p>\n
TAKE YOUR FURNITURE AWAY FROM THE WALLS!!!!<\/p>\n
Especially your sofa. Yes, sometimes, a sofa or sectional is great up against the wall. There\u2019s nothing wrong with it AT ALL. But if your room doesn\u2019t feel like it\u2019s working and all your big pieces are around the perimeter of your space, GET THEM IN THE CENTER OF THE ROOM. <\/p>\n
Our rooms need to breathe. When everything lines the walls, it can strangle a room while also leaving waaaaay too much open space in the center. Seating feels far apart from the action (either from each other, from the TV or a focal point like a fireplace), it can feel cold, or just disjointed. When you bring everything into the center, specifically the seating, it feels like a proper arrangement. A conversation area that makes sense. <\/p>\n
Also, do NOT feel like you have to fill every corner and every wall and every nook. When I studied magazine layout back in my college days (I thought I was maybe going to be an art director for a minute there), I learned one of the biggest secret weapons of good design: white space. You have got to leave room for air; for nothing; for visual boredom. <\/p>\n
Phew, okay, now that I have that off my chest, let\u2019s see me do the same thing I\u2019ve already done twice. <\/p>\n\nThis room is very similar to some of the others we\u2019ve already seen except for having it also include the entry of the home. So I tried to also work on a remedy for not having any kind of landing strip. (The grate on the floor to the left of the front door makes me think you can\u2019t really put anything there like a cabinet.) <\/p>\nI know this reader likely put the sofa where she put it because they thought placing it in front of the dining room entryway would block the flow of traffic. But as long as it\u2019s deep enough into the living space, it\u2019s totally fine to have the back of a sofa to another room. I once studied the sets of some of my favorite sitcoms and shows and quickly realized that because they are shot on a set, there aren\u2019t many walls to put furniture, so their living room furniture often floats in the middle, with the back of the sofa facing another room or just open space. And this is why the rooms actually felt so friendly and inviting. DO WHAT THE TV SHOWS DO, my friends! <\/p>\n
So, yet again, I pulled the sofa away from the wall to be parallel with the fireplace. The rug doesn\u2019t look like it\u2019s in the center of the room, so I\u2019d center that on the fireplace, as well. I think moving the green armchair and ottoman to the opposite side would help the flow from the front door. Not the mention, it could easily be turned to sit and engage with anyone playing the piano. Speaking of which, I think it would be so much nicer to move the piano off the window and onto the blank wall where the sofa no longer would be. I\u2019d finish off that wall by moving the rubber tree to one side of the piano, and grabbing one of the armchairs from the far right corner (or even the display cabinet) and putting it in the opposite corner by the piano. <\/p>\n
Regardless, the two chairs, side table, and display cabinet that is in the right corner need to be lightened up. It\u2019s too much furniture, and I know she\u2019s just trying to fill up spaces. But again, LET IT BREATHE! I think leaving one chair angled with a small drinks table would be just enough. And in front of the window, a low bench with some open surface space would provide extra seating, a place to sit and put on or take off shoes, as well as a \u201ctable\u201d area for a keys bowl or something for the entryway (though a wall-mounted shelving unit on the wall by the door would also help with this).<\/p>\n