At the very minimum, you should shoot for having at least four to five seats in your living room if space allows. In the typical home, this often looks like a sofa-and-two-club-chairs combo.
How do I know if my room is overcrowded? If you can't easily walk between pieces of furniture or between a wall and the closest piece of furniture, then your room is probably overcrowded.
To achieve an attractive balance, try arranging identical sofas or chairs opposite each other. If your furniture pieces aren't an exact match, you can still achieve a symmetrical look by arranging pieces with the same proportions on both sides of the room.
On average, you can seat three people on one sofa, so if you are a couple with one child, then this may be the piece you need to build your living room around. If you have a larger family, then two smaller sofas could be just what you need.
Choose a sofa or loveseat with thin or low arms and a low back. The slim profile helps your space feel visually light. Maximize the airy feel of a small living room with a sofa or loveseat that is up on legs. The open space underneath creates a more spacious look.
Your home will feel more serene with two matching sofas, especially if they have a neutral colour. These sofas will produce a sense of harmony and symmetry, and your home will feel cohesive if you add other pieces of furniture with a similar design. A formal living room is the greatest place for identical sofas.
Consider the two thirds rule
A sofa that's the full length of the wall in front of which it is positioned could prove overbearing in a room scheme. But it's also the case that a sofa can look too small. One approach to getting the right proportions is to aim for a sofa that's about two-thirds of the wall length.
3 seaters can be the main element of a traditional suite, or they can be mixed and matched with other existing furniture in the living room. For larger families, keen entertainers or for those that simply have a more generous space to fill, a four-seater sofa can offer both the space and the comfort for four people.
Living Room Furniture Arrangement for Conversation
For face-to-face chats, place seating no more than 8 feet apart. In a large living room, use furniture to create comfortable islands. Face two sofas in the center of a room, and place a group of chairs and side tables at one end to create a separate conversation area.
The pass-through living room is one that has multiple doorways that allow you to get from one area of the house to another. This room is not a one way in, one way out situation. You may also hear this type of room referred to as a walk-through space.
The ideal living room layout has multiple moments – or multiple conversational areas. Varied seating options – such as stools and armchairs – and side tables create a cozy nook inside the main entertaining room of the house.
A room is going to be cluttered – for real and visually – if there is too much furniture for the size of the room. The same goes for if the room has the wrong scale of furniture. If your furniture is too small for the space, you will feel like you need to fix it by adding more pieces, which will clutter up the room.
Sofa sets, the soul of a living room, should be east (or south) facing as the maximum sunlight we receive in our home is from east. The south-east direction is the best for placing your TV unit/cabinet.
If you notice fraying, hear creaking and/or get the uncomfortable 'sinking in' feeling every time you sit on your couch, then it's probably time for a new sofa. On average, a quality fabric sofa can last seven to fifteen years; quality leather sofas can last even three times as long as fabric sofas.
While matching furniture can create a cohesive look, you don't have to buy the same exact pieces. Mixing different styles and pieces of furniture can create a unique and personalized look - just make sure they are of similar materials and color tones to ensure your living room doesn't look cluttered.
Practically, you get 3 people on a sectional - one on each end and one in the middle. And, they take up a ton of space in a room. On 2 sofas, you get 4 people total - one on each end. Plus, sofas are easier to rearrange.
'If your sofa is the only thing that fits or it blocks the natural flow of traffic – it's too big. Let your room dictate the scale of your furniture, not the other way around. Smaller seating is nice for occasional use, or smaller rooms that are tight on space.
Another option — especially if you don't have a TV in your living room — is to use two loveseats facing each other, with an extra chair or two next to them if there's room.
We love the drama and sophistication that comes with dark colors. It's true that light and airy walls open up the space and make it appear larger, but a dark navy paint or gray (or even black) is bold and glamorous. In a smaller space, especially, dark paint colors will make a big impact.