Living room furniture layout

I am back with another "DIY Script, Save Space". My plan for #DIYPlaybookSOS is to take up readers' space and (actually) provide design tips and tricks on how to improve it.

Here are some of my favorite design solutions in the series...

Design Dilemma-Furniture Arrangement

Cece and her husband Kevin recently moved from the city to the suburbs. They faced a big house full of furniture, and they didn't know where to start when they started in the living room. The space is large and long, so Cece is not sure where to put the TV, sofa, etc.

Before discussing Cece's space, let's discuss the best suggestions for the layout of the living room furniture. When decorating a space from scratch, it is important to determine the layout before purchasing basic furniture such as furniture (such as sofas, chairs, and even coffee tables). Each one affects the next, so once you buy a product, the domino effect has already begun, and whether you realize it or not, you have already chosen a specific path. So, before you pull the trigger to that small table you like, make sure you have considered how the trigger works with all the other elements in your space.

There are two points to consider when building a room frame:

1.) Function

2.) Contact point

Figure out the function

For most public living spaces, the function of the room should be a place to meet, talk, hang out and enjoy the company of others. With this in mind, we hope to focus on seats and create a face-to-face chat space.

What we want to avoid is to use a single focus seat, for example, a sofa facing the TV, and there are no other seats in the room. This will not create an atmosphere conducive to conversation. Instead, we want to close the "circle", which means creating a space where we can easily interact with each other. For this, we have to create balance. Here are some good examples of good conversation areas...

Casey's living room is another example of a nice dialogue area. Yes, the sofa faces the TV, but there are also three chairs facing the sofa to create a circular effect. Look at yourself.

Ensuring more seats outside the sofa is the key to talking and maintaining comfort. Creating a "circle" or box with furniture helps balance. Don't be afraid to pull things tightly together. Just because the space is large does not mean that the furniture should be spread out. Moreover, just because the space is small does not mean that the furniture should be pushed up against the wall. In fact, even in a small space, pulling the furniture away from the wall actually helps to make the space bigger.

Another tip? Use large area rugs to secure all seats. This will create an area and maintain the cohesion of all content. And make sure that at least each front leg is on the carpet.

What is your contact point?

After determining the function, you want to make sure to design the dialogue space around your focal point. The focus of most living areas is the fireplace or TV. Probably both. Furniture should be built around this focal point, but remember that from a seating perspective, it is not necessary to leave the space in front of the focal point in an unused position. You want to make your seats more tidy and create space for face-to-face conversations. Choose low furniture to fill the space in front of the focal point. You may choose a bench or stool that does not obstruct your vision.

Your focal point may also be the window, with a magnificent view outside. Again, the friendly dialogue is maintained by including a low seat, which closes the "circle" but leaves room for viewing focus.

On the sofa or in sections?

This is a difficult question, and there is no right or wrong answer. It all depends on your space goals. If your goal is family and movie nights, then breaking up may be the best option. If you want to have a cocktail with friends on game night, I might take the sofa. No matter which method you decide, there are multiple ways to pair each with additional seats and tables to create the ideal layout.

Segmented seating layout

For segmented seats, you can place two chairs on the opposite side of the longest side of the L-shape. Or, you can place a chair on the shorter side of the section, and you can choose to incorporate some footstools on the other side. Either way, a lot of seats will be generated in the living room.

Sofa seating layout

For sofa seating, placing a chair on the left and right or two chairs on the opposite side of the sofa together is a good way to maintain balance and a conversation atmosphere.

Seth's furniture layout

Okay, go back to the blank living room of Reader SOS-Cece. This is her floor plan.

There is a fireplace in the room, and there are some beautiful custom built-ins on the other side of the room. These areas are separated by the entrance from the kitchen (top) and French doors to the outside (bottom). Cece wants the fireplace to be her focus, so she plans to place all the seats on this side of the room.

According to the size of the space, I will choose a recliner-like section or a "protruding" section, the sides of which are not equal. The main reason is that the wall perpendicular to the fireplace is much shorter than the back wall. We don't want this part to infringe on the focal point or get too close to the edge of the fireplace to make the room feel small.

I recommend pulling this part off the wall a little bit, and then building everything else around it. Then, I will create balance in the room at the opposite anchor points-plant a large artificial olive tree in a gray-brown flower pot diagonally across the section, and place a large piece of art on the wall opposite the fireplace.

On the other side of the room, near the built-in objects, I will try to put some toys, books and games on a small round children’s table, so that toys, books and games can be placed in an easily accessible bin during play time. in. We don't want to put larger furniture there because it will obstruct the French doors and the entrance to the kitchen.

Here are some suggestions on how CeCe considers pairing elements in this space to create a beautiful layout.

1.) The protruding part of the footstool with open footstool, round stool footstool and round backrest accent chair