14 best ways to arrange living room furniture — from the experts

The way you arrange living room furniture is the key to creating a welcoming and functional space. Too many pieces put together with a haphazard approach can result in a room that's a little off-balance.

How you do this will ultimately depend on which pieces of furniture you are accommodating. With our experts guiding you, consider where to put your TV, the all-important couch, coffee table and more. 

If you're wondering how best to arrange living room furniture, we've called upon our pro colleagues in the industry for their best living room layout ideas, and they've tackled how to better the flow of your living room, be sympathetic to the architectural design of your property, and even keep in mind the direction of natural light.

How to arrange living room furniture

There are a few different ways to arrange furniture, and the shape of your room will naturally guide how to arrange your living room.

At the end of the day, living rooms work hard to feel cozy when required, and welcoming when we are entertaining. Our expert advice will inspire you to have a play around in your own living room so that you can create a stylish floor plan that suits you best.

1. Always start at the beginning – with the couch

Your sofa is the main piece of furniture, and its placement is paramount. In front of a large bay window is a lovely position and as if it fits, push it back into the bay so you have more floor space to play with.

If it is the only sofa you have then add in a couple of the best armchairs on each side, with a coffee table in the center. Do choose seating that's similar in style, these pieces shown here all have curved lines which bring more harmony to the space.

We spoke to designer, Benji Lewis, who concurs with our styling advice. He says: "An armchair angled towards the window is fabulous for allowing you to enjoy a little Vitamin D during darker days and practical for seeing things more clearly."

2. Make symmetry your best friend

The finest living room TV ideas will see you enjoying your best TV, without it impacting the finished look of your lounge. This space is designed to perfection. 

"One of the challenges of this space was getting adequate seating to view the TV", explains Kirsten Krason, co-owner and principal designer at House of Jade Interiors.

"The space between the kitchen and living room was tight and we didn’t want to eat too much into the walkway and flow space. We decided to do a long sofa on one side of the TV and two blue swivel chairs on the other. The chairs are super comfortable and the swivel feature makes for great TV viewing."

"When designing our #ridgerunnerproject, our goal was to turn the home into a modern farmhouse that leans more on the modern side."

Kirsten Krason

Kirsten is an accomplished interior designer known for her ability to create beautiful and functional spaces that reflect her clients' personalities and lifestyles. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Kirsten has worked on a wide range of projects, from residential homes to commercial spaces, and her designs have been featured in numerous publications. She has a keen eye for color, texture, and pattern, and is skilled at combining different elements to create a cohesive and visually stunning look.

3. Keep one side open if two rooms link

If you have a living room that has an open doorway to another room, then don’t block it with another sofa: keep it open. If you need extra seating, then place either another sofa directly opposite your living room fireplace idea or a couple of good-sized armchairs. 

Keep side tables near the sofa so the doorway is clutter-free, and add a simple coffee table that won’t distract. This white-topped, marble coffee table is perfect. 

4. Let your rug guide the layout

Use unusual pieces of living room furniture to add both interest and function. The best living room rugs can help to draw the eye to the center of the room and focus less on the parameters of the room. Remember, you can layer your living room rug ideas to add dimension and added interest.

"When you rug shop, think about the size you buy and which items you wish to sit on it; rugs can be a very effective way of suggesting a zoned area within your living room," says interior designer, Benji Lewis.

And, don't worry: buying a new rug doesn't have to be expensive. In fact, the best Amazon rugs (like the one we've suggested) can cost as little as $20!

Benji Lewis

Benji Lewis is a well-established UK-based interior designer with an ever-increasing circle of clients. His career started with a sound training at the KLC School of Interior Design after which he headed to Bonhams Auctioneers where he stayed for two years. This move inspired a huge interest in the world of period furniture and furnishings.

5. Remember, accent furniture can be both decorative and practical

Aside from the main pieces like sofas and armchairs, there are also the smaller pieces of living room furniture to consider like coffee, side, and console tables — and not forgetting the best drinks trolley for special occasions.

They provide those extra surfaces for lamps, coffee table books, candles, vases, and ornaments. Place them within reach of sofas and armchairs so they can be used for drinks too. 

6. Use low-slung furniture to create a relaxed look

If you prefer a more modern living room idea with a low-slung feel, then the same ‘rules’ apply, but do opt for lower coffee tables too — or a coffee table alternative (like a footstool or coffee table ottoman), so the proportions look right against the chairs. 

"We wanted the furniture to feel comfortable and casual without taking away from the fireplace as the focal point," says Eddie Maestri, AIA principal architect and creative director and owner of Maestri Studio.

Eddie Maestri

Eddie Maestri, AIA, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, started designing homes in Dallas in 2004 and officially founded Maestri Studio in 2008. Certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), he is a registered architect in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Nevada. Eddie holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design and a Master of Architecture from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas with a certificate in Health Systems & Design. In addition, he spent a semester in Italy focusing on architectural and urban studies, as well as expanding his talents and love of freehand drawing, art, and interior design. 

7. Create an L-shaped layout, without an L-shaped sofa

"We had so much fun creating this home for our clients," says Lauren Lerner, founder and principal designer at Living with Lolo.

"They reached out to us wanting a modern farmhouse vibe and we pushed them outside their comfort zone to add some more modern elements. They love how it turned out!"

We love how Lauren has used two sofas to create an L-shape in this living room, and then placed the two wooden upholstered armchairs on the right side, which allows for conversation as well as TV watching.

8. Keep furniture well spaced out in a large living room

The beauty of a large living room is that you can be generous with how you position your furniture. Although a big space is always welcome, it can feel daunting when it comes to styling it up. 

Here, the large leather sofa is pulled away from the wall and a big armchair on the left, with a smaller chair on the right — all perfectly placed to fill the space. A rug grounds the center with the coffee table positioned in the middle.

9. Keep it compact with clever designs

When space is at premium, opt for living room furniture that’s nifty when it comes to space and storage. 

There are four key elements here: the sofa, decorated console, hanging rail and coffee table that also doubles as seating. Due to their slimline nature they all fit into a relatively small square footage yet the coffee table can be expanded when needed.

10. Create visual balance in twos

It might be that living room storage is more key for your space than seating, if this is the case then choose pieces that match visually like these two side tables and open shelving idea. 

Their transparent design makes them ideal for a contemporary scheme and note how they are positioned – the two side tables are placed together and the unit behind the sofa, this creates a unified look that’s simple yet effective.

11. Create an L-shaped lounging corner

Although this sofa isn’t technically L-shaped, you can build a makeshift one with a normal two or three-seater and pouf to then create a cozy living room corner. Team this with a rug and a coffee table for a zoned space which will work really well in an open-plan living room.

Decide on the best paint color for the living room and you have yourself a stylish seating area that’s contemporary and smart.

12. Double up if you prefer sofas over armchairs

If your living room is big enough and you prefer the comfort of sofas to chairs, then opt for two sofas. These two are similar in size and shape though different sofa fabric choices but are linked together due to the neutral colorway. They also create a square shape that is mimicked in the coffee table.

The addition of an airy living room curtain idea and a few of the best indoor plants help to create a fresh feel in this crisp white lounge.

13. Think outside of the conventional coffee table setup

"Try to always have an occasional table close to hand for each place where someone might sit; whilst a central coffee table looks lovely, if it’s too far from where you’re sitting then it might not be terribly useful aside from putting pretty books on," says Benji.

And (especially in this dark living room idea), he continues, "Arrange your living room lighting ideas so that they're balanced around the room; close to where you envisage people sitting try to have a table or floor lamp too so your guests sit in an ambient glow."

14. Don't force chairs by the fireplace

When it comes to the best living room ideas, it can be tempting to push furniture against a wall, or as close to the fireplace as possible. Tempting as this may be, it can make your fireside look fussy and untidy.

Benji says, "Should you have one, but space is tight, don’t get too carried away with feeling every item of seating has to be snuggled up to the fireplace. A neat pair of comfortable but not bulky cocktail-style chairs will be great on either side of the fireplace or alternatively include a club fender which is brilliant at providing a discreet perch."

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