10 living room arrangement ideas

The best living room layout ideas serve both your space and your lifestyle. When placing sofas, chairs, coffee tables, side tables, stools, poufs, area rugs, and lighting, think about the ways that you plan to use the space as a guiding principle. 

Find the best layout for long or narrow rectangular, L-shaped, or open-concept spaces. There are solutions for living rooms with natural focal points like fireplaces, for awkward rooms with quirky angles, as well as living room layouts that work around TVs.

Check out these functional living room layout ideas to help you figure out the best plan for your space. 

• 01of 12Twin Sofas Layout Tessa Neustadt / Emily Henderson DesignIn this traditional living room layout from Emily Henderson Design, the seating area is not centered around a TV but oriented around a formal fireplace, creating a gathering place that encourages conversation in the large rectangular room.Matching sofas opposite one another ground the design, an area rug defines the space, and two occasional chairs fill in the open side opposite the fireplace and provide additional seating. An intimate conversation area for two by the bay windows features a pair of upholstered armchairs.
• 02of 12Oversized Sofa + Credenza Ajai Guyot / Emily Henderson DesignIn this rectangular living room designed by Ajai Guyot for Emily Henderson Design, a large, overstuffed couch anchors the blank wall to the right, and a simple midcentury modern-inspired credenza opposite houses the TV and decorative objects while leaving plenty of open floor space.
  Try a Round Coffee TableA round coffee table will break up the linear lines in a rectangular room while creating flow and reducing the chance of bumped shins while moving around the space.
• 03of 12Living Room + Home Office Morsa Images / Getty ImagesIf your home office is in the same space as your living room, you don’t have to go to elaborate lengths to hide it. Just be sure to create a zone for relaxing and another for working.Reinforce the separate areas by positioning your couch so that it faces away from your desk, and your desk so that it faces away from the living room to keep you focused.
• 04of 12L-Shaped Sectional John McClain DesignThis square living room from John McClain Design has a natural focal point with its fireplace and symmetrical built-ins on either side. But it lacks a solid wall to anchor the furniture, so the designer created a seating island in the center of the room anchored by an area rug. A console placed behind the sofa works as a virtual room divider to further define the space.https://www.thespruce.com/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40thespruceofficial%2Fvideo%2F6922854574743194885%3Futm_campaign%3Dtt4d_open_api%26utm_source%3D6997707748318117889&id=mntl-sc-block_19-0-iframe&options=eyJpbnN0YWdyYW0iOnsiaGlkZWNhcHRpb24iOiJ0cnVlIn19&docId=5194550Continue to 5 of 12 below
• 05of 12Mismatched Seating Layout Sara Ligorria-Tramp / Emily Henderson DesignIn this living room from Emily Bowser for Emily Henderson Design, a main sofa is positioned on the main wall opposite the windows. An eclectic mix of additional seating options scattered throughout the room include a small bank of vintage cinema seating and an Eames lounger.The mismatched furniture is loosely assembled around a large central coffee table and anchored by a large patterned area rug. A side table on one end of the sofa is balanced by a standing industrial lamp on the other.
• 06of 12Conversation Area Layout Alvin WayneIf you have a front or formal living room that is used primarily for entertaining, or are carving out a small seating area in an open-plan apartment, consider skipping the sofa in favor of armchairs.Interior designer Alvin Wayne created a sophisticated, minimalist conversation area using two pairs of voluptuous matching armchairs facing one another, with a long narrow table down the middle.
• 07of 12Couch + Chair + Pouf Alvin WayneInterior designer Alvin Wayne chose a main sofa and a round coffee table to preserve the flow in this small New York City apartment living room. A sculptural 50s-style armchair and a knotted velvet pouf add visual interest and offer additional seating for occasional entertaining.
• 08of 12Rectangular Room Layout DBurns InteriorsA fireplace mantel is a natural focal point in many living rooms. But in this modern cottage design from Desiree Burns Interiors, the fireplace is located on a side wall in the middle of a deep rectangular room broken up with multiple windows and doors.The designer created a comfortable main seating area by placing a large corner sectional at the far end of the living room that faces away from the windows and into the main room. A pair of side-by-side armchairs are placed closer to the fireplace that help define the space while keeping it light and airy.Continue to 9 of 12 below
• 09of 12TV-Focused Layout Studio KTStudio KT created an intimate seating area on one end of an open-plan room by positioning a long comfy sofa opposite the fireplace and TV wall. A pair of wooden chairs flanking the hearth add extra seating.
• 10of 12Focal Point Layout Sara Ligorria-Tramp / Emily Henderson DesignJust because you have a lot of space doesn’t mean you have to fill your living room with extra furniture if a large couch, a single end table, and a couple of floating coffee tables is all your family needs.In this spacious living room from Emily Henderson Design, the ample sofa was pulled away from the back wall. Midcentury modern-style shelving on the wall behind creates a focal point decorated with books, objects, and art, leaving the rest of the spacious room open and uncluttered.