Interior design advice
How to arrange living room furniture
Does your living room need a redesign? Whether you’ve plans to invest in new furniture or looking to rejig what you have, highlight features or give it a style boost, there are plenty of designer tricks that can help you make the most of your living room’s potential. We asked our favourite experts to share their tips…
I’M ARRANGING MY LIVING ROOM, WHERE DO I START?
‘I’d always start with what the actual lines of sight are when using the room and how you use the room,’ says TV presenter Laurence Llewelyn-bowen. Charlie Marshall, founder of Loaf, agrees: ‘It’s all about understanding how you’re going to use the room. You may use yours for watching telly, the kids doing homework, reading a book as well as entertaining friends.
This will help you understand what seating, lighting and storage you need.’ Design director Lisa Mitchell starts with the main pieces – the sofas. ‘My pet hate is designing a layout around the TV, unless it’s in a dedicated cinema room.’
HOW DO I CHOOSE THE FOCAL POINT?
‘One of the big problems is that most people tend to have two focal points in a living room – the fireplace and the TV,’ says Laurence, ‘and somehow want to accommodate both within the same axis.’ Charlie explains: ‘In a family room, a TV will likely be the focal point. But the furniture itself can also be used – a statement armchair could add a wow factor when people enter the room.’
WHAT ABOUT THE TV?
Charlie loves watching TV: ‘But it’s also one of the things I hate to see in a living room, especially mounted above the fireplace – that should be reserved for something beautiful, like a mirror or painting.
SHOULD FURNITURE GO BACK AGAINST THE WALLS?
‘Depends on the size of the room,’ says Charlie. ‘Keeping furniture against the walls maximises the space. However, bringing an armchair away from the corner at an angle will make the room feel more welcoming.’ Laurence, however, thinks furniture should ‘never’ be pushed against the wall. ‘If you possibly can – even if it’s just a few inches – then make sure it’s away from the wall. It is the absolute worst thing that the British do… it’s as if our furniture is agoraphobic! It limits the sense of space and horizon, making the room look much smaller,’ he says.
HOW MUCH SPACE SHOULD I LEAVE AROUND ITEMS?
‘Always give furniture space to breathe,’ says Lisa. ‘Stand back and check nothing is getting in its way.’ Charlie says to think about the functionality of the space. ‘Once you know this, you can place the furniture accordingly. Always keep
“Once you have the furniture foundations in place, you can start to add statement accessories and decorative pieces” CHARLIE MARSHALL, FOUNDER OF LOAF
“Try and light at least three – if not four – corners of a room” LAURENCE LLEWELYN-BOWEN, DESIGNER AND TELEVISION PERSONALITY
in mind how people use the room and arrange the furniture accordingly, as traffic flow is key.’
HOW DO I CREATE A SENSE OF BALANCE?
‘Decide where you want the eye to focus,’ says Lisa, ‘and layer around it. Stand back and contemplate the room as you would a picture. Sometimes a 10cm nudge to one side can make all the difference. A two- or three-seater sofa and a pair of armchairs opposite with upholstered pouffes always works well.’ Charlie says, ‘If it’s a family room, it’s likely that the sofa will be a main feature. Create balance with a coffee table or storage footstool and an armchair or love seat to one side. The trick is not to group too much furniture in one area.’
COFFEE TABLE: YES OR NO?
‘I’m not a coffee table enthusiast,’ confesses Laurence. ‘They make rooms feel a lot smaller – and are basically a shin-high obstruction. I think it’s better to do the Georgian thing of smaller occasional tables.’ Charlie disagrees: ‘If you have the space, then I’d always say go for a really large coffee table to create impact or an area for board games, magazines and sharing food.’ Lisa
“I hate the disappointment of a lovelylooking sofa or chair that is incredibly uncomfortable ” LISA MITCHELL, DESIGN DIRECTOR OF INTERIOR STYLE STUDIO
likes to see a selection of round coffee tables at varying heights. All three love an upholstered ottoman or footstool as an alternative. ‘They look more inviting than a coffee table,’ says Charlie, ‘and storage footstools are great for busy families.’
HOW DO I PLACE LARGE FREESTANDING PIECES?
‘Have an idea of what you will be putting on the shelves or using the sideboard for,’ says Lisa. ‘It’s about a piece being functional as well as beautiful.’ Charlie agrees: ‘Clever storage is king. Backless shelves can zone a space, but I think a sideboard is one of the most versatile pieces of furniture in the home.’
ANY OBVIOUS MISTAKES I SHOULD AVOID?
‘I know half of Britain has these… but shutters can really take away the softness of a room,’ says Charlie. ‘I also think sometimes you don’t need to make a room look larger – so don’t paint it white. Go for darker colours to make it cosy instead.’ Laurence says to think carefully about feature walls: ‘The idea of a feature wall is to make one wall much stronger than the other three. So why use the chimney breast, which is already a dominant piece of architecture?’