Living Room Layout: How to Plan and Arrange Living Room

Our living rooms nowadays are an ever-changing space, a chameleon of sorts adapting with the flows of our everyday lives. Transitioning from entertainment areas to workstations to journaling corners, there are many things to consider when planning your space.

One of the best ways to look into your living room arrangement is to take account of what you have and its use, as well as the overall layout of your living room. What type of floor plan do you have? How do you use your space? More for lounging or do you like to entertain?

The Open Plan Living Room

With no internal dividing walls, an open plan layout in the living room connects to the dining area and kitchen.

Create separation between areas with your sofa or sectional, making a living room zone. With this type of layout since there are no walls, make sure to consider styling the space in all angles as they will be openly visible. It can be as simple as a lush throw over the sofa, an interesting coffee table, or gorgeous homewares.

The Entertainer’s Living Room

This layout is usually when the living room is across a fireplace. To keep things symmetrical, place two sofas across each other - perfect for entertaining and having guests over!

Make sure to measure your space in order to get the most of it! When space is dire, you can use items with more than one function so you have everything you need. An ottoman can be an extra seat for guests, and it can also be a coffee table with a tray, or become a resting place for your feet when you're watching a movie.

The Classic Living Room

It can be formal or casual, the classic living room layout features a sofa and two matching chairs offering a different seating option. This gives emphasis on lounging more with television often seen on top of the fireplace or in an excellent entertainment unit.

Don’t forget to add side tables, a rug, and plenty of homewares like vases and trays to complete the look.

The Work from Home Living Room

Sometimes we can’t help but bring in the work from the office and a home office setup is especially common these days. Break up the room with a designated area for your desk and other work essentials and have the sectional to one side in order to create two zones.

Your workspace would look best in your living room if it also has the same interior style as the rest of the space!

Ideal Living Room Furniture Placement & Distance

Learning how to maximise your space is one of the key ideas in design, whether it be a long and narrow space to one filled with awkward door placements, taking into consideration your space’s functionality would mean choosing the best pieces that work for your room.

Take a look at a few tips on the ideal distance between furniture pieces below and don’t forget to bring your measuring tape!

Living Room Layout with TV
How far away should your sofa be from the TV? We recommend having a viewing distance that is at least 1.5 times your screen size, which will allow you to appreciate the details on the screen without noticing individual pixels. For example, if you have a 65” TV, it’s best to place your sofa at least 250cm or about 2.5 metres from the unit. View how to arrange your living room furniture with TV and our recommended screen size and viewing distance here.

Coffee Table to Sofa Size Ratio
The coffee table and sofa must be the right size - and we mean height, length, and width.
Height - Your coffee table should be 1-2 inches shorter than the height of your sofa’s seat cushions. It creates an unobstructed eye-line when you’re sitting down as well as provides just the right amount of distance when getting snacks or drinks off the coffee table.
Width - To create a balanced look in the room, the ideal coffee table is two-thirds the width of your sofa. For spaces with a sectional and chaise, the table should be two-thirds the size of the sofa portion only.
Depth - The suggested rule of thumb for plenty of legroom but ample reaching space is within 14 to 18 inches of the sofa.

Area Rug Size & Placement
Before you lounge around in style, rug placement is equally important to balance out the room.
The rug should be big enough to fit under the two front legs of the sofa or main furniture pieces, with at least 6 inches to the sides. We outline more tips on rug placements for your home here.

Hanging Art on Walls
A foolproof way to hang individual art is at eye level and about 60 inches from centre to the floor. If you’re hanging it above furniture, have at least 4 inches between artworks.

For a gallery wall look, hang large and medium pieces 2-3 inches apart, and smaller pieces 1.5-2.5 inches apart.

Top Tips on How to Arrange Your Living Room

Now you’ve got your layout and measurements, it’s time for living room arrangement to your heart’s content!

Look for a focal point
Determine which will be the standout in your living room area, will you have a bright-hued couch or a unique TV unit? For small spaces, we have table lamps and floor lamps. Floor lamps also need to be proportional to your space.

Look at the shapes of your furniture
Balance is always key in design. If you have an L-shaped couch they usually go with a round coffee table to break up the angular lines. If you have a lot of round shapes in the side tables and even the sofa, go with a rectangular coffee table for symmetry.

What is the best way to layout and design a living room?

Your living room is waiting to uncover its design potential. Always remember the size and scale of your space, furniture, and home accents. Measure, tape it out and sample as the living room is an important piece of the puzzle that is designing your home.

When considering the layout of your living room, integrating feng shui principles can further elevate the room's energy, bringing balance and positivity into your home. Discover how a modern take on feng shui can transform your living space into a sanctuary of wellbeing and style.

Always design up to your personal preferences - this space will be loved and used by you, your family, and friends! At RJ Living, we’re committed to creating spaces you’d never want to leave and our living room furniture is built to last many years of use. Choose from our wide collection or ask us for a design consultation! Our team of experts can help you plan and design your living room all the while with Australia-wide shipping and flexible payment options.