Make the Most of Your Living Room - Five Secrets to Placing Furniture

When it comes to arranging your living room furniture, interior designers in Seattle, New York, or LA will tell you there are important rules to follow. Luckily, it's not rocket science. Apply the following to your room and notice the difference they can make:

1. Choose a focal point

Find something in the room that you want to be the main focal point. This could be something that is already in the room like a fireplace or a large window with a nice view, or you might choose a TV or entertainment system as these will be used often. Whichever you pick, you will then need to arrange your furniture, decorative items and seating around it.

2. Set your seating

If you want your living room area to be a place where those inside it can easily socialize, arrange your seating facing each other - or at right angles to each other - so that the seating space feels intimate. As described before, it should still be in front of or centered around your focal point. You will also have to decide if you wish to place a table or ottoman in the center of the seating, for placing drinks, etc, or if you wish to keep this space clear. If you choose the later, add small tables to the seating arrangement line (e.g. next to sofa ends or in between the squares created by placing the seats at right angles. These squares are also great for adding lamps.

3. Consider balance and symmetry

When you look at your room, are there certain areas which appear cluttered with large objects while others seem awkwardly empty? Try and place items so that there is a sense of balance to the space you have used. Using symmetry helps a room look good too, e.g., placing matching items at both ends of a sofa or hanging the same sized picture frames at opposite ends of a wall.

4. Think about your lighting

If your room doesn't have ceiling lights, you will need to prioritize the placing of lamp stands or tables that hold lamps. Work out which areas of the room need brightening during the day and place lamps there to maintain a balance of light in the room. Again, when it comes to night, make sure your lighting is well-balanced.

5. Experiment in miniature

Draw a layout of the room on paper and cut out paper miniatures of all the furniture and large belongings you will be placing inside it. Experiment with moving everything around, choosing different seating layouts, focal points and other arrangements. This will help you generate ideas and allow you to find the most practical and pleasing way to arrange your room.