How To Arrange Living Room Furniture

Whether you want a living room for lounging, somewhere to entertain – or both – there are a few basics to get right when it comes to positioning your furniture, as our experts share…

- Jennifer Morgan

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?