Reader Question: How to Arrange a Large Living Room
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Recently, a friend of mine came to me with a design pickle. In the process of building she is planning for a very large living room (20 x24ft to be exact) and though she is going to buy all new furniture for the space, she wasn’t sure what all she would need and where to put it once she got it there. I’ll admit I don’t even have a tape measure that would roll all the way out to 24 ft to try to get an idea of this from my own home. Isn’t it strange how tape measures seem to sprout legs in the middle of the night and walk to greener pastures? One where they wont be unrolled at full length, bent at odd angles, and then crammed back in their shell by grubby little hands? I can’t say I blame them. Here is the readers question:
We’re in the process of building and I’m not sure how my extra large grandroom should be arranged. I plan to buy all new furniture to fit the style of the house, but I don’t have any idea what I need or where it should go. -LG
I did ask her if she planned to have a tv in the space and she said that she isn’t a fan of TVs over the fireplace. I’m with her on that. Sometimes a tv over the fireplace is your only option, sometimes it’s just your preference, but to me, a fireplace is GRAND and should be treated as such. I would rather have a TV in another room or off to once side, so that it is still in your line of vision while keeping the fireplace as your main focal point. Dress up that doll with a nice piece of art or a family photo.
The problem with this for her, is that she isn’t putting built in’s on either side of the fireplace; instead, she is using both sides as door ways between the grand room and dining/kitchen. Did I mention that the fireplace is double sided? Hello, fancy!!! So, I set out to find her a few ideas for what she could do for arranging the furniture in her extra large room and here are a few ideas.
option one | the conversation starter
I love a good accent chair, so it should be no surprise that this is my favorite option. Because the room is so large there is plenty of room for two chairs on each side of the couch. Good for the family that enjoys a little personal space and likes to claim their spot in the room.
For filler:
Add a tiny table between each set of chairs for guest to set their drinks on.
Warm the room with real greenery like this fiddle fig leaf tree
Create a gallery wall with large oversized prints to fill the wall opposite of the fireplace behind the couch.
A variation of this would be to switch out the left side chairs for another couch or a loveseat like below:
Source Two Peas and Their Pod
option two | fancy formal
I can’t for the life of me get this picture to not be blurry, so I’m deeply sorry. I just love two couches facing each other. This is the Crème de la crème of intimate living rooms. If this didn’t fully fill up the room, opt for a larger rug and push the couches further apart and maybe do a coffee table in front of each. If you feel bold enough to try this, then go for two different coffee tables in the same shape. It’s always ok to mix and match your furniture; no matter how formal.
For filler:
Scoot the couches further from the fireplace and add two small accent chairs in front of the fireplace.
Add a couple narrow end tables to one side of each couch.
Buy or build some book cases for a nice reading nook on the empty wall opposite the sliding glass doors.
Create a gallery wall with large oversized prints to fill the wall opposite of the fireplace behind the couch.
Source Belle Maison
option three | the get cozy
I’m a big fan of cozy. Who said, “I don’t want to be cozy…that’s just wrong and weird.” I’m pretty sure no one. So, if you’d rather be comfy with your house guests I say go for an L- Shaped sectionals. Like couches, sectionals come in all shapes and sizes. For this room I suggest an L with the opening to the right. The reason for this is as you enter the room from that lower right hand door way, you don’t want your first view to be of the broad side of a couch. Be careful; however, not to buy a small sectional. You want BIG! Big doesn’t have to mean bulky, though. As a hint, when shopping online for a sectional read the dimensions and mark the measurements on the floor. With an L shaped sectional, or a U shaped fill the middle with a round coffee table that allows enough leg room for everyone around the table.
All of these styles could be interchangeable. In the third option I drew in a pair of swivel chairs on one side of the sliding doors. This isn’t a must, but would be a good option if you’d like to sit and over look what ever is on the other side of that glass. Just turn your chair one way to gaze outside or turn them the other to be included in the conversation in the room.
The far right wall could also house so many different features. Maybe a chest with blankets and a few family photos above, a console table and a couple of chairs on each side, or a row of bookshelves. The same goes for the bottom wall, but don’t feel pressured to fill every nook and cranny. Start with the basics in the picture and add on when you find something that you love and you know would enhance the space. When we finished our remodel, I felt that it took me a while to figure out the personality of our new home. I had a few existing pieces that I couldn’t replace, but I took my time on buying things just to fill a room. Once I did buy stuff it finally clicked, but I didn’t make a move until I was good and ready.
Good luck on your new home LG!!!
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