Press "Enter" to skip to content

Ask a Pro

Ask a Pro Q&A – Maximize a Living Room Layout: Entertain or relax in style with these arrangement options

Deciding where to place chairs can be tough when setting up a space. Especially when you have a uniquely shaped living room. Interior design pro, Jennifer Adams, gives this reader a few options to make every guest feel welcomed in their home.

Question: I have a long living room with a fireplace in the middle of one long wall, two windows on another wall opposite the windows a sliding door to a deck and fourth wall with two door openings on each side. I have the couch on the wall opposite the fireplace and I don’t know whether to buy chairs to go with the couch or get a sectional instead. How should I arrange the furniture?

Adding two chairs to a sofa arrangement would be more flexible than a sectional, especially if your room is small. Place one chair on either side of the sofa, corner to corner to save space. You could angle the chairs slightly to the fireplace or move them at right angles to the sofa for better conversation. Finish this arrangement off with a coffee table and one or two end tables between the couch and the chairs. Use the tables to make sure everyone has a place to set a magazine or beverage within comfortable reach.

Is there enough room to place the couch closer to the fireplace so you can walk easily behind it to allow for through traffic? That would make a cozy and inviting seating arrangement because someone wouldn’t need to walk through the middle of the room unless they were headed to a chair.

– Jennifer Adams