Everyone dreams of a cozy home that will delight the eye. The living room is considered almost the heart of any apartment. However, many are owners of very modest housing, where this room should perform several functions at once. This raises the problem associated with the options for arranging furniture in the living room.
In addition, not every person has an artistic look and design skills. However, this does not mean that the owner of the living space is not able to independently decide where and how the furniture will be located. There are some tips to help you make the right decision.
Preparatory work
First of all, a clearly defined floor plan will help determine the arrangement of furniture in the living room. Why move massive structures in search of the best position for them when you can sketch on paper. It is necessary to take into account the location of windows, walkways and doors. You should also pay attention to lighting fixtures and ceiling beams.
Some build their plan around the TV. If the whole family gathers every day to watch their favorite series or news, then you need to arrange the furniture in the living room so that everyone can look at the screen without any problems. This position can be called correct, as designers always advise in the first place to decide on the central object around which the future plan of furniture will be built. For someone, the most important is the sofa. In this case, you must first optimally place it.
Thus, there are the following rules for arranging furniture in the living room:
- First of all, a plan is created.
- The landlord is identified with a central element.
- Gradually, the free space around it is filled.
If necessary, you can use compositional tricks to help create an unusual design even in the conditions of the smallest dimensions of the room.
Options for arranging furniture in a standard type living room
Design experts recommend not littering the room. To create a truly stylish living room, do not use a large number of furniture and interior items that are not of particular use. In addition, dust will constantly settle on unnecessary objects, which will create additional difficulties in the process of cleaning the premises.
If we are talking about arranging furniture in a large living room, then in this case the owner of the apartment has much more opportunities. He can resort to both unusual design solutions and the classic version of the interior. However, even in this case, experts recommend giving preference to small-sized, but functional furniture.
Arrangement of furniture in a square living room will be much easier if you previously visually divide the room into several zones. For example, in a large room you can symmetrically place two corner sofas. In this case, there will be many places to relax, but there will be enough free space.
Do not forget that large square living rooms are most often walk-throughs. This means that several doors lead to them at once. Therefore, when arranging furniture in the living room, it is imperative to take this point into account. Interior elements should not block the doors or interfere with the tenants who will pass into their room.
Small living room
Do not despair if the dimensions of the room do not allow you to install a lot of furniture. Even in a small living room you can create a cozy atmosphere. It is best to use modular furniture in this case. Some elements (shelves, TV stands, cabinets, etc.) are recommended to be installed along one wall, and soft objects (sofas and armchairs) should be installed opposite.
A huge plus for small rooms is that today TVs are produced not as overall as 20 years ago. If you choose a device that is mounted on the wall, you will save space. Also on sale there are fake fireplaces, painted windows and many other interesting solutions that do not take up much space, but look very impressive.
Rectangular living room
The so-called "wagons" are made out according to completely different rules. In this case, it is very important to focus on the center of the room. It needs to be issued as bright and original as possible. Then the unattractive form of the room will not catch your eye.
When arranging furniture in a rectangular living room, you must carefully monitor the proportions. In this case, zoning techniques are usually used. Also here are a few rules. For example, one should not be afraid to create borders in such a room. Therefore, it is worth abandoning the placement of large modules strictly around the perimeter of the room. Upholstered furniture can be located in the center of the room, and the computer desk will look great against the wall.
If you want to create an unusual room, then the rectangular living room is an excellent testing ground for such works. In this case, it is very easy to create an asymmetric design that completely visually hides imperfections in the shape of the room.
Room Zoning
If you look at some photos of the arrangement of furniture in the living room, it becomes obvious that this room can perform much more generally accepted functions familiar to us. For example, an office may be located in it.
With this decision, it is necessary to divide the room into several zones (no more than three). For example, a living room can be combined with a kitchen or dining room, study, bedroom or children's room. Such options are most often found when it comes to small-sized apartments.
Combining living room with kitchen
In a situation when it comes to a one-room apartment, it is very difficult to use the room only to watch TV or read books. Therefore, there are many examples of arranging furniture in the living room, which include the use of kitchen utensils and a dining table.
In this situation, it is recommended to use:
- Corner Headsets. With this layout, the role of the partition in the room will be played by the reverse sides of the products. If you paint the walls of the headset or stick wallpaper on them, you can enhance the design effect and hide existing defects.
- Bar counters. This is a very stylish option for zoning the space in the living room. In addition, the bar counter can also be used as a dining table.
- Contrasting colors. If the living room area is painted in a brighter shade, and the kitchen, on the contrary, is decorated in warmer colors, then such a room will look like two different rooms, even without additional partitions. This design trick visually increases the space.
You can also make zoning using lighting, shelving, chests of drawers, shelves and much more.
Bedroom in the living room
Such a need often arises if there are many children in the family and there is simply nowhere for all tenants of the apartment to stay. Most often, beloved children become owners of their rooms, and parents have to stay in a recreation area for the whole family.
If we are talking about the arrangement of furniture in the living room-bedroom, several design techniques will help to solve the problem. For example, you can use the curtains. Thanks to this decision, family members living in the living room will have the opportunity to fence themselves off from the rest of the tenants, and relax peacefully. Also, a double-sided shelving unit often becomes a real salvation. You can put the necessary things in it and at the same time he will divide the room into several functional zones.
If you want to create a creative atmosphere, it would be nice to use glass partitions. However, to achieve comfort in this decision is far from always possible. Professionals recommend combining glass partitions and curtains.
It is also worth noting that a bed for such a bedroom should be chosen with drawers. The more functional it is, the more free space will remain in the room. It is even better to buy a folding sofa. Then in the daytime it will be possible to assemble and make the room more spacious. In addition, in such sofas, there are always compartments in which not only bedding, but also other things are placed.
Sometimes, on the contrary, parents decide to organize a children's room in the hall. In this case, the arrangement of furniture in the living room suggests that the child will be given a more darkened part of the room. Firstly, children always want to isolate themselves from their parents. Secondly, kids always throw toys around the room. If they are in a more illuminated area, this will only rivet the eyes of the children's mess.
Also, such a living room can be divided using sliding partitions or doors. They will be closed at night, and in the daytime the room will again turn into one room.
Arrangement of upholstered furniture in the living room
Sofas and armchairs with soft upholstery always make the room more comfortable. It is convenient to sit and sleep on such furniture. It is worth considering that the chairs should be combined with a sofa. You need to understand that these interior details fulfill the main function and are most striking. Upholstered furniture in black and white colors looks very stylish.
If we talk about the rules and features of the arrangement, then first of all you need to take into account the presence of a TV in the room. The sofa and armchairs should be arranged so that when watching your favorite movies, households do not have to bend or squint. Therefore, it is best to install upholstered furniture in front of the TV.
If we are talking about a bed, then it is better to place it closer to the wall by the window. All the nuances regarding the arrangement of furniture in the living room, mainly depend on the general style of the entire room. It is recommended to decide with him first.
Furniture Style
Sofas, armchairs and wardrobes should fully comply with the general style decision of the room. Today the most popular are:
- High tech. In this case, we are talking about laconic shapes and colors. In this interior white, black and gray shades prevail. Accordingly, the arrangement should also meet the strictness of the style. Items are recommended to be placed symmetrically. However, for zoning the room, it may be difficult to use this style for those who are not strong in design decisions.
- Loft. In this design, convenience and practicality come first. This means that the elements can be selected in any color scheme and place them in the most convenient way. Here you can use single design elements that do not have to be installed in the center of the room.
- Modern. This is a modern style that also demonstrates functionality. This means that indoors it is recommended to use objects of minimalist design. It is better to give preference to strict forms that will be combined with smooth lines. When choosing this style, you can afford to add asymmetries.
- Neoclassical. In this case, we are talking about luxury and elegance. This means that expensive furniture made of high-quality textiles must be installed in the living room. Some have successfully used this solution. It is best to install a sofa and beautiful chairs in the center of the room. Chairs with high backs are also suitable.
- Fusion In this case, we are talking about a complete mixture of styles. This means that a strict sofa can be installed in the room, next to which funny armchairs and chairs will stand. Such a solution is optimally suited for the separation of a small room. At the same time, you should not place objects according to a strict scheme. Randomness is welcome. Separating curtains and sliding doors perfectly fit into this style. Stylishly beat the rack, which will be located in the center of the room, various accessories will help. In this case, you can follow your imagination (though not to the point of fanaticism).
Of course, if there is no money to purchase a new set of furniture, you need to work with what is. However, some items can be restored and give them a completely different style. The main thing when placing objects is to try to leave free space. Cluttered rooms visually look much smaller than they actually are.
Useful tips and furniture placement features
Designers recommend not crossing zones. They should have clear boundaries, then the room will not look strange or ridiculous.
It is recommended to place a sofa, armchairs and other furniture for relaxing in less lit areas of the room or to remove the lighting a little if the furniture cannot be rearranged. To highlight a particular area, you can use wall lamps or floor lamps. It’s also worth keeping the distance between the TV and furniture.
When arranging a living room, you always need to pursue two goals - the comfort of the environment and a harmonious combination. This will create an original interior and a wonderful corner for the rest of the family.