Finding the perfect living room layout can be challenging, especially when you’re dealing with an oddly shaped space. In today’s blog, the interior design experts at Star Furniture discuss how to arrange furniture in an awkward living room.
Consider Function
You’ve probably heard the phrase “function over form.” While this idea is important whenever you’re decorating a living room, it becomes even more imperative when arranging furniture in an awkward living room. Before you start decorating, you’ll want to think long and hard about how you want your living room to function. Consider what you want from a living room. Does your family tend to gather together to watch television? Do you frequently entertain guests? Do you usually eat dinner in your living room? While everyone’s answers will be different, choosing a few priorities can help you make the tough living room layout decisions that make the most sense for your family’s needs.
Start with the Sofa
Because the sofa is often the largest, most expensive, and hardest item to place, starting with the sofa gives you more design flexibility down the line. When arranging furniture in an awkward living room, you’re often quite limited by where the sofa will fit. In fact, some oddly shaped living rooms only have one or two places that make sense for your sofa. That’s why starting with the sofa is so important. If you have a sofa already, you’ll want to consider where it makes the most sense in the room. If you’re buying a new sofa, you’ll want to let the size and shape of the room determine the type of sofa you choose. If, for example, you’re decorating a small living room with a corner fireplace, you might want to choose a small sectional, which maximizes space without cramming in extra furniture pieces.
Designate Zones
One of our favorite awkward living room layout ideas involves designating zones throughout your living room. This strategy works especially well for decorating long, narrow living rooms or other living rooms with awkward shapes. To get started, consider how you use your living room and then try out different ways to split up your space into distinct zones. You might, for example, have an area designed for watching television with the family, an area designed for working from home or helping the kids with their homework, and an area designated for making drinks and entertaining guests. If you’re worried it will look disjointed, there are plenty of ways to use rugs, color schemes, and furniture to create visually distinct but complementary spaces in your living room.
Keep the Doorways & Walkways Clear
When it comes down to it, your living room needs to be functional. That’s why one of the most important tips for arranging furniture in an awkward living room is making sure that you aren’t blocking any doorways or walkways. When making living room layout decisions, you’ll need to create a clear and distinct path through the room so people can use the space effectively without bumping into furniture or having to squeeze through a doorway. While keeping furniture out of the doorways is key, you’ll also want to check for common living room layout issues like a coffee table that’s too close to a sofa or an end-table that impedes the path into the room.
Use Multi-Purpose Furniture
Many awkwardly shaped living rooms can prevent you from being able to fit all of the furniture you’d like. That’s where multi-purpose furniture comes in. When furnishing an awkwardly shaped living room, you’ll want to choose multi-purpose furniture like storage ottomans, benches, and coffee tables, which can help you save space without sacrificing storage or style. If you and your partner like to eat in the living room, for example, you can skip the breakfast nook in favor of a lift-top coffee table where you can eat your meals. Just be creative and look for furniture that can serve multiple functions in your living room.
Use an Online Room Planner Tool
When people ask how to arrange furniture in an awkward living room, they’re really asking how they can make their space work for their furniture. Free online room planners, like the one we offer at Star Furniture, provide you with the tools you need to try out different furniture arrangements without doing all the heavy lifting. You can even see how specific products from Star Furniture would fit in your space so you can better understand which furniture is right for your space. Ready to start decorating your living room? Visit a Star Furniture store near you to browse our huge selection of stylish and affordable living room furniture. While you’re there, don’t forget to take advantage of our free interior design services. In the meantime, check out our home inspiration blog where we cover everything from how to choose a sectional to the best kid-friendly living room furniture ideas.