You’ve made your mood board, picked out your wall color, and maybe even started your renovation wishlist. Then comes the hardest part: figuring out how, exactly, to arrange the furniture in your living room to make it all come together just the right way.
The size and shape of your space will largely dictate your options, but no matter what real estate you’re working there, you should consider at least a few different living room arrangement ideas to properly assess how to make this interior live up to its full potential. Whether you opt for an L-shaped sectional, bring in an accent chair or two, or keep things simple with a three-seater sofa, these decisions will impact the function and the overall feel of your living room.
And chances are, you have more options than you may realize — it could just take a bit of imagination to understand all the living room arrangement ideas at your disposal. So, Havenly designer Kelsey Fischer is here to help out. She shares 13 of her favorite living room arrangements, which you can take inspiration from and adapt for your own home.
1. Living Room Arrangement Ideas: Expansive Ideal
This extra-long three-seat sofa from Interior Define makes a luxurious place to rest, while a matching set of white armchairs, facing it directly, keep the living room looking balanced. Two layered area rugs — one jute, and one wool — keep this arrangement perfectly contained.
2. Living Room Arrangement Ideas: Simple Scene
When you’re lucky enough to have a room with a view, simplicity is key. A warm burgundy sectional from Burrow is a great, foundational accent piece in this waterfront hideaway. Two narrow-profile lounge chairs keep the room feeling open and airy.
3. Living Room Arrangement Ideas: Collective Work
Organized an abstract, organic wood coffee table, the seating options in this eclectic living room are disparate, yet all seem to work together. Their varied materials and sizes create a sense of harmony in the room in spite of their apparent discordance.
4. Living Room Arrangement Ideas: Fit for a Crowd
With seven different seating options — including a three-seater sofa — this living room is designed for large families (or, at least, for hosting large gatherings). Two ottomans can play double duty as footrests or coffee tables when there’s not a crowd.
5. Living Room Arrangement Ideas: Beige Appeal
One way to make a “busy” room look and feel serene is to simplify its color palette. A buttery, cream-colored sofa is cloud-like in this living space, while fuzzy, loop-weave ottomans and leather accent chairs bring in cool textural contrasts. All together, the neutral space looks perfectly relaxed.
6. Living Room Arrangement Ideas: Modern Refinement
An ornate chandelier can sometimes feel stuffy in a living room, but making it work is all about dealing in contrasts. A boxy marble coffee table is strikingly contemporary, though it appeals to traditional sensibilities with its coloring; two tufted sofas lean old school while leather accent chairs bring in a modern twist.
7. Living Room Arrangement Ideas: Open Floor Plan
When it comes to designing for an open floor plan, use your furniture to your advantage. Two sofas, arranged perpendicular to one another, make the living area feel more contained. A large, upholstered ottoman also works as a cohesive coffee table.
8. Living Room Arrangement Ideas: Well-Contained
A fireplace provides a great focal point in this small living room. An L-shaped sectional and two armchairs come together to create a cozy little den, while a credenza, placed along the back of the sofa, adds extra storage and display space.
9. Living Room Arrangement Ideas: Face-to-Face
Especially when you’re working in a more contained area, it can be beneficial to streamline your design approach. Two sofas — different in color and style — mirror one another in this apartment living room, divided by a simple, modern coffee table. Two smaller decorative tables, off to the side, make a lovely vignette.
10. Living Room Arrangement Ideas: Better Than Built-In
A good floor-to-ceiling shelf can have a transformative effect on a room. Here, a streamlined white shelf creates a dynamic backdrop for a simple gray sofa. Two boucle armchairs and two striped ottomans add extra seating, while punching up the personality of this space.
11. Living Room Arrangement Ideas: Eclectic Mix
Sometimes, one of your best design tools is empty space. That’s true of this eclectic living room, which features a collection of artistic pieces. With ample breathing room around each vignette — an accent chair with two small tables, a carefully decorated coffee table — the living room takes on an artistic aesthetic.
12. Living Room Arrangement Ideas: Mirror Image
To make a living room that looks cohesive and relaxed, don’t be afraid to double up on furniture. Though this space takes a mirrored approach with matching sofas and armchairs, the stylistic differences between those two pieces prevents it from feeling cookie cutter.
13. Living Room Arrangement Ideas: Modern Tradition
A mix of traditional pieces — like Interior Define’s Maxwell Chair — and contemporary elements work wonderfully in this ornate living room. The simple modern sleeper sofa is modern, but has a timeless effect in a space that combines both quirky and classic styles.
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