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8 Common Living Room Layout Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Planning a living room revamp? Try these expert tips to make it the best space for you
Assuming furniture always needs to be against a wall; not considering lighting, or falling back on a one-size-fits-all setup are common mistakes that can lead to a living room that just doesn’t quite work. It’s easy to underestimate the planning that goes into designing a cosy and functional living space, so we asked a panel of experts to share their tips – and some of the pitfalls to avoid.
Professional advice from: Eva Byrne of Houseology; Shirin Arefi and Natascia Fileppi of Interia Design; Anna Shepherd of Life Design London
Professional advice from: Eva Byrne of Houseology; Shirin Arefi and Natascia Fileppi of Interia Design; Anna Shepherd of Life Design London
Mistake 2: Falling back on one-size-fits-all solutions
Setups such as an L-shaped sofa against the wall are classic for a reason, but they may not be the right choice for your space.
Solution
Work with your designer to find a furniture layout that suits both the space and your needs for it. “Clients often worry that every room has to be ‘maximised’, hence large furniture pushed up against walls to display floor space,” Anna says. “This actually has the opposite effect most of the time, because movement around the room becomes limited to a straight line along the sofa and back.”
Also think about how furniture pieces work together. “In my experience, if the furniture pieces look as if they’re ‘talking’ to one another, the room will be inviting to use, both for one person and for a crowd,” Eva Byrne says.
In this setup, use a rug to anchor the furniture. “Emphasise the sense of gathering by including a large rug, sized so that each person can sit with their feet on it. Add a coffee table to further ‘ground’ the arrangement,” Eva says.
Thinking of updating your living area? Find interior designers on Houzz.
Setups such as an L-shaped sofa against the wall are classic for a reason, but they may not be the right choice for your space.
Solution
Work with your designer to find a furniture layout that suits both the space and your needs for it. “Clients often worry that every room has to be ‘maximised’, hence large furniture pushed up against walls to display floor space,” Anna says. “This actually has the opposite effect most of the time, because movement around the room becomes limited to a straight line along the sofa and back.”
Also think about how furniture pieces work together. “In my experience, if the furniture pieces look as if they’re ‘talking’ to one another, the room will be inviting to use, both for one person and for a crowd,” Eva Byrne says.
In this setup, use a rug to anchor the furniture. “Emphasise the sense of gathering by including a large rug, sized so that each person can sit with their feet on it. Add a coffee table to further ‘ground’ the arrangement,” Eva says.
Thinking of updating your living area? Find interior designers on Houzz.
Mistake 3: Not considering scale
Natascia suggests furniture that’s too large can lead to the room feeling cramped. “Conversely, furniture that’s too small for the scale of a larger room can make it feel cavernous and lack a sense of comfort, leading to it being underused,” she says.
Solution
Work with your designer to find a furniture arrangement that’s carefully scaled for the space. If your room is on the smaller size, consider different formations, “[Would it be better to have] one or two armchairs instead of an L-shaped sofa, and a footstool that doubles up as a coffee table?” Natascia says.
Anna prefers using side tables rather than a single coffee table in some spaces. “They don’t disrupt the floor space, rumple rugs or create vacuuming obstacles,” she says. “We love a solid, circular side table that can be moved around at whim, and even perched on should you need to.”
Natascia and Shirin use Houzz Pro Selection Boards to make it easier for their clients to choose the right combo. “It’s an interactive tool that provides product images, descriptions and prices,” she says. “It allows clients to ask questions about products and to choose between items. It’s linked to the invoices, so they can also receive images of items in the invoices, which clients have loved.”
Discover why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software.
Natascia suggests furniture that’s too large can lead to the room feeling cramped. “Conversely, furniture that’s too small for the scale of a larger room can make it feel cavernous and lack a sense of comfort, leading to it being underused,” she says.
Solution
Work with your designer to find a furniture arrangement that’s carefully scaled for the space. If your room is on the smaller size, consider different formations, “[Would it be better to have] one or two armchairs instead of an L-shaped sofa, and a footstool that doubles up as a coffee table?” Natascia says.
Anna prefers using side tables rather than a single coffee table in some spaces. “They don’t disrupt the floor space, rumple rugs or create vacuuming obstacles,” she says. “We love a solid, circular side table that can be moved around at whim, and even perched on should you need to.”
Natascia and Shirin use Houzz Pro Selection Boards to make it easier for their clients to choose the right combo. “It’s an interactive tool that provides product images, descriptions and prices,” she says. “It allows clients to ask questions about products and to choose between items. It’s linked to the invoices, so they can also receive images of items in the invoices, which clients have loved.”
Discover why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software.
Mistake 4: Copying designs from social media
“When people try to copy designs from social media, they commonly fail to consider their space’s unique features, which often leads to a design that doesn’t work with the rest of the home,” Shirin says.
Solution
The key is using other designs as inspiration, not a blueprint. “We will always consider the existing architectural features of the home, the proportions of the rooms, and how furniture placement will affect the flow and feel of the space” Shirin says.
Once you know what you want, then you can look for images that illustrate this. Eva, for example, uses Houzz photos for sharing ideas with clients and “sourcing images of any aspect of house design that emerges in the course of our discussions”.
“When people try to copy designs from social media, they commonly fail to consider their space’s unique features, which often leads to a design that doesn’t work with the rest of the home,” Shirin says.
Solution
The key is using other designs as inspiration, not a blueprint. “We will always consider the existing architectural features of the home, the proportions of the rooms, and how furniture placement will affect the flow and feel of the space” Shirin says.
Once you know what you want, then you can look for images that illustrate this. Eva, for example, uses Houzz photos for sharing ideas with clients and “sourcing images of any aspect of house design that emerges in the course of our discussions”.
Mistake 5: Skimping on lighting
Not factoring in lighting can result in a space that doesn’t feel quite right, no matter how well the other elements have been considered.
Solution
“Lamps, lamps and more lamps,” Anna says. “Lighting matters in here more than in most rooms because it will completely dictate the mood.”
She recommends layers of light, including “a pretty ceiling pendant … mostly for decoration or looking for small lost things on the floor”; wall-mounted lamps for reading or puzzling, and table lamps in corners, on shelves, on side tables, and used depending on what’s happening in the room.
Technology can be helpful here. Anna notes that plug-in lights are good alternatives where there are no hardwired sconces, while portable, USB-charged table lamps can be moved around the room to vary the lighting scenarios.
Think about natural light, too. Try to avoid putting a sofa in front of a window, Eva says. Depending on the setup, a sofa here may block the light coming into the room, or impede flow in the space.
Not factoring in lighting can result in a space that doesn’t feel quite right, no matter how well the other elements have been considered.
Solution
“Lamps, lamps and more lamps,” Anna says. “Lighting matters in here more than in most rooms because it will completely dictate the mood.”
She recommends layers of light, including “a pretty ceiling pendant … mostly for decoration or looking for small lost things on the floor”; wall-mounted lamps for reading or puzzling, and table lamps in corners, on shelves, on side tables, and used depending on what’s happening in the room.
Technology can be helpful here. Anna notes that plug-in lights are good alternatives where there are no hardwired sconces, while portable, USB-charged table lamps can be moved around the room to vary the lighting scenarios.
Think about natural light, too. Try to avoid putting a sofa in front of a window, Eva says. Depending on the setup, a sofa here may block the light coming into the room, or impede flow in the space.
Mistake 6: Making a TV the focal point
Although a chimney breast might be an obvious place for a TV screen, think carefully before you hang one here, Anna suggests. Not only can it be quite dominating, but high placement like that can make for uncomfortable watching.
Solution
“The perfect height for a TV is around 35cm-40cm from the floor,” Anna says.
“If you have a [high] fireplace, use a large piece of art or a mirror above it and place the TV in the corner instead,” Shirin says.
“Another way of hiding the TV is to opt for a darker colour on the wall,” she continues. “If a dark colour doesn’t suit your home, it’s a good idea to distract the focus away from the TV by curating the space around it with large, colourful art or bespoke shelving units that you can decorate with beautiful accessories that give you joy.”
For avid film buffs who might want a larger screen, Anna recommends a projector and screen that can be hidden away when not in use.
Although a chimney breast might be an obvious place for a TV screen, think carefully before you hang one here, Anna suggests. Not only can it be quite dominating, but high placement like that can make for uncomfortable watching.
Solution
“The perfect height for a TV is around 35cm-40cm from the floor,” Anna says.
“If you have a [high] fireplace, use a large piece of art or a mirror above it and place the TV in the corner instead,” Shirin says.
“Another way of hiding the TV is to opt for a darker colour on the wall,” she continues. “If a dark colour doesn’t suit your home, it’s a good idea to distract the focus away from the TV by curating the space around it with large, colourful art or bespoke shelving units that you can decorate with beautiful accessories that give you joy.”
For avid film buffs who might want a larger screen, Anna recommends a projector and screen that can be hidden away when not in use.
Mistake 7: Not thinking about doorways
“If you find it tricky to achieve a welcoming layout, ask yourself if some key element needs to change,” Eva says. “A typical example is a badly located door. A door located in the middle of the long wall of a living room, for example, may make it impossible to create a welcoming arrangement of furniture. A badly located radiator can lead to similar problems.”
Equally, it might be that a door needs to be added in order to make the most of a room.
Solution
Talk with your designer about either moving a doorway or adding in a dividing door where necessary. For example, Natascia recalls a client with a knocked-through living room in a terraced house. “The kids had a TV at one end, but it monopolised both rooms and meant our clients were spending most of their evenings in the kitchen,” she says.
“We recommended installing glazed double doors between the rooms, which still let light through to the back room,” she continues. “This separation has meant the adults now have a room they can chill out in and the kids still have a room to play games and watch TV in. They love the fact the double doors can be left open to create that larger entertaining space, too.”
“If you find it tricky to achieve a welcoming layout, ask yourself if some key element needs to change,” Eva says. “A typical example is a badly located door. A door located in the middle of the long wall of a living room, for example, may make it impossible to create a welcoming arrangement of furniture. A badly located radiator can lead to similar problems.”
Equally, it might be that a door needs to be added in order to make the most of a room.
Solution
Talk with your designer about either moving a doorway or adding in a dividing door where necessary. For example, Natascia recalls a client with a knocked-through living room in a terraced house. “The kids had a TV at one end, but it monopolised both rooms and meant our clients were spending most of their evenings in the kitchen,” she says.
“We recommended installing glazed double doors between the rooms, which still let light through to the back room,” she continues. “This separation has meant the adults now have a room they can chill out in and the kids still have a room to play games and watch TV in. They love the fact the double doors can be left open to create that larger entertaining space, too.”
Mistake 8: Not designing the living room in relation to the rest of the property
Anna notes that, often, problems arise when a living room isn’t factored into a larger home renovation, for example when a renovation changes the flow through the two reception rooms in a Victorian house. In that case, the second reception room either “becomes a glorified hallway, used primarily to access the kitchen, [or] the front reception room is barely used and no budget is allocated to ensuring it remains connected to the rest of the design,” Anna says.
Solution
“Space planning is key to a good design being successful,” Natascia says. “If it doesn’t work on paper, it won’t work in real life.”
This is where a designer can help. “The best way to establish the optimum layout for your living room is to create a floor plan, drawn to scale and using detailed measurements. This allows you to establish not only the overall layout, but also the precise dimensions and location of each piece,” Eva says.
Designers use CAD tools or Houzz’s 3D Floor Planner to create detailed plans and help clients visualise potential layouts. “The client gets to see their new space in 3D and have a walk-through to get a much better understanding of the furniture layout and flow,” Natascia says.
The designers we spoke to offer a variety of packages tailored to single rooms, covering fact-finding on how the space is used, mood boards, layouts and floor plans, and suggestions on lighting and furniture. In terms of budget, the packages run from £275 to £900 and upwards, depending on the services included.
“Design your home with care and have patience,” Shirin says. “We all want a finished room quickly, but if you don’t have the budget right now, it’s better to save up to later purchase the pieces you truly love and create a home that’s personal, comfortable and timeless.”
Tell us…
Which of these tips have you found most useful? Let us know in the Comments.
Anna notes that, often, problems arise when a living room isn’t factored into a larger home renovation, for example when a renovation changes the flow through the two reception rooms in a Victorian house. In that case, the second reception room either “becomes a glorified hallway, used primarily to access the kitchen, [or] the front reception room is barely used and no budget is allocated to ensuring it remains connected to the rest of the design,” Anna says.
Solution
“Space planning is key to a good design being successful,” Natascia says. “If it doesn’t work on paper, it won’t work in real life.”
This is where a designer can help. “The best way to establish the optimum layout for your living room is to create a floor plan, drawn to scale and using detailed measurements. This allows you to establish not only the overall layout, but also the precise dimensions and location of each piece,” Eva says.
Designers use CAD tools or Houzz’s 3D Floor Planner to create detailed plans and help clients visualise potential layouts. “The client gets to see their new space in 3D and have a walk-through to get a much better understanding of the furniture layout and flow,” Natascia says.
The designers we spoke to offer a variety of packages tailored to single rooms, covering fact-finding on how the space is used, mood boards, layouts and floor plans, and suggestions on lighting and furniture. In terms of budget, the packages run from £275 to £900 and upwards, depending on the services included.
“Design your home with care and have patience,” Shirin says. “We all want a finished room quickly, but if you don’t have the budget right now, it’s better to save up to later purchase the pieces you truly love and create a home that’s personal, comfortable and timeless.”
Tell us…
Which of these tips have you found most useful? Let us know in the Comments.
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Your living room might look beautiful, but if it isn’t serving the needs of you and your family, it’s not working.
Solution
Ask yourself exactly what you want from your room. Shirin Arefi and Natascia Fileppi always start with a client questionnaire, asking: “Do [the homeowners] see it as a space that will be conversational; will it be a kids’ zone; do they want it to be cosy, formal or mostly a TV room? Are there any pieces of furniture they want to keep?” The answers affect everything from the colour scheme to the furniture and finishes.
Anna Shepherd gives the example of a space used primarily by parents to relax away from toys and mess for a couple hours at the end of the day. “The design can afford to be cosy, with smaller sofas or enveloping armchairs rather than an enormous L-shaped sofa that engulfs the space. Textures and colours can be more opulent or intense, because [the room] is only being used for a few hours and in mellow, moody evening lamp light.”
This approach also makes it easier to avoid some potential challenges. “If the living room is the front reception and used mostly at night, flow isn’t as important, nor is looking out of the window,” Anna says.
She also suggests using the 80-20 rule for helping you to plan how the space will be used: