2 minute read
Living Room Arrangements
Creating a comfortable living room
After the kitchen, which we consider the heart of the home, the next most important room in a house is the living room in our opinion. To get this space right, there are some things to consider before selecting furnishings.
Advertisement
1. Determine how the room will be used. Will it be a formal living room with a conversational sitting area or a place to lounge with your family to watch TV?
2. Decide how much seating you would like to have. Do you entertain a lot and need a large sectional to watch sports with friends and family? For a more conversational space, consider two facing sofas. You can get creative if you need additional seating with smaller-scale chairs or stools that do double duty as seating or footrests.
3. Coffee table options. If the room is for lounging, we love to put a round ottoman into the room so everyone can kick up their feet. We often add a tray to the ottoman for a flat surface to set drinks and channel changers, etc. If the living room is configured with a sofa and two chairs, we like to add a rectangular shaped ottoman or coffee table. Our rule of thumb for finding the right size coffee table is to make sure it is three-quarters the length of the sofa.
4. Side tables. The tables on either side of a sectional or sofa should be large enough for a lamp, books and a place to set a drink. For a table between two chairs, we tend to use something smaller and usually the opposite shape of the coffee table to create variation.
5. Lighting. A side table is a great place for a lamp. We usually only use one table lamp and then add in a floor lamp for height if extra lighting is needed.
6. Decorative accents. These are always the last step. Once you have the large pieces and your color palette of fabrics selected, you can layer in window treatments, fun pillows, throws, art and accessories. • Karyn Frazier and Jessica Nicolls are the owners of the interior design firm Bungalow 56.
The informal living room includes a comfy ottoman that also serves as a coffee table.
A facing seating arrangement creates a more conversational space.
