Your living room is the heart of your home, and how you choose to lay it out plays a vital role in setting the tone for the entire space. That’s why our living room layout ideas are designed to help you create a lounge that strikes the perfect balance between style and functionality.
Whether you’re working with a snug flat or a more expansive home, we’ve got inspiration to suit every setting. From clever furniture arrangements to thoughtful colour palettes and lighting tips, our practical guidance will help you design a living room that works beautifully for your lifestyle – and looks the part too.
1. Learn how colours impact your living room layout
Colour plays a crucial role in lounge design ideas by influencing the perception of space and setting the mood of the room. Lighter hues like soft pastels or neutrals create an airy, spacious feel that make smaller rooms appear larger. Darker tones on the other hand, make large spaces feel more intimate. As for the ambience of the room, colours with warm undertones add a cosy vibe while cool colours make the room feel calm and relaxed. A playful pink living room and soothing grey living room are perfect examples.
2. Work out the flow of your living room
Good flow in a layout means traffic moves through the space with ease. In homes where the living room and dining room share the same space, use similar style elements across the two areas for a cohesive look that flows together. For example, if you have a neutral living room with wooden furniture, then the dining room should also have neutral colours and wooden furniture or furniture with wooden accents.
The spacing between furniture can affect the flow of your room too. You wouldn’t want to keep bumping into the coffee table to get to the sofa. A good rule of thumb is to have 3 feet of space between each piece of furniture to make moving through the room feel effortless.
3. Divide the room into different zones
Living room layout ideas like this one here is particularly important for open plan layouts. Creating zones in an open plan home is the key to creating a cosy atmosphere, and a corner sofa is a great way to do this. Its structural shape naturally draws a line to separate the lounge area from the kitchen. Plus it frees up floor space and seats more people than your average sofa.
Rugs and lighting are also fantastic ways to define different zones. A rug anchors the living room and is a chance to inject personality to your home, whether it’s soft pastels, geometric prints or vibrant patterns. Likewise, statement light fixtures such as striking pendant lights or designer floor lamps are perfect for zoning too.
4. Determine the focal point in your living room layout
A focal point is the main element of a room that draws attention and anchors the space. Some focal point examples in the living room include a cosy fireplace, a striking piece of art, or large windows overlooking a beautiful view. In many homes, it might be the TV. What’s important is that the focal point should be something you enjoy looking at as it plays a prime role in helping you plan your layout and furniture arrangement. Building your living room around a focal point will give the room a natural sense of comfort and flow.
5. Design a feature wall as your focal point
If your living room lacks a focal point, a feature wall is what you need. There are many ways to create a feature wall, you can paint the wall with a bold colour, craft a gallery wall, or use decorative wall panels. Even then, wall panels come in a variety of options. You can choose from picture frame moulding to curved ribbed panels to wood slat panels. For something truly unique, combine wood slat panels with floating wall shelves. The result is a feature wall that’s stylish, attention-grabbing, and functional all at the same time.
6. Make lighting a priority in your living room design
Getting the lighting right is essential to setting the tone and ambience of your space. Lighting plays a big role in highlighting different zones in the living room, so it’s important to make sure that it’s functional just as it is decorative. Here are several types of lighting fixtures to consider:
- Task lighting – sets up the space for everyday activities
- Bias lighting – helps avoid the glare of the TV screen and decreases eye strain
- Accent lighting – highlights key areas of the space such as artwork
- Ambient lighting – fills in the gap and sets the mood of the space
If possible, always take advantage of any natural light that comes into your living room as it will make your space feel more airy, bright, and inviting. An instant way to do this is to hang a mirror on the wall across a window to reflect the light streaming in. Sheer curtains and a glass coffee table will also do the trick to let in more light and make the room feel more spacious.
7. Maximise space in a small living room layout
If you have a small living room, why not use a light colour scheme for the walls to make your room appear larger than it seems? A white living room may be the obvious choice but you can also consider other soft colours like sky blue, lilac, or sage green. A pastel blue living room will not only make your space feel bigger but brings a calm and relaxing vibe too.
Another tip to maximise your space is to invest in double duty furniture that function as smart storage solutions. Use an ottoman or a coffee table with a shelf to store items while adding a stylish decorative accent to your living room.
