Last updated on July 28th, 2023 at 07:58 am
Organizing an awkward living room design, especially one with a fireplace can be challenging. Such spaces are always too narrow, overly cramped, small and boxy, or simply awkward. Still, there are clever ways to customize such spaces and make them feel happy and comfortable. Use the below expert tips to fix an awkward living room layout. These may apply differently depending on the shape of your room.
Chose a Focal Point Wisely
Organize your living room so that the fireplace or the entertainment area remains the focal point. The goal is to draw the eye away from the room design as much as possible.
Use Adjustable Shelving
Use adjustable corner shelving for your artworks and other collectibles. Add shelves on all long and narrow walls with free spaces and use them to display items such as your coffee table books.
Use Slide-Out-Drawers
Use slide-out drawers to store small items such as the remote and magazines and reduce clutter. This could be custom cabinetry that holds your TV.
Choose Your Lighting Well
Use clever lighting to highlight vignettes and additional sitting areas. There are many lighting ideas you can check out for inspiration. No one color is better than the other. Your choice depends on personal style and your interior décor.
How to Arrange an Awkward Living Room Layout with Corner Fireplace
Arranging an awkward living room layout with a fireplace is tricky. It is more challenging for a fireplace at the corner. But, there’s always a solution for every design. Here are a few suggestions you can apply.
Ignore the Fireplace
Ignore the fireplace as the focal point. Choose a different focal point and arrange your seating around it. It can be a window with a vignette or a nice TV. A window opening that leads the eye to a beautiful outside scenery also works great.
Play with the Furniture Layout
Avoid placing furniture parallel to the fireplace as this uses much space and hinders smooth movement around the fireplace. Instead, place one sofa perpendicular to the fireplace and two chairs or a second sofa kitty-corner to the first sofa. The ultimate design should be an L-shape. You can then place a small round or square coffee table perpendicular to the fireplace depending on the available space.
Position your TV Well
Place your TV above the fireplace if you have limited space. Otherwise, the best location for your TV would be a TV stand adjacent to the corner fireplace.
Long Narrow Living Room with Fireplace: Furniture Arrangement Ideas
A narrow living room offers enough working space to coordinate your furniture and arrange other accessories. However, decorating such rooms can also be challenging, especially if you have more than one focal point. Here are great ideas on arranging a long narrow living room and making it feel warm and comfortable.
Find a Focal Point
Decide whether your focal point will be the TV or fireplace. This should give you an idea of your furniture layout. Still, you can place the two focal points close to each other. Mount the TV on top of the fireplace at the far end of the room’s width. Another option is to place the TV and fireplace side by side on the longer side of the wall and leave a straight walkway to the other end of the room.
Furniture Layout
Place long pieces of Furniture against the wall on the longer side. Add smaller pieces of furniture on the adjacent short wall sides. Consider using chairs depending on the available space. Alternatively, you can use a contemporary sectional sofa with an L-shape design and balance other small furniture on its sides.
Create Functional Areas
Divide the room into two using the furniture. Organize a conversational area around the fireplace on one end. The other half can be dining or a small study area.
Furniture Layout For Rectangular Living Room with Fireplace
A rectangular living room is easy to arrange. But one with a fireplace requires a little creativity. Here are some tips to help you.
Main Furniture
Go for a conversational arrangement. Let the main sofa face the fireplace or a TV unit. Arrange the rest of the seats on the sides and a small coffee table in the middle.
Utilize all Nooks and Crannies
Maximize the extra seating spaces with mini seating or reading nooks. Alternatively, go for a luxurious and cozy look with big couches and sectional sofas strategically facing the fireplace.
TV Viewing Living Room
Divide the room into two zones. One section for watching TV and a small reading nook next to the fireplace. You can throw in a few rugs to define your spaces.
Feature Wall Ideas Living Room with Fireplace
Statement walls work magic when paired right with other interior décor. However, creating a feature wall that blends well with a fireplace takes a bit of creativity and proper material selection. Here are some great suggestions on feature wall ideas for a living room with a fireplace.
Match the Wall to the Fireplace
Paint your fireplace with a deep color that matches your accent wall. A color with shades of gray works well for a fireplace painting.
Style your Fireplace Seasonally
Style your fireplace as the seasons change. For instance, you can use a pop candle or add seasonal foliage into the grate during summer and spring. Add some texture with logs as autumn sets in.
Use Complementary Colors
Most feature wall colors tend to be rusty. This can make it somehow tricky to blend it with the rest of the room. No matter your choice of pattern or style, your colors should compliment most of the items in the room. Bold or bright is great if it can blend well with other items in the room.
How to Organize Living Room with Multiple Doors and Windows
Organizing a living room with many doors and windows is easy, especially if you have enough space. Here are a few practical hacks you can apply.
Keep the Furniture Close
Arrange your furniture front and center. Your furniture should start two to three feet from the doorways. Let the seating arrangement face each other. Keep the seats about 8 feet apart to encourage conversation. Anchor the seating area with a large rug. Leave enough walkways at the outskirts of the seating arrangement.
Focus on the Accessories
More windows and doors leave minimal space for wall artworks or even nooks for indoor plants. Make use of the ceiling. You can mount hardware on the ceiling to hang plants. Pendant lighting and artworks are also great options you can explore.
Choose the Right Window Treatments
Textured, soft window covering that hangs down to the flow creates a warm and cozy feel to a room with many doors and windows. Velvet drapes are a great option you can consider.
Awkward Living Room Furniture Placement
Furniture is the biggest item you think of when arranging an awkward living room. The below furniture placement tips should guide on any awkward living room design.
Float the Furniture
Pull them towards the middle of the room to create a new shape. Leave enough walking spaces behind the furniture. Try to concentrate the furniture around your main anchor.
Utilize all Idle Spaces
Turn all the available nooks such as the corners and spaces below the stairs as cozy reading spaces.
Use Clever Lighting
Enhance the feel of your entertainment area or around the fireplace with vignettes that match your interior décor. Use wall-mounted lights to maximize the available space.
How to Arrange Living Room Furniture with TV
Organizing living room furniture with a TV largely depends on your floor design. Since living rooms are predominantly for entertaining guests, your furniture arrangement should leave enough space for the TV as the focal point. Here are a few clever hacks to inspire you.
Position the TV on the Largest Wall
Place your TV on the most expansive wall with the main sofa facing that direction.
Place the TV Opposite the Fireplace
Let the furniture face the fireplace and TV at the corner, depending on where you want to direct the attention.
Keep Distance Between the Furniture and TV
Mount the TV away from the seating area if you have enough space to create an elegant look. Alternatively, use a large built-in cabinet for the TV away from the seating arrangement.
Where to Put TV in Living Room with Fireplace
TV and fireplace are both great focal points in any room. It takes a little creativity to arrange them strategically so that you can enjoy a view of both of them without straining your neck. Here are a few tips on putting a TV in a living room with a fireplace.
Over the Fireplace
Place the TV low and wide just above the fireplace for enhanced shared visibility. Consider proper ventilation and mounting height—at least 12 inches when installing a TV above the fireplace.
On the Wall Opposite Seating Area
This setup works well with the fireplace at the corner and the TV facing the main sofa.
On a Credenza
TV credenzas offer more storage space compared to the normal tv stands. Place your TV on a credenza at the side of the fireplace, especially if your fireplace is too high.