There’s no one-size-fits-all living room formula. You can’t just choose a sofa, two chairs, and a coffee table and call it a day. The best living room layout is designed to fit your specific space and show off its best architectural features, whether it’s a narrow townhouse with an original fireplace or a sprawling open-concept home with soaring windows.
Beyond your square footage and floor plan, you have to think about how you plan to utilize the space. Are you someone who entertains frequently? Do you spend evenings in your living room cozied up with a good book? Do you have multiple children who are eager to run around? Each of these lifestyle considerations impacts the furniture you choose and how you arrange it.
Ready for some living room layout inspiration? Here are stunning designer-approved living room layouts.
Two Sectionals
Kelly Taylor Interior Design
In this space, two sectionals are used to create a cozier, more intentional living room layout. “We were dealing with a narrow space and wanted to maximize the seating without closing in the space. As a result, we ordered two sectionals that face each other and left a gap between them for ease of both moving around and to not create a feeling of being blocked in on either side,” says Kelly Taylor, owner and designer at Kelly Taylor Interior Design.
Two Sofas and Two Chairs
White Cliff Studio
Rather than limiting a space to one sofa, Bailey Todd, owner and principal designer of White Cliff Studio, used two sofas, two chairs, and a large ottoman to maximize seating in this living room. “Rather than matching everything, we used complementary styles, materials, and colors to create interest among all the upholstered furniture,” says Todd.
Sofa and Two Chairs With Additional Ottoman Seating
DRE DESIGN / Deborah Jaffe
A sofa and two chairs is the classic layout for a square-ish living room, but it often doesn’t provide enough seating. The workaround is to add additional seating that still lets the space feel light and airy. “Incorporate an extra chair or bench on one end. This arrangement promotes great conversation, allows for easy movement, and ensures everyone has a clear view—whether it’s of the fireplace or an outdoor scene,” says Dre Shapiro, principal interior designer at DRE DESIGN.
Sofa, Two Chairs, and a Large Coffee Table
Niche Interiors / Paul Dyer
Use the staple layout of a sofa and two chairs in a living room where you want to keep the space feeling light and open. But add a large coffee table so everyone has access to a place to set their drink. “This layout works especially well in open-plan living spaces where you want to maintain ample pathways for walking in multiple directions,” says Jennifer Jones, principal designer at Niche Interiors.
Two Sofas Facing Each Other
Niche Interiors / Paul Dyer
When you have the space, two sofas facing each other is one of the most visually pleasing and relaxing living room layouts. People subconsciously love seeing spaces where there’s symmetry.
“Symmetry is a key consideration in traditional living rooms,” says Jones. “Positioning two sofas opposite each other is a great way to break up a spacious formal living room into more intimate seating arrangements.”
Sectional and a Swivel Chair
Niche Interiors / Brad Knipstein
While a sectional provides ample seating, additional chairs are necessary to make it feel anchored and welcoming. “We love using sectional sofas to maximize seating while maintaining a feeling of openness in a living room,” says Jones. “Try floating a swivel chair across from a sectional to create a cozy conversation area.”
Sofa, Two Chairs, and Large Bench
Ali Milch Interiors / Julie Leffell Photography
Adding a bench to a living room layout lets you add flexible additional seating without disrupting the visual lines of the room. It’s the perfect relaxed open floor plan for entertaining.
“We wanted to create a designated room perfect for pre-dinner cocktails and hosting,” says Ali Milch, owner of Ali Milch Interiors. “Our goal was to design a space that felt very ‘adult’—separate, yet complimentary to the more commonly used family room.”
Sofa as a Focal Point
Deni + Dove Interiors
Carving out multiple seating areas feels luxurious in a large living room, especially if you entertain often and want to create spots for conversation. But the sofa should always anchor the space. “For living rooms, I’d recommend having a couch facing your main focal point, placing two adjacent chairs to the side, and then having a smaller loveseat across your chairs,” says Olma Fuentes, principal and founder at Deni + Dove Interiors. “This arrangement can seat a number of guests but can also work for smaller get-togethers.”
Curved Sofa and Chairs
Urban Staging / Russ Ross Realtor
The silhouette of the sofa can help define a living room layout, particularly if it uses the space wisely. “If you’re trying to fill a large space, a curved couch can bring the corners of the room in a bit,” says Amanda Wiss, founder of Urban Staging. “This gives room for more vignettes in the corners of the room and larger side pieces. Two armchairs balance the room well, as does a larger, lower coffee table.”
Fireplace as the Focal Point
Simply Southern Cottage
A sofa and two chairs allows a clear visual path to the fireplace, making it the focal point of your living room. “This living room fireplace takes a prominent role in the design of the space. The windows form an L around the living room, providing ample natural light,” says Sara McDaniel, designer at Simply Southern Cottage. “I positioned two casual chairs facing a sofa to create an intimate conversational gathering place while giving each person a unique view of the outdoors.”
Two Perpendicular Sofas
Prudence Home and Design LLC / Julie Leffell Photography
If you have ample space, rather than a sectional, two sofas can be placed perpendicular to create the same seating arrangement but without the casual look of a sectional.
Sofa Flanked By Two Chairs
Carter Tippins
Rather than placing two chairs across from a sofa, a sofa flanked by two chairs can create a living room arrangement that’s perfect for conversation. This U-shaped layout makes it easy for the person on either end of the sofa to gab with the person sitting in the closest chair, and it even works in narrow living rooms.
Four Chairs
Gieves Anderson
Skip the sofa entirely and choose four comfortable chairs instead. This creates a parlor atmosphere, where everyone has their own space to relax, but it’s easy to converse with the person next to you or the entire group. A big coffee table in the middle adds to the comfortable aesthetic. This is perfect in a small living room.
