Furniture layout is an important consideration for the home interior space you are decorating. It can actually make or break a space. Any of my clients will tell you about the time I had the ‘furniture layout’ chat with them, especially if we were doing a living room design with lounges and accent chairs. I think it’s smart to spend time doing some room planning, it will not only ensure you end up with a functional space but will also help with furniture purchases ensuring you buy the right sizes for your space hence in the long run this planning will save you time and money.

I actually draft up a floor plan layout for my clients that shows all lounge, accent chairs, rugs, side tables, lamp sizes where they will be placed, showing traffic space so the end user can see a room plan for their space.

The main thing to remember when creating a much loved living room design is to think of the function of the space. The function of a living area is to encourage conversation, correct? Or to watch tv? Either way a living area that feels intimate when everyone is seated and where all users can converse easily without yelling across the room is the desired outcome. A good lounge layout deletes users from feeling isolated and alone due to a chair sitting over on its own it also avoids things like harsh lighting, not enough seating for users and spaces that feel to formal when a casual style is desired or visa versa due to simple layout formation.

I recommend that your place your lounges in such a way that each user when seated is no more than 1200mm apart this will help create good conversation where all users feel close enough to talk without yelling.

Another key factor is providing plenty of surface options for users to place drinks without having to stretch too far to get them.  Do this with side tables next to lounge and accent chairs along with a generous size coffee table in the middle of the lounge area. One option could be to use a nest of tables for your side table this can be separated and used when entertaining more people in your living space.

The formation of the layout determines if a space feels formal or casual. See the below image that illustrates this. Basically to achieve a formal feel, layout the furniture in a balanced symmetrical way so that the users are sitting opposite each other and for a casual feel, place the furniture on a 90 degree angle to each other or diagonally.

It really is amazing how a simple move around and repositioning of your existing furniture can not only change the whole look of your space but can help it function better for you.