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5 tricky living room layouts solved

How the experts tackle tough living room layouts to create a functional and stylish space.

Words by: My Bespoke Room

Get ready to witness the magic as our Interior Design friends at My Bespoke Room take on these challenging living rooms and work their layout wizardry!

We’ve got the inside scoop on how to conquer your own living room layout dilemmas with style and flair.

So grab your space planning hats and let’s talk living room layouts.

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Small, dual function living rooms

My Bespoke Room: warm beige and white living room after renovations

Squeezing in both a dining and living space into a small lounge can leave you feeling a little claustrophobic.

But fear not! With a bit of creativity and strategic planning, it's entirely achievable. Start by defining distinct zones within the space. Grab a pen and paper, sketch out your room, and experiment with various furniture layouts until you find the perfect arrangement.

In this living room, the clients doubted the possibility of having a large, luxurious sofa, but by strategically zoning the two separate areas and incorporating slimline cabinetry, ample space was created.

Concerns about TV placement were also addressed ingeniously by our designers, who suggested mounting it on the wall with a tilt bracket for optimal viewing from every angle.

My Bespoke Room: dining & living room layout for a small space

Rugs and furnishings are a great way to define zones, as they can both break up the space.

Additionally, if storage is a concern in your living-dining area, consider multifunctional furniture pieces like ottoman sofas or footstools, which offer both seating and storage solutions.

Pass through living rooms

If your living room doubles up as a corridor, you may struggle with creating privacy and accommodating foot traffic.

Furniture choice is super important in this scenario: we always make sure to opt for narrow sofas that don’t take up too much room.

My Bespoke Room: walk-through lounge area floorplan

To avoid traffic jams and inevitable toe stubs, bid farewell to central coffee tables and say hello to slimmer, space-saving, side tables.

Maximising light in pass-through lounges is crucial for making the space feel bigger, that’s why in this design we placed a mirror to bounce light around the space. 

And don't overlook those quirky nooks and crannies, they're prime real estate for bespoke storage or to cleverly slot in chairs or TV cabinets. 

Large living rooms

Though having a large living room is an absolute dream, with all that space it can be difficult to create a cosy and warm environment.

By taking furniture away from the walls and placing it more centrally in the room, you avoid having to shout at one another and create a more intimate atmosphere.

Try considering the scale of your furniture too. In bigger spaces you can have larger and luxury furnishings to fill the room, so go bold with that comfy sofa or feature artwork!

Image: My Bespoke Room: planning out a larger lounge

Now, let’s talk about zoning. By throwing a rug into the centre of the floor, you can magically define the space, creating a cosy area for your furniture to gather around.

Don’t forget focal points either, directing your furnishings towards a TV, fireplace or window will create that put-together vibe.

Anchor points also help create definition: in this design, it’s the central coffee table with statement lighting above. It’s the glue that holds the room together, giving the furniture a sense of purpose instead of just floating around aimlessly.

Small living rooms

When it comes to small living rooms, we understand you want to maximise as much space as possible. 

My Bespoke Room: olive living room facing away from the window

To do this, try minimising the amount of freestanding furniture in the room and stick to only the essentials.

For example, in this small Victorian lounge, we only incorporated a sofa that had slim legs (to give the illusion of more floor space) and a mid-century armchair to create some balance.

We also chose to install pocket doors in this small living room to save more space - as unlike their swingy counterparts, pocket doors slide right into the wall, saving precious floor space and giving you some extra wiggle room.

With small lounges you want to make the most of your vertical space, mounting as much to the wall as possible, like shelving, your TV and even lighting.

In this living room design, we mounted floating shelves in the alcoves to display items and make use of the awkward space - and as an extra tip, we painted the shelving the same colour as the backing wall to help it blend in effortlessly.

Bespoke furniture is also a superhero for small spaces, as it takes up so much less room compared to bulky freestanding units and maximises your precious square footage. 

Take, for instance, the built-in TV cabinet in this living room - it's a multitasking marvel! Not only does it keep unsightly wires out of sight, but it’s great for hiding away extra clutter.

Long and narrow living rooms

Arranging furniture in a living room that feels more like a catwalk than a cosy retreat can be quite a challenge. 

This is where the zoning trick comes into play again - we recommend dividing up the space so you get two rooms for the price of one!

Take a cue from this lounge design, where we used a green sofa to divide the room and create an intimate TV-watching area, while leaving the space behind for socialising and casual reading, complete with a chic bar cart and bookcase.

To further divide a narrow living room, consider using elements like houseplants or cabinets.

And let's not forget about lighting! A layered lighting scheme, featuring a mix of ceiling lights, wall sconces, floor lamps, and table lamps, can work wonders in illuminating specific areas of the space, adding depth and enhancing that cosy vibe.

Our professional Interior Designers can turn any tricky living room layout into a beautiful haven for just £450, providing you with everything from colour palettes to a tailored shopping list, so you can transform your space with ease.

Book a free call with one of our experts to discover how we can help you with your project!


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