I think so many people buy the big brown puffy leather sofas because they are perceived as practical (wears well, doesn’t stain) and comfy (because so padded). People are also advised to buy their big pieces, like sofas, in neutral colors because supposedly you get bored with colorful pieces before too long. Personally, I bought a pink sofa, but that is neither here nor there. What I would do to make the big furniture less overwhelming is see if all chairs/recliners can go elsewhere for now, until you have a bigger place. If you need more seating for guests, maybe a couple small scale slipper chairs. These can be bought pretty cheaply. Then start bringing in colorful items. I would get a rug, not something neutral at all, but bright. The curtains and art you have now just repeats and emphasizes the brown furniture. Maybe something like this. Overstock has a good selection of rugs that are pretty cheap- many well under $300 for an 8x10 (which is the size I’m guessing you need, but it should be big enough the furniture is at least half way on it.) But, in any case, something that will be the star of the room. I like an oriental style with brown furniture, but there are also pretty abstract styles that could work. But get something that you love. I can’t emphasize this enough. Not something that will be practical or will “work well” or you think the kids won’t ruin. Something that is amazing. There are so many beautiful rug options for cheap these days there’s no excuse for a bland boring rug. Replace those drab curtains with something colorful like this that will go with whatever rug you pick. Again, these are available pretty cheap from Overstock. Or Amazon. Add some colorful cushions for the sofa and you’ll have come a long way in having the furniture not overwhelm the room. But think the most important thing is to get some of the furniture out of there. There are just too many big pieces.

Hey Mikeala, while you may have to make some compromises due to space restrictions, you can definitely fit a compact couch in the room. As @mindshift recommends, it would a good idea to keep all your furniture compact and as small as possible. I've made a couple of options for you here. (All dimensions are approximated from the images you have posted) For the first layout, I've eliminated the coffee table and added a slim console by the entrance, a wall mounted TV and an end table. You could also buy nested tables so you could stack them when they aren't being used. For the area by the staircase, I've added a tall bookcase and a couple of chairs for extra seating. adding a mirror would give a sense of a larger space, I've styled this room with modern furniture with a touch of hollywood glam. For the second option, the entrance is more open although the TV unit has been placed on the large wall. This allows TV viewing from both seating areas and yet separates the space. You may prefer this layout if you don't like the idea of having a living right at the entrance. I've styled this room with Scandinavian furniture. Do send us measurements and photos so we could further customize these for you. You could also add/ swap furniture and make your own layouts here.

The only item that might be a problem is the kitchen island. You have a modern apartment, with fairly modern/eclectic bookcase and couch, but the kitchen island is a different style. If you have an overall eclectic style that would work, but otherwise it may need to be switched out for a more modern style.

My husband and I just moved into a new home, and are trying to design our living room. The current furniture in the photos is from our apartment, and we plan to move it upstairs to the game room. Our challenge: finding furniture that fits the space that we can relax on, but is not as casual as the current deep sofa (lounge ii from Crate & Barrel w/ double chaise). My husband and I both lounge when we watch TV and relax at night and we plan to use this room as our primary TV room. The Lounge ii is heavenly, but is not good for conversation or for having people over to socialize. We want to have enough space to lounge but also seat 4-6 people comfortably if we have guests over. Room dimensions: The distance from blue back wall to end of the current sectional is 134 inches. It looks like we could potentially push it back to 140 inches and still have enough walkway between the end of the sofa and the bar stools The distance from the window wall to the start of the hall way is: 168 inches Right now sofa has 17 inches of space between the window and the start of the sofa. The end of the sofa sits 140 inches away from the window wall. Questions: What type of TV stand/media center and what color will look best in this space? I really like the big media centers that are about 88 inches tall and take up most of the wall width, but I am concerned that having a big media center may make the room look smaller, but also think that the current style TV stand looks awkwardly small in the room. What seating arrangement would work best for the space that will allow us to lounge on it, but will also be good for having guests over? We were leaning towards an L shaped sectional like the Pearce Roll Arm 3-piece L-Shaped Wedge Sectional from Pottery Barn, but once I measured it out I am worried it will make the space looked cramped (121 inch x 121 inc). We are planning to go with a white or an off white sofa but I am open to suggestions. What style/size coffee table will look best in this space? The current coffee table we have feels too large.