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rithigk

Formal Living Room Furniture Layout Help!

Rithi K
9 months ago
last modified: 9 months ago

Hi! I just purchased a house and am struggling between two furniture arrangement options for the formal living room.

Photos are attached (the flooring is being refinished to a light natural color).

Option 1: I’ve been planning to do

- a white 96” sofa facing the fire place

- a 66” brown leather loveseat sofa next to it (back of sofa to back patio glass doors/windows)

- two white accent chairs opposite the brown loveseat (facing the back patio glass doors/windows).

i put ribbon as measurements for a rug and furniture sizes and am now worried the 66” brown sofa will be too tight.

I’m now also wondering if it matters that im blocking the patio door even though there’s 3ft+ behind the sofa and the outside view is mediocre.

Should i instead do two accent chairs in lieu of the brown leather sofa so they dont take up as much width and less of the windows would be blocked? This also means I’d prob do a single accent chair at an angle opposite them instead of the original two white accent chairs.

Option 2:

  • a white 96” sofa facing the fire place
  • Two brown leather accent chairs (back to back patio glass doors/windows)
  • One accent chair at an angle (facing the back patio glass doors/windows)







Comments (28)

  • Rithi K
    Original Author
    9 months ago

    The rug dimensions shown in photos are 9’9” x 13’6”

  • Dawn Martinez
    9 months ago
    last modified: 9 months ago

    Have you purchased the furniture for this room, could you possibly show us the items you're thinking about placing in the room. The room has the feel of an open concept, and not formal, will it be used as a formal living space? The hardwoods are beautiful btw.

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  • Wendy Stringer
    9 months ago

    Seems maybe one sofa and a couple accent chairs. If it's a formal room and not an every day room, you wouldn't need all the sitting space of two couches. Something light and airy as the windows are beautiful and you'd want to break up your corner and make it a couch and two chairs opposite. Just an idea.

  • Wendy Stringer
    9 months ago

    Option 2 I like.

  • PRO
    BeverlyFLADeziner
    9 months ago



    Just like you see below, you can mount the TV directly on top of the shelves.


  • Rithi K
    Original Author
    9 months ago

    Thanks for all this help and feedback!

    @Dawn Martinez - I haven't purchased yet but I've attached the Option 1 items I had in mind.


    Re. the formal question, yes this is technically meant to be a casual living room as there is a separate space in the house for a formal living room. But I'll be using that separate space as my office. There's also a "bonus room" upstairs which is what we'll use as our casual family room with a TV.


    Therefore we'll use this space as more of a "formal" area though doesn't need to be super formal. Just a nicer living room (no sectional or TV) where we'll entertain.



  • Rithi K
    Original Author
    9 months ago

    @wendy wendy@BeverlyFLADeziner - thanks for your feedback!


    We'll use this space as more of a "formal" area though doesn't need to be super formal. Just a nicer living room (no sectional or TV) where we'll entertain. There's a bonus room upstairs that we'll use as our every day family room with TV.


    In my above comment you can see the furniture I was planning to purchase tied to option 1. If I go with option 2, I'm thinking similar to the attached layout. The room is very wide (left to right) but not as deep.




  • Kendrah
    9 months ago

    I’m never a fan of love seats - awkward for two people to share so it ends up being used like a gigantic arm chair, plus they are not so attractive. I do love the chairs you selected, the layout for them you just posted. They are nice and airy.


    I love that you are going for a really long sofa. Is it so long that the chair areas will feel too far apart? Maybe not. I don’t think it is the best match for the chairs. I’d prefer on with feet (like the love seat feet) to echo the airy feel of the chairs.


    Lovely space. Excited to see what you choose.

  • Rithi K
    Original Author
    9 months ago

    @Kendrah Yea I was thinking about the feet vs no feet too. I know if going with two sofas it's best to have one with feet and one without...but if I'm changing the layout to option 2 then perhaps I should change the sofa to have feet.

  • marmiegard_z7b
    9 months ago

    I understand things not being too matchy- matchy , but a white sofa and and a brown loveseat as new purchases seem disjointed to me.

  • Rithi K
    Original Author
    9 months ago

    @marmiegard_z7b @swebb01

    i’m not worried about the furniture looking disjointed. Below are a couple examples i think it works well


    my concern is with the size and if it will look too cluttered in my living room



  • Kendrah
    9 months ago

    I concur you don't need to worry about disjointedness. If you have two sofa though, I don't think you have to have one with and one without feet. The pics you just posted show two sofas both with feet. I have the same in my living room. I quite like the layout in the pic you just posted with the double wagon wheel chandelier. What is the size of the rectangle you have taped to your floor? I'm not opposed to two sofas in an L shape with two chairs across from one of the sofas. However, I just don't like a love seat. The pic shows to long sofas and I think that looks great, I just don't know if you have room for two long sofas or not. Two that are 82" or 86" plus two chairs. Try taking blue tape and marking out the edges of the furniture sizes on your floor to get a feel.

  • Rithi K
    Original Author
    9 months ago
    last modified: 9 months ago

    Yea i did that and it’s already tight with a 96” and 66” :/ Even if i decreased the white sofa width i dont think that would enable a larger side sofa

    rug measurements are 9’9” x 13’6”

    seeming like option 2 outlined in first post (attached photo) is the way to go




  • pricklypearcactus
    9 months ago

    If the space is used primarily for sitting (not lounging / laying) and entertaining, I think the sofa + 3 chairs option would be nicer than the sofa + loveseat + chair option. Your room is really pretty. I hope you'll share when you've furnished.

  • loobab
    9 months ago
    last modified: 9 months ago

    Hi Rithi-

    I didn't see what the dimensions of the room are to know if you have the space for the furniture you want to purchase.

    I also don't know how many people you think you will need seating for.

    However, lets assume that the room is large enough, and you need lots of seating.

    There is certainly nothing wrong with having either:

    Two sofas plus two chairs or

    One sofa plus two sets of chairs.

    Either option is fine.

    A three person sofa doesn't need to be 96 inches, that is quite long.

    A standard sofa is 84 inches.

    I have two 74 inch sofas, and three people fit on each one nicely and aren't squeezed together.

    Are the people you expect very large?

    Four people lined up in a row seems like a lot which is what you would have on a 96 incher.

    I am not sure why you need to worry about the feet on the sofa now.

    Feet can always be changed after you purchase the sofa.

    That is a simple switch.

    You want to buy the sofas and chairs and the tables and whatever else, and see how leggy the room is, and then decide if you want legs on the sofas or not.

    If you get two sofas pus two chairs, I would have the sofas be identical, and neither be leather.

    This isn't a man's study.

    You can have the chairs be leather. Men love leather chairs, and often prefer them to sofas. You can select nice large sturdy ones that your male guests would like, or even your hubby.


    Pimlico 100% Top Grain Leather Armchair · More Info



    Toulouse Top Grain Leather Armchair · More Info


    If you get one sofa plus two sets of chairs, you can have one of the sets of chairs be a leather set, and the other set be either an upholstered club type chair in a pattern or weave whose colors you will pick up in the throw pillows on the white sofa.

    Or you can go with a spool chair with the cushions a solid color, either the white of the sofa with a patterned throw pillow to coordinate with the throw pillows on the sofa, or you could have a patterned fabric on the spool chair.



    For the sofa, a simple tuxedo style is just perfect, a three seater.



    And please get a absolutely marvelous real handmade Persian carpet. No fakes.

    You could get a Caucasian or nomadic too.

    Once you've already positioned your furniture you can get a great deal on a carpet.

    Firstly, they are going for a song these days. Young people just don't know what good is anymore.

    Secondly, because you know the placement of your furniture, you can get a carpet with minor defects if your furniture will cover the defects anyway.

    This way, you can purchase a carpet of much higher quality than you would normally be able to afford because its flaws are under your coffee table which never gets moved, or under the sofa, etc.

    And a good rug dealer will bring several to your house to try them out, too.

    You go shopping with an excruciatingly detailed to-scale drawing on graph paper.

    (I suppose you could use a computer, but I am an old-school pencil and paper kind of gal, and you want to be able to show your diagram to the rug salesman to, and I wouldn't want other people manhandling my tablet anyway.)

    Another thing, Please don't be afraid of color.

    All beige is all boring.

  • Kendrah
    9 months ago

    "Feet can always be changed after you purchase the sofa. That is a simple switch."


    I have not found this to be true with high end furniture. I have many pieces where the legs are built in to the frame and do not screw on or off.


    Rithi, Sounds like option #2 will be perfect and you already have lovely chairs picked out. Please post when you are finished. We'd love to see the outcome.

  • ltbeats
    9 months ago

    I agree with the earlier comment that most people don’t find a loveseat comfortable. I have one due to space limitations, and it ends up being used as a chair-and-a-half most of the time.

    I love the style of the accent chairs you showed, especially because the arms are open, and the slightly angled seat is very comfortable (as long as no one with mobility limitations will need to “climb” out of it - but that’s another reason to always have arms instead of slipper chairs).

    Two questions on traffic flow:

    1. I assume you’ll have stools at the kitchen counter. Will you have enough space between the carpet and the stools for someone to walk behind the stools while someone is using them? It looks as if the corner of the carpet may stick out too far and create a tripping hazard.

    2. Do you ever walk from the kitchen to the patio door with food/drink in your hands? It appears there is enough room to walk in an L-shape behind and around the rug area to access the door, but it would be good to make sure.

    Having said all of that, you don’t necessarily need the rug to extend under the chairs/sofa. I’m no designer, but since I have allergies, I designed my home to be easy to clean. All my furniture has legs high enough that I can easily dust mop or vacuum underneath and around without moving anything. My area rug in the living room does not extend under any of the seating, but it still works nicely to ground the space.

    You have a lovely space, and I wish you well in your design process!

  • karen devogel
    9 months ago

    Lovely house. Have you considered placing the brown couch or the 2 chairs on the opposite side facing the French doors instead of the side backing onto the French doors? That will free up space for using the doors and not block the light. Personally I am not a fan of locale seats (I agree they are awkward) nor angled chairs/furniture. This would still give you the L-shape layout and the benefit of light and view from outside. BTW…one trick I use is painters tape on the floor to layout furniture…might help give you better perspective of whether a layout or furniture will fit. Good luck!

  • Rithi K
    Original Author
    9 months ago

    @karen devogel i did the painters tape and that’s when i realizdd itll be too tight - regwrdless of which side it’s on. also the entry is the side opp the glasa doors so Don’t want the back of it facing someone when they walk in.

    I think I’ll be going with option 2 - thanks!

  • terrib962
    9 months ago
    last modified: 9 months ago

    A bigger issue that needs done asap (before moving in would be easier) is getting rid of the black fireplace area on the floor and around the fire place (could not be much uglier!). And replace the black kitchen counters - ugly 1990's or some era that needs to be forgotten - use white or white marble counters. And probably a good idea to re-paint the walls in the kitchen as besides being ugly, grey is going out of style. The brown chairs would certainly clash with the black. It looks like when people wear a black outfit and brown shoes (when black would be the correct choice) - the biggest faux paux and looks ridiculous. Stick with black/grey (ugh), or beiges, browns and warm colors that blend - any pastel in the right shade does with browns. A chair or sofa only 3' from the glass door is OK if the room is in balance otherwise. Beautiful wood floors - I would not cover with a rug. Just use cotton washable throw rugs near doors to catch dust on shoes and keep the dust from getting further into the house. Red brick around the fireplace and on the floor by the fireplace would be the best idea and would blend with brown chairs and warm tones. And note: it is NOT a formal living room being open to the kitchen. It is a "family room" for sure - but can used as a "Living room", but it is not technically a "formal" living room.

  • trixylarue
    9 months ago

    Have you seen the circle of chairs? Lots of examples online some with 6 chairs.


  • Sherry B
    9 months ago

    Your space config reminds me of my new house. Our TV hangs over our fireplace and we also have white built-in shelves either side, and a wall of windows on one side with the front door opposite. (As a former librarian and book lover, I bristle when people suggest hanging TVs or art on bookshelves, but thats just me.) In our smaller house, this is the only living room, and we wanted casual.


    Our sectional sofa, about 96”, faces the fireplace and TV. Two MCM barel chairs are perpendicular, facing the windows (we have a river view) and and, yes yes, with their backs to the front door. One knockoff Barcelona chair and ottoman is in the window corner at an angle. So So, similar to your Option 2. We also have a Mission style coffee table and end tables using some space. There is a sort of tight traffic flow around the sofa, but it works for our needs. We hope to get to know people here to entertain, and anticipate it working just fine. We are going to finish our basement with a home theater, and that will also feature in our entertaining.


    Our carpet is a fun, inexpensive, colorful choice, very far from authentic Persians! It is 9’x12’ and the front legs of the furniture sit on it, but not the back legs. We have two cats that regularly vomit and in the two months we’ve lived here, I’ve had to clean up several accidents. Not every home should go high end on certain things, your personal situation should dictate.


    We also have an island with bar stools behind our sofa. Backing the sofa, we have IKEA cabinets functioning as a console table as well as storage. We left about seven feet between the “console” and the bar stools, which serves as a buffer between living room and kitchen/dining areas, and a pathway to our sun room.


    We love our home, and the layout works for us. Good luck with yours!








  • chefkmw
    9 months ago

    I have a similarly spaced room, and we chose two smaller sofas that face each other in front of the fire place, with a table between them, and two chairs at the end facing the fireplace.

  • reginagayle
    9 months ago
    last modified: 9 months ago

    1. Love the style of the chairs and sofa (especially if you add legs in the same wood color as the chairs), but ditch the brown leather love seat. So I vote for your Option 2 with 2-3 chairs where the beautiful windows and patio doors can remain an integral and enjoyable part of the room.

    2. I agree with loobab's last statements about all the beige and white . . . how about adding some color into the room by changing the cushions on the chairs? Not brown, because the beautiful wood on the chairs would not stand out, but maybe a color in the rug or something from with the painting over the fireplace--that doesn't clash with the kitchen color (a definite consideration since the kitchen is really a part of the open room).

    3. Love the floor as is. I think refinishing to a light natural color would a) take away the inviting character of the room and b) be too close to the color of the rug you've selected. The color of the floor will impact all the colors you use in the room. And I've found out (the hard way!) in decorating my home that when you have a completely blank slate to start with, FIRST pick out a rug you love and decorate around it's colors, instead of deciding on wall, upholstery, wood, etc. colors and then trying to find a rug that will coordinate--extremely difficult and frustrating.

    4. If you feel a smaller rug would allow more walking space around the backs of the furniture, it's fine to put just the front feet on the area rug. You can adjust once you start placing the sofa and chairs.

    4. I don't think it's necessary to remove the black in the room or the kitchen at all; however if after the furniture and accessories (colorful? lamps, throw pillows--maybe a print or 2 that includes the color of the kitchen--etc.) are in place and you live with the room for a while but feel the black is out of place, you can always make the change.

    I think you're headed for a lovely, liveable, enjoyable room. Best wishes!

  • Kimmie Rose
    9 months ago

    I think your space is too large for just chairs? I would do a smaller couch opposite the door, go with the chairs and do a larger ottoman-type coffee table that allows it to be turned into a coffee table when needed or could be used as additional seating? I would find an odd chair and two smaller tables; one table used as a separator between your two matching chairs and one for the odd chair. I would fit the odd chair and table in the corner in front of the window.

    You can arrange the pieces for everyday or change the arrangement when entertaining! This room looks like it will be an extension/connection of the kitchen and to the outdoor deck.

  • HU-225041212
    9 months ago

    I just rearranged a living area in our open concept summer home. The long sofa was placed by the movers facing the fireplace. With a large ottoman between the hearth and the sofa, To the right an left of the sofa were fieside chairs. The traffic pattern from the bedroom wing hallway to the dining/kitchen area was behind the sofa back. On the opposite side of the spacious main room was a seating area focused on a wall mounted tv. The arrangement seemed logical and we lived with it for two years with the sofa directly facing the large stacked limestone fireplace wall with sliding deck doors to left of fieplace and a floor to ceiling fixed picture window to the fireplace's right. But two other pieces of furnture were irksome: An two-level open buffet server housing turntable and amplifier placed just beyond the fireplace seating area along the fixed picture widow begged to be along a solid wall; and a chaise along the entryway wall that deserved a window view.


    While my husband was outdoors mowing, so as to not bother him with my variously shifting experimentations, I shoved the sofa aside and tried a direct swap of the chaise with the sever; that further obstructed the floor to ceiling window and crowded the piano and secretary desk along the far wall beyond the fireplace seating. But the pushed aside sofa was an inspiration!


    Newly angled with one side arm by the hearth, the sofa back angled the traffic pattern to the sliding deck doors (formerly occupied by one of the side chairs and an end table). I shifted the ottoman to align the new angle of the sofa. Then relocated the two unmatched large side chairs to positions parell to and across from the angled sofa. One side table with drink coasters atop sits between the chairs.


    The lower backed chair (matches the leather sofa and ottoman) angled at the right corner of the fireplace hearth encourages the light and view of the floor-to-ceilng picture window without being pushed up against the window; while the highbacked fireside chair further distinguishes the sitting fireplace area from the piano and tall secretary on the back wall beyond the fireplace seating area.


    Incidentally the chaise, placed behind the sofa back as would be a sofa table, is a perfect view through the sliding deck doors and out the far dining window to the great outdoors.


    My husband entered and agreed entirely that the new arrangement was a vast improvement. Moving the long sofa from directly fronting the fireplace to a side position opened up rather than blocked the fireplace seating area; defines yet invites onte into the fireplace area for relaxing, chatting; and created a more welcoming atmosphere in the entire open area.


    The traffic flow from the bedroom wing is still defined by the extent of the angled fireplace seating - the side arm of the high back chair and the angled sofa end table.


    My point to your similar spacious main floor living area is, both your sofas and chairs an be positioned to enhance the fireplace seating and socializing. These can be effectively and aesthetically gathered around the fireplace in a fashion other than large sofa facing the fireplace, and surprisingly other than at square or right angles! Try re-positioning all and don't hesitate to angle the larger piece along natural traffic flow patterns. Then fill in with the chairs (or chair).



  • felizlady
    9 months ago

    If you put the brown leather sofa in front of a glass door which allows a lot of sunlight to shine into the room, the sofa will eventually need to be replaced due to sun damage.