1. IGNORING THE FUNCTION OF THE ROOM
'While everyone wants a beautiful living room, before buying that pretty sofa, consider how you'll use the space,' says designer Kati Curtis. 'Is it primarily for socializing, watching TV, reading, or a combination? Neglecting to align the layout with the room's purpose can lead to a huge waste in time and money on furnishings that might look good but just don’t work.'
2. MAKING THE TV THE FOCAL POINT OF THE LAYOUT
'The number one mistake people make when arranging living room furniture is forgetting the focal point of the room,' says designer Irene Gunter. 'If the room has a stunning view, for example, I arrange the furniture to maximize it. Alternatively, I might use an open fireplace or a beautiful wall of joinery as the focal point.'
3. PUSHING ALL THE FURNITURE AGAINST THE WALLS
This is a classic living room layout mistake, probably one we are all making. What is the obsession with pushing all the furniture up against the walls? What you are left with are crowded edges and a sea of empty floor in the center. Ditch this old format and pull your furniture into the room. It will create a far more social space, and even in a small living room, it can actually make the room look larger.
4. MISPLACING THE RUGS
Living room rugs may not sound like they would have a huge impact on the layout of your space, but they do. See them a bit like walls; they zone and ground your furniture so getting their position right is important.
5. NOT INCLUDING ENOUGH SEATING OPTIONS
Don't rely solely on the couch. If you have enough square footage it's nice to introduce different types of seating to your living room layout. Create break-out spaces that can be used when the room is more of a social space, or if you want a quiet space to read away from the main zone of the room.
6. FILLING THE ROOM WITH TOO MUCH (OR TOO LITTLE) FURNITURE
'There's no one-layout-fits-all when it comes to living room design, however, I always advise my customers and clients to be wary of trying to fit too much into a space. You never want a living room to feel claustrophobic or too crowded, so it's important to work with the space you have and place your pieces so that there's ample room to maneuver around them,' says designer Kathy Kuo.
7. NOT CREATING ZONES IN A LARGER SPACE
A living room layout mistake you might be making is seeing the room as one open space to fill, rather than the potential for all the smaller zones you could create. This is especially important if your living room is multi-functional or an open plan living room.