Updated on August 12, 2022
For many, finding the balance between optimal tv viewing, living room traffic flow and aesthetics seems all but unobtainable. This can force them to ask, how do you arrange living room furniture with your television?
You can simply mount your television on a wall and push the couch a little or you can create a multi-space living room. Regardless of your desired furniture arrangement and living room layout, an affordable, effective solution exist for you.
Design Plans and Considerations
Open Space Living Room Layout
One option is to utilize an open-space floor plan when designing the layout of the living room furniture.
While still favored by many, the need for a home office or additional bedroom has caused some to adopt the multi-space living room layout.
Multi-space Living Room Layout
If you don’t like the open floor plan, then consider separating your living room into different spaces by using curtains, dressers, shelves, or even a tall couch as a natural divider. This can allow you to consider each space individually and arrange the remaining furniture accordingly.
With more remote work and people staying at home, the multi-space living room layout plan has become increasingly popular over the years.
Design Factors
Keep these questions in mind when arranging your living room furniture and television:
- Do you have a fireplace?
- How do you want traffic to flow through the living room?
- Do you mount the television on the wall?
- Do you want an isolated area for conversation?
Fireplaces
When factoring a fireplace into your layout, you have two real options, incorporate the viewing of the fireplace and television or keep them separate.
Many people prefer to keep their televisions directly above or next to the fireplace. This ensures that they can see both on a cold, winter night. Another popular option for fireplace and television viewing is to place the television ninety degrees from the fireplace and the couch placed in the middle of the two.
If the fireplace and television must be on opposite sides of the room, consider investing in swivel chairs for a smooth transition between the two mediums.
Living Room Traffic Flow
Often enough, one of the least thought out things in arranging living room furniture is the flow of bodies through the room. There’s nothing more annoying than a sudden obstruction of view during a critical moment of your favorite game, show, or movie.
These interruptions can easily be prevented by considering such things as the television angle and positioning of the couch and/or chairs.
When arranging the furniture in your living room for optimal tv viewing, keep these tips in mind:
- Floor plan type, open space or multi-space
- Traffic flow of the living room
- Visibility of the television and/or fireplace
Television Mounting
For many, mounting a television on the wall is a standard that should be upheld at all times. That added benefits of the increased height and unobstructed view make mounting a television essential, especially for those with a fireplace.
A relatively painless task, mounting a tv on the wall only requires a stud finder, a drill, and a few screws. The entire process taking less than ten minutes without any issues.
For those that don’t want to mount your television, no big deal, the benefits usually don’t greatly outweigh the drawbacks of not mounting.
Conversation Spaces
Having a spot set aside for people to talk, where voices don’t carry or echo, is a must when it comes to planning out and arranging your living room. As a gathering place for everyone in the house or apartment, creating little pockets of dedicated space can make a real difference.
Best Ways
Work smarter, not harder.
Create a layout of your plans before attempting anything. This will save time in the long run.
Consider what you’re trying to accomplish, such as, what’s your focal point or what angle you want the couch relative to the tv. You’ll all be thankful come game-day.
Always remember to start with the large furniture when arranging your living room with your television as the focal point. Starting with your small furniture might cause an unintended increase in work and make you wear yourself out quicker.
Though important to many not everyone has a fireplace in their living room, so, when it comes to optimizing your living room and creating the best media experience, you have to start your planning with the tv at the center. Everything needs to be centered around that.
