Sofa in the living room: where to place it

6 February 2023
Furniture
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The sofa is often the largest piece of furniture in the living room area, so it is important that its position succeeds in enhancing the room and instead avoids weighing it down or cluttering it up.

Sometimes one enters a room and it seems really obvious where the sofa should be placed, but in other rooms it is not so easy, especially if they are also enriched by many other furnishings. In general, the sofa should face the focal point, but if there is no natural focal point, what do you do?

Here are some tips that will help you understand where to place your sofa in the living room!

Consider the balance of the room

Whenever arranging furniture, one has to think about balance. When there are too many visually heavy things placed on one side of the room, the whole space becomes unbalanced.

Since sofas tend to be large, you have to take into account the fact that they take up a lot of visual space and require a piece of furniture of equivalent weight in front of them to balance the room. This is why one often sees two armchairs placed directly in front of a sofa, or a consolle table with a television on top.

Do not block the flow of the room

Sofas are large, so depending on where they are placed, they can have a strong impact on the so-called 'traffic flow' in the room, which is the way people move around the room.

People should never have to walk around objects to get from one room to another or to move within the same room. Nor should there be any obvious obstacles that make movement difficult.

Therefore, make sure to place the sofa in a suitable place in the room, without creating annoying obstacles. Also pay attention to the distance between the sofa and other objects, so as not to create bottlenecks or narrow corridors.

Let the room breathe

There is a common tendency to push sofas against the wall.

In some rooms this is necessary due to size limitations, however, in most cases, there is enough space to push the sofa away from the wall and try different combinations. If this is the case in your home, give it a try and get creative. Here are some ideas.

Facing a window

Although you should never block a window, placing the sofa in front of it can be attractive, as long as that the sofa back is relatively low. Make sure you leave a space of about 25-30 centimetres, to give the sofa breathing space and for the curtains.

Facing the fireplace

In most rooms with a fireplace, the fireplace is the focal point. Since furniture should always be positioned so that it faces the focal point, the area in front of the fireplace is the perfect spot to place the sofa.

Facing another sofa

Since visual balance is very important, there is no better way to place a sofa than opposite another, preferably matching sofa. In small rooms, this is usually not possible, but in larger rooms where space can be accommodated at will, it is an arrangement worth considering.

Facing a door

This positioning of the sofa is not to everyone's taste. In principle, you do not want to place a sofa in front of a door because you should not block it and it is preferable that people do not walk behind the sofa.

However, if there is enough space and the back of the sofa has nice upholstery, this look can work very well. But it is really important that there is enough space to still have a comfortable circulation path. If you want to try this position, it is also advisable to minimise any visual obstructions.

In the middle of the room

This is another position for those who like to innovate their spaces and have fun with unexpected and ever new combinations. In large rooms, a chaise longue or backless sofa is perfect for dividing the room and creating pleasant conversation areas.

Create a conversation area

Creating a conversation area with the sofa is important because this space will be used for conversation, watching TV and entertaining guests.

The ideal location is facing the TV or another entertainment area, but not too close. This will allow you and your guests to comfortably watch your favourite films and converse without being distracted by other elements in the room.

Play with the positioning of modular sofas

Because of their shape, it is common to place modular sofas in corners. However, they can also be very attractive when they are not close to walls.

Because they provide plenty of space to sit, they are often placed in rooms where there are not many other pieces of furniture. Which means you have the space to play with them. Therefore, give the sofa modules some space, for example by placing them in the middle of the room, and leave the right amount of space to walk around them. In some cases, the modules can also function as room dividers, with one side providing a visual break between spaces.