Welcoming, cozy and comfortable are the words I want to think as I enter my home. A welcoming and cozy home is as much about a layout as it is about the furniture you put in it. Today I’m sharing a few of my favorite tips for arranging furniture in a long narrow living room.
What makes the biggest impact is what I put in these awkward spaces and how I place them.
It’s a lot simpler than you’d think.
I’ll use my living room as an example. It’s long, narrow and is the main entryway into my studio, the kitchen, dining area, backyard, our reading area and the itty bitty hallway to the second bedroom & bath. That’s a lot of walkways I have to work with that need open access. It’s also looooong, like almost 30 feet long and just over 12 feet wide. It would feel like a tunnel if it weren’t for the glass doors and windows on the back wall.
You’ll know when you have the best furniture layout for a long narrow room because you’ll feel it. A perfectly arranged room is comfortable for entertaining, relaxing with family, offers useable space for activities like watching TV or games. In short, it won’t just look good, it will feel good too.
My top 7 tips for arranging furniture in a long narrow living room.
1. Make defined areas intimate and cozy by dividing the space up into smaller usable areas. No one feels good sitting on a couch against one wall while trying to have a conversation across a room where the other chair is against the far wall. Instead try pulling your seating together in a sitting area by a main focus in the room. You’ll be amazed how this will immediately change a room.
2. Use natural dividers. Try using a sofa table or area rugs to help define the smaller areas you’ve created in a long narrow room.
3. Scale furniture for the cozy spaces you’ve created in your long room. Place large items where they won’t block a view. Select sofas, tables and accent chairs that fit these smaller mini-areas rather than the open size of your long narrow space.
4. Tall and large-scale items are fantastic accent items in a small space. Tall pieces help bring the eyes up which make a room look larger. Unique large-scale items like a wing back chair add interest. Use a tall table lamp, big artwork or a tall piece of furniture like an armoire in your mix.
…yes, I know I don’t have baseboards yet… remember the living in a partially done house thing? …they are coming soon 🙂
5. Keep walkways open and easy to navigate. It works best to have the main walkway on one side.
6. Keep multiple purposes in mind when creating cozy spaces. Our couch living area is easily modified for TV watching with the family by adding extra chairs from around the room. We also use it for exercising videos by moving the coffee table and rolling up the rug.
7. Keep the decor style consistent in the room. Even though a room has separate usable areas, it’s still a whole room. Stay consistent in your colors and decor style to keep your space flowing well.
Living with a long narrow living room doesn’t need to be a challenge and a little creativity can work in your favor. Creating a balanced room that feels as good as it looks is something anyone can do by following a few tips for arranging furniture in a long narrow living room.
Do you have any special tips to share on arranging furniture in a long narrow living room? Be a friend and share in the comments section below.
Vanessa says
I love how the furniture pieces are put together in this room. The natural light is awesome in that room which helps that small space.
Wendi says
Thanks so much Vanessa..good point on the light too. I try to not block any of our light, it does help the room feel larger:) Thanks so much for your visit!
Pili says
Hi Wendy! Thanks for sharing your tips, your room looks amazing in such a difficult space. I didn’t know about that BHG page and I’ll have a look, my living room is so angled and has a lot of ins and outs that it’s driving me crazy… I’ll try the rugs as well.
Hugs,
Pili
Wendi says
Hi Pili, I sure you’ll find just the right layout to make your room look and feel good, even with the challenges of an awkward space. Definately try the BHG room software, it will save so much time and back ache! Start with the space you use the most and figure out what to do with the remaing space after that:) Thanks so much for your visit!
Lory from The Robin's Nest Designs says
Thanks so much for sharing at The Living With Style Linky Party! Have a great day.
Hugs, Lory
http://www.therobinsnestdesigns.com
Wendi says
You’re welcome! We loe our room so much more with this layout:)
Cat @ Pocketful of Posies says
Great design suggestions Wendi! We have a very odd shaped living room and I can’t seem to figure out the best layout. It drives me nuts! Thank you for sharing at Dream. Create. Inspire. Link! I hope we’ll see you there again this week!
Cat
Wendi says
Hi Cat, I completely understand how frustrating an odd shaped room can be! So glad my tips will be helpful. Have great week!
Pamela Smith says
Looks great! You created a nice space out of a kind of awkward one. It looks inviting and welcoming!
Wendi says
Thank so much Pamela:) It was a very awkward space when we first moved in and now we love the functionality of two seating areas. Thanks so much for your visit:)
Karen says
Great tips Wendi! I love how you created separate vignettes in the same room!
Thanks so much for sharing at Something to Talk About!
Karen
Wendi says
Hi Karen! It was the best use of a crazy space and we love how cozy the areas make the room feel. Thanks so much for your visit:)
Hil says
Thanks for the tips. We are trying to re-do our main floor and these tips will come in handy!
Wendi says
You’re so welcome! I hope you find them as useful as we have!
Pam @ The Birch Cottage says
It is difficult to define space in such an open and narrow area. These are some great tips! Thanks for sharing on the Living with Style Linky Party!
Wendi says
Pam, you’re welcome and thank for hosting such a great party:) I love our long living room now and would rather have this shape since it’s much cozier with small seating groups.
Dee says
I have this problem with my front room, and it’s definitely a challenge! Thanks for the tips! 🙂
Wendi says
Hi Dee, I feel your pain! A room this shape can be tough to make work. I’m glad you found my tips helpful. Thanks so much for your visit:)
Pat says
Wendi,
I have one of those l o n g narrow rooms, dear one!!!
Our Family Room, located on the lower level.
It is my “greatest” designing challenge!!!
I, too, use BHG for design layouts!!!
One continual challenge in my home. . .
I design with a Traditional Timeless Classic style
in a home that doesn’t have symmetrical design!!!
Thank you for your amazing tips!!!
I have considered an area rug in the past. . .
perhaps it’s time to re~consider for a more “cozy” atmosphere???
Fondly,
Pat
Wendi says
Hi Pat… I feel your pain! Especially since you have a design style in mind that’s challenging in your space. Yes, yes and yes on the rug! It made a huge difference in defining my areas woithout adding bulk to the room. Please share a picture on my FB page too:), Everyone is so interactive there and I love sharing my readers pictures! I’m glad you found the tips useful & thank you for stopping by & leaving your sweet note:)
Mary-In the boondocks says
Good tips Wendi! Yes, it should be a cohesive whole. I also have a narrow room but it is so small. but I really like your idea with the rugs to define spaces.
Wendi says
Mary, the rugs made a big difference in our room. I’m glad you found a useful tidbit in my post:) Thanks so much for visiting!