6 Designer Tips for Arranging Furniture in Narrow Living Rooms

Having trouble decorating your narrow living room? We’re here to help! Traditionally, long narrow living rooms pack many features into a large space. You might find a fireplace on one wall and a bank of windows on another – or surrounding the fireplace! This means your furniture arrangements might require some creative thinking. We’re all about solving furniture puzzles here at Pottery Barn! Join us as we share some rectangular living room layout ideas to make your narrow space feel beautiful, organized and comfortable.

 

Think One-sided 

One of the more traditional narrow living room design ideas is to fully use the long wall that might be opposite from another focal point. This can keep the foot traffic to one side of the room. That way, you’re not walking between the sofa and coffee table to get to the back of the house. You’ll want to eliminate the look of a tunnel when furniture is arranged on one wall of a narrow room. Handle this with furniture for small spaces. Choose a compact sectional and a petite upholstered chair. Place them opposite the sofa’s chaise. Choose a sectional and chair that are either armless or that have short, narrow arms. These designs conserve space while offering plenty of seating. By using a sectional and chair, you break up the “tunnel” look of the space. It’s ideal for a narrow living room layout with a fireplace and TV hanging above the mantel.

 

Think Corners

One of the coziest and most conversational arrangements for a narrow space is to place furniture in a corner. You’ll conserve space and create even more room for foot traffic. You’ll also have room to flank the seating with multiple bookcases or tables – like console tables or cabinets for storage. This opens up the room, making it feel more spacious and well-proportioned. On the long wall, place a sofa of any length. Perpendicular to the short wall, place a small upholstered chair. Unify the corner by placing a side table or cabinet in the corner between the two pieces of seating. Complete it with a round coffee table that you can easily reach from the sofa or the chair.

 

Think Perpendicular

Some of the same small bedroom decorating ideas apply to narrow living rooms, too. Take advantage of smaller-scaled furnishings in narrow spaces. This allows you to incorporate more pieces in more creative ways than you’d expect. Love seats and mini-sofas are the perfect pieces to use in a rectangle living room furniture arrangement. Use two love seats and arrange them perpendicular to the length of the room. They can flank the sides of a fireplace or another focal point that’s located on one of the room’s long walls. This way, you’ll still have a path for foot traffic but plenty of seating.

 

Think Longer

It may sound counter-intuitive, but arranging furniture to make your narrow living room appear even longer is another helpful solution. You can fit in more seating while still keeping the space neat. To achieve balance, place a chair-and-a-half or love seat at the very end of room, even if it’s in front of a window. If there’ a window, make it appear grander and larger by hanging striking drapery. Let it cover the entire width of the wall and from floor to ceiling. Place other seating or furnishings across both of the long walls. With this arrangement, you may need to walk between your table and seating. However, the room will feel more spacious with the exaggerated length of the space.

 

Think Angular

If you have a very long but somewhat narrow room, it can still look like a tunnel. Arrange your furniture at an angle. Break up the space of an extra-long room that has a bit of extra width with a compact sectional on an angle. Sit the piece on top of an area rug that’s also angled. Area rugs are great visual anchors. Plus, your furniture doesn’t look or feel as though it’s floating in the space. Add a compact cocktail table and a petite chair to complete the space.

 

Think Circular

Soften alley-like spaces by placing a rounded, oval or upholstered coffee table in the mix. An ottoman-style coffee table can double as extra seating when necessary. If you prefer rectangular tables, longer, narrower pieces work well in front of a sofa located on one of the long walls.

 

Your narrow living room should be a comfortable space where you love to spend time. Use these helpful ideas to transform the space and start relaxing!