Design Recipes: Large Living Rooms

An expansive living room is defined using multiple seating areas. Handout/TNS

By Cathy Hobbs From Tribune News Service

Large spaces allow for the most amount of flexibility and space but may also provide a challenge when it comes to room layout.

In general, the goal is to create a clear and defined layout that allows one to understand the function or activity that should take place within a room.

Furniture Layout

When you have a large room, this is the ideal opportunity to allow the room to “stretch its legs” as opposed to making a room feel crowded and cramped. When laying out a large room instead of overloading it with too much furniture, select larger, oversized pieces that will help to “ground” the space.

Furniture Selections

An elongated living space is made to feel cohesive through the use of multiple seating opportunities. Handout/TNS

In larger rooms, large scale furniture pieces such as sectional sofas are often needed to help fill space. Sectionals help to define a space and create a clear furniture envelope. Meanwhile, large scale selections such as oversized coffee tables or chairs may help make a large room feel cozy as opposed to cold and cavernous.

Where to Start

Start by measuring your room, both the width and length, prior to making any furniture selections. When possible, avoid purchasing “the set.” Not only are these groupings often too much furniture for a single space but for many homeowners, the overall aesthetic of “all matching” furniture can be unappealing. Instead, carefully select an inspiration piece or two and build your room around them. A gorgeous area rug could serve as the inspiration for a color palette or an oversized piece of artwork to help define a design style or mood. In general, start large then move to smaller pieces. In other words, purchase your sofa before buying a coffee table, buy your bed before your nightstands, for example.

Rule of thumb, size and scale is critical to a successful layout. Be sure not to overcrowd or “stuff” your space.

A large living room is grounded using an oversized area rug. Handout/TNS

Cathy Hobbs, based in New York City, is an Emmy Award-winning television host and a nationally known interior design home staging expert and short-term rental/vacation home designer with offices in New York City and The Hudson Valley. Contact her at [email protected] or visit her website at cathyhobbs.com. Copyright 2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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