How do I lay out a small living room?

Start from a measured plan, keep one clear path through the room, and choose fewer pieces that fit the space. A small living room feels bigger when the floor stays open and every piece has a job.

1. Measure before you buy

Draw the room with its doors, windows, radiators and sockets. Mark where doors swing. Most layout mistakes come from a sofa that looked right in the shop and blocks a door at home.

2. Pick one focal point

Choose what the room faces: a window, the TV or a wall feature. Place the sofa facing it, and build the rest around that line. Two competing focal points make a small room feel busy.

3. Keep the paths clear

• Leave about 75 to 90 cm for the main walking path.
• Keep about 40 to 45 cm between the sofa and the coffee table, so you can reach it and still pass.
• Don't route the path between the sofa and the TV.

4. Choose furniture by scale

• A sofa with thin arms and raised legs looks lighter than a bulky one of the same length.
• A round or oval coffee table is easier to walk around.
• Use pieces that do two jobs: a storage ottoman, nesting tables, a bench with drawers.
• Mount the TV and shelves on the wall to free the floor.

5. Use light and colour

• Light walls and a rug large enough for the front legs of the sofa make the room read as one space.
• Mix a ceiling light, a floor lamp and a small table lamp, so corners don't go dark.
• A mirror facing or beside the window spreads daylight.

Test it before you move anything

A 3D view of your room shows whether the sofa fits, if the path is clear and how the light falls, before you buy or build anything.