Interior Decorating Living Room Furniture Placement

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50+ Clever Ways to Reinvent Your Living Room Layout

Make the most of what you have by switching up your seating arrangement.

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Mark Roper

The living room is surely the heart of every home, but decorating this space can sometimes feel monotonous. For many people, the living room is a backdrop for great conversation and gatherings, so it should be designed with community and connection in mind. But—more often than not—the seating arrangement veers into basic territory: A sectional here, an armchair over there, and a cocktail table wedged somewhere in between. The results can be gorgeous, yes—but not necessarily groundbreaking. In reality, however, a living room is packed with unlimited design potential, and it all starts with your seating strategy. With a little creativity, an assortment of chairs, sofas, and stools can transform any room for the better. Here, we share 51 of our favorite living rooms, all featuring major seating arrangement inspiration.

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Through the Looking Glass

If you want to create the illusion of indoor-outdoor living, place all of your seats right next to your window. In Amanda Gunawan's Los Angeles loft, a CB2 sectional and her Charles and Ray Eames chair get the sun-drenched treatment.

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Keep It Simple

As Shawn Henderson's upstate New York home proves, you don't need a complex layout to make your living room feel special. Here, he creates a simple yet striking setup with a Kaare Klint sofa, a Kerstin Hörlin-Holmquist armchair, and a cocktail table by Frits Henningsen.

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Style Shake-Up

In his Milan apartment, Emiliano Salci of Dimorestudio shook up the conventional living room layout by placing the Dimoremilano table at one end of his vintage Vico Magistretti sofa.

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Seeing Double

Why settle for one coffee table when you can have two? In this Pittsburgh Tudor Revival, two gilded coffee tables are paired with an Art Deco armchair, a custom sofa, and a set of chairs by Edward Wormley for Dunbar—so guests can enjoy separate conversations without having to speak over each other.

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Fire Away

While many people place their furniture right in front of or just around the fireplace, this luxe London townhouse makes a case for an off-centered layout. Here, designer Thomas Hamel incorporated a chandelier by Hervé Van der Straeten, artwork from Béatrice Casadesus, and Regency chairs covered in Fortuny fabric.

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Section It Off

In his small West Chelsea studio in Manhattan, Charlie Ferrer used a wall-to-wall sectional in a corner to create the illusion of a designated living room.

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Lounge Away

To turn this Connecticut family room into a cozy sanctuary, the design team of Hendricks Churchill placed a Saarinen chair comfortably next to the fireplace. That way, the homeowners can kick back and relax while appreciating the hearth's warm glow.

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Room With a View

Have a living room with a view? Take a cue from Samuel Amoia, who designed this apartment on Manhattan's Park Avenue. Between the low-slung furniture and colorful Annie Sacks sculpture, the emphasis remains on the stunning view of Central Park below.

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Indoor-Outdoor Living

When you're decorating for an indoor-outdoor lifestyle, it's often best to keep your living room furnishings to a minimum. By restricting a lounge area to one side of the room, the owners of this South African bungalow maintained a clear pathway to the terrace and didn't have to sacrifice their sweeping vistas.

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Tally Up the Tables

In most living room layouts, the best seat is often the one that has an optimal vantage point and easy access to a side table. But as the living room of this Los Angeles mansion designed by Cliff Fong proves, there's strength in numbers. With plenty of seating options—and accompanying tables—every seat can be the best seat in the house.

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Conversation-Sparking Seats

In this Tel Aviv penthouse loft, architect Alex Meitlis and artist Ivo Bisignano placed the Indian rosewood sofas and armchairs—all of Meitlis's own design—in a classic formation so that everyone can join in the conversation.

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Style With Symmetry

For a visually soothing space, you can never go wrong with symmetry. In this Italian farmhouse, designer James Thurstan Waterworth flanked the fireplace with a pair of custom sofas.

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Splitting Image

If you don't want your living room to feel too coordinated, check out this space in Santa Monica, California. Designer Natasha Baradaran gives the conventional symmetrical layout an unexpected twist by placing the Egg Collective sofa directly across from the Anne Hauck chairs.

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Mountain View Living Room

Touches of calming blues and layers of texture featured in a Mountain View home by Regan Baker Design.

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Modern Look

Interiors by Design opted for a living room setup that's equal parts fun and modern.

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Light-Filled Design

Sculptural wood tables complement leather side chairs and a gray upholstered sofa in a Massachusetts living room design crafted by Found Design Studio.

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Modern Eclectic

A blend of of modern and eclectic decor in a living room by Kress Jack Home.

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Mediterranean Beauty

A well-appointed Pacific Palisades Mediterranean living room by Everage Design.

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Loft Living

A Bond Street loft living area by Axis Mundi.

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Built-In Bookshelves

Bookshelves provide a focal point in this Manhattan living room by BOWERBIRD.

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Elegant Pastels

Contemporary pastel pieces make for a serene design statement by Amy Lau Design.

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Mixing Styles

An inspired apartment with Mies van der Rohe influences by Bruce Fox.

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A Corner Banquette

The living room of an Upper West Side home with unique corner banquette, by Pappas Miron.

Monique Valeris Senior Home Editor, Good Housekeeping Monique Valeris is the senior home editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers decorating ideas, home tours, gift guides and more.

Kelsey Mulvey Kelsey Mulvey is a freelance lifestyle journalist, who covers shopping and deals for Marie Claire, Women's Health, and Men's Health, among others.

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