Create your perfect living room with these 8 sofa arrangement ideas

Most Indian living rooms, in fact most living rooms, incorporate multiple seating options with the biggest one being the main sofa. Sometimes, people like to go in for a sofa set, like a three-seater with two one-seaters or a couple of two-seaters. Other times, complementary or accent armchairs, a chaise longue, a settee or a bench, floor poufs or ottomans form the additional seating focused around the modern sofa design. Other living room furniture may include a centre table, side table(s), entertainment unit and bookshelf or display unit. Read on for how different ways to arrange these pieces in your living rooms.

Corner ‘L’ for the win – Sofa set arrangement

While there are a few different ways to work an L-shaped sofa into a living room, one of the most common arrangements is against the wall. With this placement, you are using a corner of your living room – one that doesn’t have windows – and placing the placing the sofa flush against it with no space between the sofa and the wall. This gives you ample seating and maximum free floor space to add other smaller piece of furniture. Two identical side tables placed on either end of the sofa add a touch of symmetry while the large pouf completes the seating area. Remember to light up the corner but keep the overhead lighting soft and diffused so that it doesn’t bother the person(s) sitting directly below.

A symphony of symmetry and asymmetry – Sofa set arrangement

An extremely pleasing visual is one that is symmetrical. This can be achieved by using identical pieces including the sofa set, side tables and accent pieces. The arrangement is such that it splits the room in half and mirrors each other. This works really well for a formal arrangement. Another great interior design principle is one of asymmetrical balance. In this case, the room is balanced by the repetition of similar forms, dimensions, lines and/or colours rather than exact duplication. In this image, the darker grey main sofa is the focal point and the other piece radiate around it. Though the two sofas flanking the main one are not identical, they are very similar in form, dimensions and colour. The side tables, again, do not mirror each other. However, they create visual balance because of their similar height and colour. Rounding off the seating area are two identical leather chairs.

Zoning it off – Sofa set arrangement

If you have an open plan layout, especially a combined living and dining room, your seating furniture is the best way to visually demarcate different zones in the room, instead of using taller pieces like open bookshelves. Here, the sofas and bench placed around the centre table work to define the seating area in this large space. You can also add an area rug in the centre to anchor the furniture. This also works in very large living rooms where you can divide the space into two different seating areas which are cosier rather than one very large one. Make sure there is enough space for easy movement within and around the seating zone(s).

Section with sectionals – Sofa set arrangement

Another good placement for an L-shape is with one arm backed against the wall and the other arm creating a cocoon around the seating area. Usually, it is the long arm of the sofa that is placed against the wall with the shorter side free. However, take a look at this modern sofa design where the living room effectively uses L-shaped couch. The length of the sofa is placed to face the television for optimum viewing, a placement that works in most living rooms where this space doubles as the television room as well. The shorter arm is placed against the wall, giving the compact room an open feel. Instead of using the short side to visually demarcate this zone, they have used an accent chair and an area rug which does the same job while keeping the space open. A pale colour palette and a few tables with skinny legs adds to the lightness.

‘Round and ‘round the rug we go – Sofa set arrangement

One of the most popular living room design ideas is to use an area rug to anchor the seating area of the room. If space permits, you can take this style up a notch by using a circular rug and placing the seating around it, not necessarily in a circle as seen in this image here. A rounded centre table layers the circular visual.

Mix and match – Sofa set arrangement

We really like the idea of playing with different styles and types of seating to create a cohesive design rather than relying on a sofa set of varying widths. Take a look at this Indian living room that uses a main sofa, two accent armchairs, a bench and a swing to create a wonderfully cosy vibe. Even though there are different styles, patterns and colours, they all work in harmony. The arrangement features each of these different styles taking up one side so, while there are assorted features to each, eventually the look is unified.

Flexible and multi-functional – Sofa set arrangement

While the bigger seating remains fixed, some living room arrangements incorporate smaller, multi-functional pieces with flexible layouts. Take, for instance, the lime green ottoman which can be used as an extra seating around the centre table when required. Layering the room with lighter, movable items can double up on functionality and efficient use of space.

Closer together – Sofa set arrangement

While it may seem counter-productive, modern sofa design sees bringing the furniture closer together instead of placing each flush against the wall, especially the main sofa, to open up a room. The idea behind this layout is that sometimes by placing everything against different walls, you might end up creating an awkward space in the centre. It could also work to highlight the cramped dimensions of a small living room. So, if something doesn’t quite look right, try pulling the furniture toward the centre of the room just a little. Leave enough space in the middle for a small area rug and enough leg room. Seating with thin legs, as seen in this image, lifts the bulk off the floor making the room look light and airy.