How To Arrange Furniture In An Odd-Shaped Living Room

Odd-shaped rooms can create a challenge when decorating your living room space. Fortunately, it's the quirky floorplan that adds character and visual interest to your space. When arranging your room, consider the furnishings you would like to place and the function you want for the room. This will help you establish a sense of balance and aesthetic appeal in your living space.

Step 1

Find the focal point in your room. For most living rooms, the television or entertainment center is the main focal point. In other rooms, perhaps it is a fireplace or a picture window. Based on the focal point, consider where the furniture in your room should orient. For example, you wouldn't want to block your fireplace with a bulky sofa.

Step 2

Consider the proportion of your room. Some walls are longer than others, some feature access doors that can't be blocked. As a general rule, your longest piece of furniture can be against the longest wall, or in the most spacious area in your room. Always place your largest piece of furniture first and follow with your pieces in decreasing size.

Step 3

Find a placement for your television or entertainment center. If this is the focal point of your room, this should be placed first. Otherwise, you will need to consider accessible outlets and cable hookups, if applicable. Place your television close to these features to minimize using any extension cords, which are unsightly and a potential safety hazard.

Step 4

Assess the architectural qualities of your living room that you would like to highlight. Perhaps you have a decorative niche or built-in storage. Position your furniture in such a way as to spotlight these features. If these architectural features cause the room to feel unbalanced, anchor the space with similarly shaped furniture to create a sense of symmetry.

Step 5

Use mirrors to enhance a small, odd-shaped area of the room. If you want your living room to seem more spacious, reflective glass and mirrors placed in strategic areas will seemingly double the space. These can also be used to create a sense of symmetry in a room with awkward walls or architectural features.

Step 6

Ignore traditional furniture placement. You have an odd-shaped room, so let that character shine through. For instance, there is no set rule indicating you need one large coffee table in the center of your room. Instead, you can rely on several strategically place end and console tables if they better balance the living room.

Step 7

Test out your furniture placement once you have made your arrangement. Analyze the foot traffic in your living room. Walk into the room from each entrance and assess how you would like to move around the room. If the placement does not function comfortably, adjust it as needed.