Living areas have to be both private places for relaxing and public places where you are at home to the world. You’ll want the room to reflect your tastes and your personality. Your living room has to function pleasantly and unobtrusively. Whatever you doing, the physical layout should help to make your life run smoothly.

Sofas, easy chairs, work tables and storage units are call for fairly permanent locations. Their size and weight don’t permit much movement. Smaller things, such as side tables, drinks tables, occasional chairs and standard lamps can and should be moved about to suit any number of people on any occasion, quickly and easily. They give your room an immediately changeable character. Keep the the living area plan as flexible as possible. The more ways you can use any one piece of furniture the better. Avoid over-furnishing.

Seating

Seating arrangements are the key to a good living-room. Seating arrangements need to accommodate varying numbers of people. You will want to arrange the seats to make multiple conversations possible at the same time. For intimacy, groups of six work best. L-shaped seating, wall-fixed or freestanding, makes the most economical use of space. Two-seater sofas are useful because they take up much less space than do two easy chairs. More than three of four permanent pieces tends to look overwhelming. Occasional chairs that can be arranged to fit the group are a good solution to flexibility.

Select chairs and sofas to suit different tastes and purposes: lounging, reading, working, conversation. Try to imagine out all possible ways of sitting and relaxing before settling on a specific pieces of furniture. Allow every member in your family to test the piece for fit and comfort before you commit.

Tables

A table's use is determined mainly by its design and position in the room. Table surfaces that are both pleasant looking and tough will be used for everything, if they are well lit. Smaller tables generally come in a height useful for serving standing people or low enough for people seated on sofas or even the floor. Table tops should be an inch or so lower than the arms or the seat cushion on armless pieces. A shelf under the top can be very useful.

A central table should be pleasant to look at when not in use and people should be able to see other people across whatever may be placed on it. It should be high enough for informal eating without anyone having to bend double (its plan dimensions will depend on the available space). People should be able to circulate even when the seats are occupied.