Furniture Layout Ideas for the Family Room

L-shaped Layout

• An L-shaped room is simple to create, especially if you have an L-shaped sofa. Considering you display a television set on one wall in the family room, position the sofa so that the longer part is facing the television. Place a large coffee table in the center of the room and across the shorter end of the sofa, and place a comfortable armchair so that all are facing the coffee table. Place large floor pillows on the floor or bean bags in front of the coffee table for additional seating. Add a floor lamp or a side table with a lamp in the corner between the sofa and the armchair. Lay a large rug in the area before laying out the furniture for added comfort and style.

U-shaped Layout

• A U-shaped layout is perfect for large families or for families who often entertain guests as it provides a lot of seating. Several variations exist to this layout, depending on the furniture that you want to use. For example, if you have a sofa, a love seat and an upholstered armchair, position each so that the sofa is against the largest wall in the room and the other two pieces are placed on each side of the sofa facing each other to form a U-shape. With this layout, you can add a coffee table in the middle as well as a side table on each side of the sofa against the wall and a side table on the other side of the armchair. Another variation is to position the sofa and love seat facing each other with the armchair in the center flanked by two side tables; set a coffee table in the middle.

Square-shaped Layout

• A square-shaped layout is perfect for families who enjoy playing games or creating projects together while at home. For this type of layout, position a sofa and love seat facing each other, or a sofa and two large armchairs facing each other, with a large coffee table or two smaller coffee tables in the center. On each end of the coffee table, provide additional seating by placing bean bags, floor pillows or extra dining room chairs. Add side tables on all four sides of the sofas, a potted plant or a floor lamp. For this kind of layout, consider using furniture that doubles as storage for games and books or other items.