Size of a Modern Living Room

Open Floor Plans Affect Size

• While the new architectural plans designate areas as living, dining or family areas, they are open and not restricted by walls to allow for a freer flow of function. This floor plan gives the rooms the appearance of being larger than what the blueprints read. In some of today´s floor plans, the living room is not even indicated on the blueprints. However, when it is present, its size has remained rather constant, from approximately 10 x 12 feet to 12 x 14 feet, while the family room has grown to 15 x 20 feet and beyond.

House Size Determines Room Sizes

• Of course, the size of the living room is determined by the size of the house and is generally proportional to the overall square footage of the home. Usually, if the home is less than 2,000 square feet, there will be a family room, possibly referred to as a living room, that will be from 15 x 20 feet to 16 x 21 feet.

Den as Living Room

• In some of the plans of larger homes, there is a room just off the foyer that is approximately 10 x 12 feet to 12 x 14 feet, which is often referred to as the den or study. If you have no need for one, use it as your formal living room if there is no other space indicated as such. With its proximity to the entry and dining area, it will serve the same purpose.

Decorate for Function

• Now that you have a general idea of the size of your living room, you need to decorate and furnish it to serve its function. In modern homes, its function is generally to visit with guests, listen to music, serve cocktails prior to a formal dinner or simply to sit and converse. Keep it conversational by arranging your furniture to promote conversation. For example, place two sofas or loveseats facing each other, and add an arm chair or two at one or both ends of a coffee table. Make the décor a more formal version of the rest of your home. Certainly if it is open to the foyer and formal dining room, you'll want to coordinate with similar color and style.