Finally, the very last bits of Christmas are put away. Once the tree is out of the front window, and the holiday decor is gone, I always feel like the house needs a bit of a refresh. I took the opportunity to give the living room a new look and reoriented the living room layout.

Living Room Layout Ideas

From the moment we renovated this room two years ago, it hasn't really changed. And why should it? It felt comfortable and cozy and welcoming, right from the beginning. Here's how it has looked for the last two years:

Option 1:

This first living room layout with fireplace is classic, with a sofa facing the fireplace, a coffee table and two armchairs. You can't go wrong with this orientation. But it was time for a change so I moved things about and created a different furniture arrangement for this rectangular living room with fireplace.

Here's what it looks like now:

Option 2:

Our living room really is the heart of our home and where we spend much of our time and entertain guests. During Christmas, we hosted 40+ relatives at our house. I thought they would spread out, with kids playing in the bedrooms, people hanging out by the food in the dining room or downstairs where I had set up another dining table. But no, most people were crammed in here, sitting on every available chair, bench, and ottoman. I think it's because the seating is comfortable and of course, because there is a fireplace!

Rectangular Living Room Layout

Our rectangular living room is long and narrow. Creating an effective living room layout with fireplace, two doors and four windows can be a challenge.

There are different ways to arrange furniture in a living room and some look and feel better than others. Whether your  living room is small or large, you'll want to have one focal point. We don't have a TV in this room so it was an easy decision to orient the main seating on the fireplace. But you also want to use up all the available space in a way that makes sense and still feels connected.




Because we entertain guests here and spend lots of time in this room, that compelled me to bring in even more seating. I created this additional seating area by the front window. My reasoning was two-fold: first, I thought this would be such a pretty spot to sit and read or have a coffee. You can enjoy the view outside the window and the beautiful morning light. And secondly, we like to play board games as a family during the winter months. I wanted to have a dedicated spot for that and these comfy swivel chairs seemed just right.

Living Room Furniture Arrangement 

When you're figuring out your living room furniture arrangement, a good place to start is to think about function. How do you use the room? Do you entertain here or is it more of a private space? What activities happen in the room - reading, television watching, music playing, games, sleeping, eating? How many people will be in the room on a regular basis?

For us, the room would be an entertaining and family relaxation space so it was essential to arrange the furniture in a way that we could hang out as a group. There was enough room to create three conversation areas - the main area in front of the fireplace, the bench area, and the area at the front window. When it's just us, we tend to sit in the main area on the sofa, or in an armchair with our feet propped on an ottoman.

Winter Home Decor

How do you decorate after Christmas, when it's cold and wintry outside and you want to make your home cozy? An easy way to decorate in January is to bring in neutral and warm textiles. Think materials that are soft and cozy to the touch. Opt for patterns that feel wintry instead of "holiday" like these pine cone cushions, solid forest green velvet pillows, or faux fur snow leopard cushions.





I've decided to be a bit less fussy with my decor this year (hence, Chloe's Lego set on the desk on the poinsettia that's on it's last legs on the side table). Things don't have be picture-perfect; it's more important to me that these rooms are comfortable and we use them.





I've kept the built-in shelving season appropriate with winter paintings I've found at thrift stores, a ceramic bear, and some buffalo plaid canisters. I also took some of the faux greenery and berries from the Christmas mantel decor and placed them around the room for a hit of juicy colour.



Speaking of greenery, this real money tree is the only plant I've managed to keep alive for longer than a year! I received it as a house warming gift back in 2017 and when the Christmas tree was put near the front window, this plant was displaced to sitting on the floor by our back door. Surprisingly, it thrived there so I've moved it now to close to the back window where it can get more sunlight.