How to style an awkwardly shaped living room

Leather and Harris Tweed Sofa and Armchair

Living Room with Sofa and Coffee Table

From L-shaped rooms to large, cavernous open spaces, there are times when dressing a room can be difficult.

But, there are solutions and these tips show you how:

The L Shaped Room

Hudson Living Kielder Oak Bookcase

Part dining room, part living room is can be tough space to dress;

  • Use a moveable room partition for when you want to close off part of the space but open up the other.
  • Move seating away from the wall to give more of a conversation zone.
  • Use rugs to create different zones too, such as under the dining table.
  • Add height with taller display units and wooden shelving, than half-height side boards.

‘Dull & Boring’

Weathered Oak Foldaway Desk

On one hand, straight walls and angles are a dream but if you feel the style of the room is dull and more than a little predictable, ring the changes with these tips;

  • Create a walk way around the edges of the room of at least 36 inches but again, pull the comfy sofa and fabric armchairs away from walls.
  • Offset the angle of the furniture against the angles of the room. In other words, instead of the rug being laid parallel to the walls, offset it at a jauntier angle.
  • Use a corner as a study nook, if you have the space but place the desk at an angle across the corner.

The Open Living Space with No Focus

Whiteleaf Reclaimed Wood Trunk Coffee Table

A vast room can seem like a dream but without some stylish tweaks, it can feel like the furniture is lost and that there is little cohesion;

  • Go large with rugs (the bigger, the better) and use as a platform for the seating area and another for the dining area – the sofa, armchairs and coffee table should fit comfortably on the rug, the same with the dining furniture too.
  • Use an appropriately sized console table or living room sideboard behind the sofa to help ‘frame’ the space and use a table lamp to help define the space with light.
  • Add more definition by adding a side table to each armchair too, as well as a wood coffee table as an island in the conversation area.

Nooks and Crannies

They may add character, but nooks, crannies and alcoves can be a nightmare to dress and become wasted space;

  • Create vertical lines by ‘filling’ nooks and crannies, but not necessarily all of them. However, consider bespoke furniture that fits the space exactly otherwise gaps between wall and furniture gives for an ill-fitting look.
  • Use curves to soften the angles too e.g. a round coffee table and round-edged wooden TV unit that has few harsh angles but a softer, curvier appeal

Whiteleaf Reclaimed Wood TV Cabinet

    Long & Narrow

    Highfield Leather and Harris Tweed Armchair

    Long and narrow rooms can look like corridors and so again, you need to shake up the feeling of everything being in its predictable place.

    • Zone the room, for example, add a quiet reading corner complete with fabric armchairs and a small wood coffee table.
    • Again, pull reclaimed furniture from walls and create a zone that fills the void in the centre of the room.
    • Use a rug to pull the sofa, armchairs and reclaimed wood table together but make sure you create a pathway around the room so that it doesn’t look jumbled.

    Which of these tips will you try?