10 Ways to Style Your Seating Vignettes - Pier 1

10 WAYS TO STYLE YOUR SEATING VIGNETTES

Besides the kitchen, the living room is where the most life happens -- between entertaining, family game night, and lazy afternoons. But knowing just how to arrange your seating so it’s functional, makes the most of your space, and creates a cozy ambiance in your home can be a bit tricky. 

How to Layout Your Living Room

Take a look at these living room layout tips to help you style seating vignettes that are warm and inviting, super comfy, and will stand up to your busy lifestyle. You’ll find everything you need to arrange your space -- from sofas to throws. 

Find Your Focal Point

The first step is to determine the focal point of your room. Is it a fireplace, TV, or window? Or perhaps it’s that stunning gallery wall you styled. Whatever it is, make it the star of the room. This is what your largest piece of furniture -- most likely your sofa -- will be facing.  

Anchor Your Look

Now, add an area rug to anchor your space. This will not only add structure to your room, but give you tons of color inspiration for choosing accent furniture and decor. 

If you are styling multiple seating vignettes in your room, give each arrangement its own rug to create distinct zones with its own sense of space.  

Choose area rugs that are large enough for all pieces of your furniture to fit on top of it -- or at least the front legs.

Go Off the Wall

It’s tempting to push all the furniture against the walls because it seems like it will make the most of a space. When you pull your furniture off the walls -- even by a few inches -- you actually create the illusion of more space. Even if your space is limited. 

Embrace Color

When choosing your sofa, a neutral color like gray or beige is a popular choice so you can style it with accent furniture in bright and trendy tones. But if a colorful, showstopper sofa is more your style, let it shine and choose neutrals to complement it. Not sure which color to choose? Look to your rug for inspiration and pull your sofa color from the secondary color in your rug. 

Accent chairs are a fun way to brighten up your room and play with patterns. Look around at the artwork and other decor you love and pull your color palette from there. If you love a toned-down neutral look, you can’t go wrong with that -- and you can always punch up your color with pillows and throws.

Create Chat Zones

No matter where your guests are sitting, they should be able to interact with one another. Arrange your sofa and chairs so they are in close enough proximity to accommodate lively conversation, without having to shout to turn around. 

Adding flexible seating throughout your space is a smart way to allow your living room to flux with your guest count. Use ottomans instead of coffee tables, tuck occasional chairs into corners, and slide small ottomans and poufs under your console tables, so you have plenty of options to add seating at a moment’s notice. 

If you have a large living room, take this tip and multiply it throughout your space. Create intimate little chat spaces so multiple gab sessions can take place at once.  

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Consider Symmetry

Balance the size and scale of your furniture to your space. An oversized sectional may overwhelm a small footprint, while petite furniture can get lost in a spacious room. 

The same consideration should be made when arranging your pieces. Clumping everything to one side of the room can throw off the balance. Spread your furniture out evenly to create a visually appealing room. 

Vary the shapes of your furniture so it’s not all square or all round. Adding a round coffee table in a room filled with straight lines can smooth out the aesthetic of the space. 

Go With the Flow

Give plenty of space between furniture, anywhere from 18 inches to two feet. Not only will this allow everyone to move freely about the room, but it will create a sense of airiness. 

If you have a large living room, position your furniture in seating arrangements with distinct walkways in between. Two feet is enough to create visual separation and give your living room a comfortable flow. 

Talk About Tables

Give every seat in the house easy access to a table for setting down drinks. Look for a coffee table that is the same height as the seating and about ⅔ the width of your sofa. 

If space is limited, a gorgeous garden stool tucks into the smallest of spaces and adds a pop of color to your room.

Light Up Your Look

Lighting is often one of the most important elements to consider when designing a well-rounded room. Blending a combination of various types of lighting gives your room layers of light, warm ambiance, and functionality for reading or knitting. 

Choose a variety of lighting styles such as overhead lighting, floor lamps next to or behind your sofa, table lamps on side tables, and accent lighting on shelves and mantels. 

Style Your Space

Bring your whole look to life with a curated collection of artwork and accessories that speak to your style. 

When choosing artwork, draw inspiration from the colors in your rug, sofa, and accent chairs. A large statement piece over your sofa makes a big impact. Select artwork that is ⅔ to ¾ the width of your sofa and hang it 6-12 inches above your furniture. You can go as low as four to six inches when hanging artwork over your fireplace. If you love the look of smaller wall art, treat a cluster of two to four pieces as one and hang them a few inches apart.  

Finish your look with eye-catching decorative accessories, fluffy pillows, and soft throws to bring a sense of coziness and cohesiveness to your room. 

Create Your Stylish Seating

Inspired to start styling your seating vignettes? Browse through Pier1.com for all the ideas you need to assemble beautiful and functional seating arrangements your guests and family will flock to. From sofas and chairs, to all the decorative accents -- rugs, lighting, wall art, and more -- you can find it all right here.

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