Most people want a big living room; however, in doing so, they tend not to use the vacant space to its fullest. Therefore, it is essential to understand the average living room sizes so you do not fall short of space and, at the same time, your living room is big enough.
The living room is the heart of our home, and that’s exactly where most families come together and spend much time together. While you create your living room, you must be very careful and take things slow because you cannot afford to go wrong.
Besides knowing about the average living room size, in this article, you will come across information relating to the furniture you should buy and how you can make your living room attractive and cozy!
Now, without wasting a single moment, let’s talk about what you came here for!
Average Living Room Size
First and foremost, you need to understand the classification of average living room sizes. Broadly speaking, living room sizes can be classified into tiny, small, medium, and large on the basis of their sizes.
Tiny rooms are those that are 180 to 200 square feet. Your main concern is to fit all the necessary things like a couch, television set, and center table. It does get difficult to fit everything in a tiny place, and we understand your struggle. Space optimization is the key and can solve half your problem there. We have a few tips that might be helpful:
- Bring in storage spaces vertically. This means that you should start using the walls and opt for wall-mounted storage spaces.
- Use multipurpose furniture; for instance, once a dining table is made to pivot, it gives you storage space. Similarly, using a center table that has a couch attached.
- Using light and neutral colors for furniture and wall paint. This will reflect natural light and will make your living room airy.
- Having floor-to-ceiling windows. As mentioned above, the more light enters your space, the bigger your living room looks.
- Using a big mirror is a classic way to make your living room bigger instantly. When one part of the living room gets reflected in the mirror, the living room looks twice the size.
Small living rooms fall within 200-250 square feet. Now you have some space, but you can still do so much more. Here are some tips with which you can make your room super cozy:
- Avoid choosing furniture that is too large. Go with something that is proportionate to your average living room size. This will help you stay away from overcrowding.
- You should always arrange your furniture in a flow, irrespective of the size of your living room. Doing this will help guests’ eye view flow from one object to another, or else it might be disturbing and distracting in vision.
- Again, using mirrors can be highly effective in giving an illusion of space.
- A lot of light did not harm at all; big windows, light color curtains, and neutral wall paint will only add to the cozy feeling.
Medium size living rooms are much more breathable, and that’s how a living room should be. Here, we start entering a proper living room. With more space, it’s always easier to experiment and expand. Ideally, a medium size living room can fit at least 5-7 people. Now, you can do the following with space:
- Add a lot of plants; the more greens you welcome, the more breathable your living room becomes.
- Investing in a television set can make your living room look modern and classy.
- Besides this, you can also purchase some wall art that will elevate your living room.
- Lights also play a key role in living rooms; therefore, you can opt for warm white and even yellow spotlights, for that matter.
Large size living rooms are ones that are larger than 300 square feet. Honestly, if you have a living room of this size, you are truly blessed. Most celebrities have this kind of living room. You can literally have secondary-category furniture. Here’s what you can do if your living room is this huge:
- Have different zones been created? You can have a separate seating area, another area for screening movies, one for the library, and another one for entertainment.
- Use a lot of rugs, mats, runners on the couch, and any other decorative item.
- Even though you are filling up the space, you must know how to strike a balance and not overdo things. Balancing out can be easy with a lot of light, space, and air.
- Remember, don’t just choose furniture that is big only because you have a big living room. Some furniture, big and some small, can look very disturbing to the eye. Keep a standard size for most of them.
Everything to Include in Your Living Room
Let’s not buy anything and everything from home decor stores. It’s a waste of time and money. Buy furniture being wise, and you have to be practical. We have curated a list that can be more like a checklist if you are giving a makeover to your home. Here it goes:
1. Coffee Table
It’s more like a center table; without this, a living room feels incomplete. While you are shopping for the coffee table, you must go prepared with measurements of your couch and the space between the couch and the television set.
You must ensure there is at least 12-16 inches of space between the table and the sofa because you obviously need walking space. Also, the shape should be carefully thought of. If everything in your living room is circular or curvy, please don’t buy a square or rectangle-shaped table.
2. Sofa
Most people often buy a huge sofa, and it turns out to overpower the space; you definitely do not want to make this mistake. On an average living room size, the sofa’s length is around 72-90 inches. However, measuring your living room from corners is advisable.
Choosing the fabric of the sofa is vital. Say suppose you stay at a place that comes under tropical zones; you can never opt for a velvet material because it might become sticky. Add some more furniture, in case you have space, and get chairs in contrasting colors.
3. Side Table
This is completely optional and depends on the space that’s left in the living room. It might not be essential, but this definitely is a bonus. Imagine you have 10 guests at home; this comes to your rescue while serving food. Use this for placing your decorative items like candles, flower vases, and anything along the same lines.
4. TV Stand Dimensions
Ideally, this ranges between the size 24-30 inches. It depends on your requirements, if you want more space around the television set, you may buy a stand bigger than the dimension of the television. Nothing can be better than getting a tv stand customized because we all have the habit of dumping almost everything on the TV stand. Having multiple drawers beneath can be an actual savior.
5. Rug
Generally speaking, taking the rug according to the length of the sofa is the best idea for your living room to look proportionate. The furry rugs are a lot in trend; you might want to use them. Besides these, rugs also have various purposes. Some are also used for side tables, in front of a fireplace, and even for the coffee table.
6. Fireplace
If you want your average living room size to look modern and classy, this is it! Fireplaces can be a great option, especially if you stay in locations that are extremely chilly during winter. However, you need to be very cautious about installing a fireplace because it requires you to go through a set of codes formulated by the National Fire Agency.
There is no rocket science behind this, but you must choose a nonflammable and heat-absorbent material for the mantel because the main purpose is to keep the fireplace warm.
7. Recliners
Do you still have enough space to experiment? Recliners will be something you will thank us for! Super comfortable and cozy, recliners is not something that is only established in theatres. If you have an entertainment zone separately, then do not forget to buy recliners.
What’s watching a movie without comfort? Lean back and binge-watch your favorite shows! You can feel like you are at the theatre while being at home.
Make Space!
If you are struggling with space and want someplace to breathe, then here are some tips that can be very helpful:
- Keep everything low; trust us, you do not need recliners, a fireplace, side tables, and big television stands. You can go ahead with the necessities. Less is more in such cases.
- Welcome a lot of light and bright colors. It has big windows, neutral wall paint, and bright curtains. The more light the better and the more neutral colors, the more light gets reflected! Read that again!
- Give illusions with mirrors. Place a big mirror on one of the walls; it’s automatically going to make your average living room size look bigger!
- Do not use rugs or anything on the floor for that matter. Keeping your floor empty will give you breathing space.
- Make storage places on the walls. Use space vertically; bring wall-mounted cabinets.
- Smaller furniture can be a good choice. Bring a smaller couch, a standard-size TV set, and likewise.
Space and Average Living Room Size
It’s definitely a balancing game between the average living room size and space. How you bring all elements together in a small living room and how much you can elevate in that limited space is your challenge.
Our article has given you the proper dimensions of the different categories of living rooms. Having said that, you can now understand what your living room comes under and, therefore, select the furniture that suits you best.
Striking a balance is important because you do not want to overdo things and yet use the space to its fullest. At the same time, you do not want to compromise on any elements as well. We gave solutions to most of your problems; what’s keeping you from enhancing your living room? Start now!
Ava Taylor, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from the Pratt Institute, has made her mark in creating engaging and functional living spaces for over 14 years. She began her career with a New York-based design studio, where she gained a reputation for her innovative and user-centric designs. Ava joined our team in 2019, bringing a blend of artistic flair and practicality to our home improvement section. Since the she has been the lead contributor to our room transformation series, inspiring readers with her unique approach to maximizing space utility and aesthetic appeal. Beyond her professional work, Ava is a passionate collector of vintage furniture, a hobby that enriches her design perspective.