A home is a place where you feel calm, comfortable, and loved. Every room has its value, but having the right dimensions for the living room is especially important for the overall comfort and style of your house. After all, a living room is exactly where you spend most of your time and host guests.
Determining the right living room size depends on various factors and usually, it’s not a straightforward process. That’s why we decided to provide a simple guide that will introduce the average living room size, as well as some tricks to create a functional, comfortable, and beautiful living room that will impress your guests too!
The first and most essential step while planning your living room is considering the size of the space you need. As a result of their diverse functionality, living areas make it hard to decide how much space is enough and ideal for your personal and family needs.
But this doesn’t apply to high-functioning living rooms that require a lot of space. If we look at the average living room size in America, it is only 18 feet long and 12 feet wide. This means that for the average size, the ideal space is 216 square feet. Keep in mind that these living room dimensions are ideal for accommodating about 10 people.
Of course, it is not mandatory to have an approximate living room space. Everything depends on the size of your house. While building it, it will be best if you consider about 7.5%-11% of the total space for the living room.
Therefore, for tiny houses, even a 130-square-foot living room is ideal. Still, if you have trouble spacing in the process of planning, our tip is to always think vertically. For example, using a floating storage will help you maintain space and functionality simultaneously.
Did you know that the living room has the highest traffic in a home? That’s why it’s especially important to have the right dimensions to make the living area ideal. However, being aware of the standard dimensions of a living room can make your work easier.
If we measure it in meters and feet, the small living room space is about 3.05 x 2.66 and 10’ x 12’, whereas the small is about 3.66 x 5.49 and 12’ x 18’. The average living room size starts at 4.88 x 6.01 and 16’ x 20’, which is considered medium. Large can be considered living rooms from 6.71 x 8.53 and 22′ x 28′.
Let’s explore small, medium, and massive living room dimensions in more detail.
Having a small living room may not be ideal because of the lack of space. Nevertheless, small living areas have plenty of benefits.
First of all, it’s easier to make a more cozy area that really feels like home. Also, it is simple to use space maximally with storage tricks.
According to the standard dimensions of rooms, we can consider the living room tiny, about 16.7 – 18.6 square meters, or about 180 – 200 square feet.
Even though it seems like a small space, you can make it comfortable and functional by including some of these objects:
Nesting tables and hidden storage furniture – You can make the room multifunctional with them.
Floating storage and shelves – They work the best with the space and create a cozy atmosphere.
Light and neutral colors – That way, the space will look more prominent.
Mirror walls – They create bigger space illusions ideally. Also, they reflect light and create more depth.
The average living room size gives you a lot of opportunities for creativity. Such spaces can be used in a multi-functional way that is also elegant and comfortable. If you have about 250-300 square feet for the living room, then it can be considered a medium one.
Compared to small living rooms, a standard sitting room size gives you more chance to choose between different styles of furniture and decorations. You can also create various zones within the typical size of a living room.
To make the most of your medium living area size, here are some tips:
Use neutral colors – That is the best trick to make the space look even bigger. To create a cozy atmosphere, you can use some dark tones.
Don’t use ample storage – Having hidden storage also works best for the average size of the living room to not look messy.
Don’t use huge sofa sets – For the normal size of a living room, it is best to use several types of sitting furniture, such as medium sofas, armchairs, or ottoman chairs.
Most homeowners in San Jose believe that having a large sitting room is the best way to design your house. The reason is that a large living room size gives you a lot of possibilities to use space for different zones and activities.
The living room is considered large if its size starts at 300-350 square feet. To make such a big space as functional and beautiful as possible, here’s our advice:
Divide your large room into smaller parts – Usually, a great room size allows you to merge several zones into one room. To create the best living room size, you can make a seating area, entertainment area, and work area.
Maintain a balance between zones – Each zone needs enough space and light. In every zone, do not forget to use storage tricks to avoid busy spaces.
Use zones with intention – For large living area dimensions, many accessories can be used, such as plants, rugs, and more comforting furniture. Also, plants ideally make the large space cozy. The same can be said about typical living room size areas.
The living room furniture adapted to your room dimensions can impact the functionality and design of the room a lot. Not to mention that the right size of furniture directly affects how beautiful and comfortable your living room looks.
With our tips, you can choose the ideal size of furniture for your living room:
In order to choose your living room sofa, you should first measure the room. That way it’s easier to find the right size sofa and it will also help you to avoid overpowering the space. Not surprisingly, the color and style of the sofa matter a lot too. For example, dark sofas create a more cozy atmosphere, whereas light-colored ones are best for small and medium size rooms.
Don’t forget about convenience as well. The thing is that sofas with hidden storage will definitely help you use the room space maximally if that’s what you’re looking for. Such types of sofas are helpful for standard living room sizes and massive living rooms.
And if you’re looking for standard sofa dimensions, here’s a quick guide:
Length — 72-96 inches
Depth — 36-40 inches
Height — 30-36 inches
We also suggest putting the sofa in a way to occupy a maximum of two-thirds of the way. Otherwise, you will make your room over-furnished.
TV stands and entertainment stands are usually an integral part of luxury homes in San Jose. In order to choose your television furniture wisely, we recommend selecting the TV stand according to the size of the room. Ideally, you should decide by the size of the room and not only the style, whether you select a wall-hanging stand or table TV stand for the room.
One trick for finding the best size for your TV is to measure the distance between the sitting area and the TV. It is best to have half the distance between these spaces.
Consider standard TV sizes as well — they typically range from 24 to 30 inches. When it comes to width, it should be equal (can be a bit larger) to the width of the TV.
And finally, don’t forget about storage for additional media devices, especially if you have a smaller room where you can use hidden storage under the TV.
Picking chairs and stools might seem a bit easier compared to larger furniture, such as a television and sofa. But you also need to choose them carefully. The most important thing here is to merge the chair style with the sofa design. This will help make your space more beautiful and visually comfortable.
Next, use armchairs with more petite sofas, as they are the best helpers if you don’t have large sofas but still need more space for a sitting area. For large living rooms, you can use different styles of chairs, such as dining chairs, armchairs, and ottoman chairs. They can make your living room more comfortable and stylish (but try not to use too many of them).
Of course, size matters with chairs and stools as well. Here are the standard chair dimensions:
Height — 17-19 inches
Width — 20-26 inches
Depth — 20-24 inches
Now, you’re probably wondering where to put the table in your living room. Well, ideally, you should place it near the sitting area. That way, you will get the essentials quickly. If you have a large room, you can use different tables. For example, side tables decorate rooms extensively and can be used for many accessories to make your living area more stylish.
Even if you think that the coffee table is a must, know that it’s not. Many people in small living areas advise multifunctional tables that can be used as seats.
Again, if you’re looking for size guidance, in a standard case, the typical size table starts at 22 to 30 inches.
Rugs are no less important attributes for living rooms. Usually, there are three sizes of rugs:
Small rugs – It is best to place them in specific areas for furniture pieces, such as next to the chair or under the coffee table. Small rugs’ sizes range from 2’x3’ to 4’x6’. They can also be used for decoration purposes in typical room sizes.
Medium-size rugs – They are the best for seating areas. You can fill the space between the sofa and the coffee table too. Medium-size rugs are about 5’x8’. Such sizes of rugs are the best for typical room sizes in a house.
Large rugs – They are used to make large living room sizes more cozy. It gives the room a more cohesive look. The size of large rugs starts at 8’x10’.
Knowing how to measure your living room’s square footage is essential to placing furniture in it or decorating it. Simply put, this is the first and most crucial step in planning the living room. For simple living room measurements, all you need are a tape measure and a calculator.
Here is a small guide if you have never measured the room before:
Draw the floor plan – It is not necessary to scale, but try to be as accurate as possible. In planning, include doors and windows. Include all the massive furniture you want to place in the plan, such as a closet or sofa.
Measure the area – It is simple and equals length x width. For the closest result, move all items in the way of measuring. You need help to hold the tape. For that part, ignore windows and doors.
Use a calculator – Use the area formula (length x width). It’s simple. If the length is 11 feet and the width is 11 feet too, the living room will be 121 square feet
ote that for irregularly shaped rooms, you’ll need to measure the perimeter too. Generally, the perimeter is the sum of all sides of the area (length + width). The result will be the length of the perimeter of the area.
To sum up, planning your living room is a complex process but enjoyable too. While working on lounge room dimensions, always remember that this place has the highest traffic in the house and is where you will rest and host some guests.
So, try to make decisions according to your convenience and comfort, and do not rely only on the standard dimensions of rooms or how big a living room is. Using our tips and tricks will save you time and mood, as they are helpful while planning your living room and determining the appropriate room or furniture size
Still, you should know that dimensions are only the beginning. If you plan to renovate your house, various nuances might be hard to manage without professional help. That’s why you should consider hiring experts, such as Prada Builders in San Jose. Our experienced team can transform your living room into a space that perfectly matches your needs. Contact us today to discuss your project and let us help you create your dream ideal living room!