Long living rooms are often found in old houses and apartments. They can be one of the most challenging spaces to furnish. But with the right planning and using your space in new ways, a rectangular living room can really stand out.

If you’re having trouble imagining where to put your furniture in a long and narrow space, try looking for ideas for arranging a living room that have been shown to work well.

While it can be tricky to set up, one of the best things about a long living room is how it can make your space feel more natural. You can divide the room into different areas for relaxing, reading, or working, and use that to fit your daily routine.

One of the best ways to decorate a long living room is to use the room’s length to create zones that feel meaningful and connected. Area rugs are the best way to define these zones and help organize the layout of the space. In a long living room, rugs create visual boundaries. Use one large rug to connect the main seating area, or several rugs to define separate spaces within the same room.

The living room is the heart of the home, where family and guests gather. Everything in this room revolves around the television and sofa, so these two items tend to be the first things that catch our attention. For long living rooms, don’t put the main focus at the end of the room, as this can create a bowling alley effect. A sofa facing the long wall with one or two chairs at the end will create an open and welcoming atmosphere for conversation.

Many long living rooms often look narrow and short because of their shape. To help create a sense of height and balance in the space, use vertical shapes for storage. Whether it’s a pair of open bookshelves or a coffee table with a lid that lifts, keeping storage and display vertical rather than horizontal keeps walkways open and can make ceilings look higher and make the space look more balanced.

–sh