I Asked a Designer How to Fit a Sofa in My Extremely Narrow Living Room — Here’s What She Said
As a longtime city dweller, I’ve dealt with my fair share of narrow rooms. Twelve feet across is just the standard in old apartments and converted row homes. But when I moved into a row house two years ago, I realized there’s a new challenge that comes with graduating to more than one floor.
While my narrow living rooms before had previously been bound only by their square footage, I now had a staircase to contend with, along with a fireplace directly across from it. The challenge of maintaining a flow of traffic through the 12-foot-wide living room while also fitting the necessary pieces — a sofa, a chair or two, and a coffee table — has proven nearly insurmountable.
I hate walking into the back of the sofa (and I used a small rug to break up its visual heft), but I’m not quite sure how to avoid it. Side chairs, which are a must for having more than two friends over, seem to block access to the room just beyond the living room. And everything feels smushed up against the fireplace, just so I can keep enough room to actually walk to the stairway.
To help troubleshoot this tricky room, I went to a designer who knows her way around a city space. I asked Isfira Jensen, CEO and principal designer at Jensen & Co. Interiors in New York City, to weigh in on how she’d navigate a floor plan that makes the most of this narrow footprint. Here’s what she suggested.
Opt for a narrower sofa silhouette.
I’ve complained about my too-big sofa before, so I was not surprised at all that Jensen’s first suggestion was the obvious answer to make this tight space work — look for a sofa with a narrower silhouette.
“For sofas, I typically recommend something around 33″ to 36″ deep, and coffee tables in the 22″ to 26″ range,” says Jensen. She explains that this should allow for a 30” to 36” walking path, which is the minimum necessary for functional flow throughout a room.
Shift the sofa to the wider part of the room.
Next, Jensen suggested a bold floor plan change. It’s actually an idea that I’ve toyed with in the past, but I’ve resisted because I felt like the sofa needed to be across from the fireplace. Hearing it from her, though, gave it the professional validation that could finally sway me.
She noted that the room is 15’ across between the front door and where the staircase begins. That extra 3’ is significant when you’re dealing with such a small space. “I’d recommend shifting the sofa and coffee table into that area,” says Jensen. “This adjustment instantly creates a generous walkway behind the main seating zone, preserving a natural traffic path from the front door to the stairs and pocket doors, without compromising comfort or impeding on TV viewing.”
Position the TV across from the sofa.
With that change also comes moving the TV, which would have two major benefits. “Because the fireplace is a beautiful architectural feature, I’d avoid mounting a TV above it,” says Jensen, who instead suggests hanging a piece of art.
The TV will then go across from the new sofa location. Thanks to the (slightly) wider space — and the lack of a fireplace mantel — it actually becomes a more ergonomic setup with more room between the sofa and the TV.
Put armchairs by the fireplace.
Because there still needs to be a spot to sit by the fireplace, Jensen recommends putting armchairs by the fireplace. I would probably shift the current armchairs to either side of the sofa, then get smaller-scale barrel chairs to put in this spot. I want this to be somewhere you can really curl up.
“To create a cozy moment around the fireplace, I’d reposition the two armchairs at an angle directly in front of it,” says Jensen. This keeps them conversational but also frames the fireplace as a destination; it becomes perfect for reading or a quiet glass of wine.”
Because there’s now more room throughout the narrow part of the living room, Jensen recommends placing the console table along the staircase wall. It’s narrow enough that the flow is still open, but it adds something interesting to that space.
Incorporate mirrors and glass materials.
Of course, with any narrow space, tricking the eye is key. Jensen suggests focusing on anything reflective that can be incorporated in the space.
“Reflectives help bounce light and give the illusion of more space,” Jensen explains. “I also love incorporating mirrors on long walls; they reflect light beautifully and add a sense of depth, which can make a narrow room feel twice as wide.”
You can see all of her suggestions in the floor plan above. I’ll be back with my honest thoughts once I’ve made some changes — and lived with the room for a bit.
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