When we first moved to our apartment after years of living in a large family home, we knew we wanted a more minimal, pared down look. Our apartment measures in at just over 1,200 square feet. Thinking that less furniture and more open space was the way to go, we purchased a few key pieces of smaller size, and limited ourselves to only what we needed. Now that we have sold our home and really pared down our belongings, moving a few more pieces into our apartment has taught me something very important. A good furniture arrangement can truly transform your living space.
Sometimes More is More
After our initial move, I wrote an article I titled Ten Life Lessons Learned Through Downsizing. One of the things I said was that less truly is more. I still hold to that philosophy. Less really is more. Less stuff means less time spent cleaning, less time spent maintaining, and less time feeling overwhelmed by all your stuff.
However, when we moved into our apartment, we intentionally went with one sofa, a matching side chair, and a smaller armchair. It was all the seating we needed, and it left an entire open space in our 13×17 living room. Here’s what that arrangement looked like:
This specific arrangment included a two seat sofa (which measures the same as a traditional 3 seat sofa), one oversized arm chair, and the smaller side chair.
Once we sold our house and began moving in a few more pieces, like my husband’s leather chair and our Article side tables, we found ourselves struggling to make it all work and look cohesive. One day, on a total whim, I sketched out an idea of two facing sofas, my husband’s leather chair, and the two additional side tables. Honestly, I never in my wildest dreams did I think all that furniture would fit in the space, or look good if could get it to fit.
However, with my sweet husband’s skeptical help, we gave it a try. To our surprise, her is what we ended up with:
More Seating, More Light, More Ambiance
By reconfiguring our sofa from a two seater with an ottoman and a side chair to two matching two seater sofas, we doubled our seating options. By moving the tele to the center wall, we doubled our lighting by opening up two windows. By adding in a few well placed up lights, we increased the ambiance of our room instantly.
The room feels cozy and welcoming, while still feeling open and airy. Here’s the look in the evening, when the window coverings are closed:
Smaller Does Not Always Equal More Space
Another thing we realized was that smaller furniture does not always equal more space. Our dining nook measures six feet by nine feet. It isn’t large by any means. When we first moved in, we purchased the smallest table we could find for the dining nook. It measures 36″ x 36″. We could fit our four West Elm dining chairs around it, but it was a challenge to get in and out, the chair legs were constantly getting tangled together, and it always felt cramped and crowded.
When we sold our house, we decided to try our full-sized dining table in the nook. Thinking a bigger table would never work, we thought it would be a waste of time, but decided to try it anyway. Much to our surprise, the bigger table was absolutely perfect for the space. Here’s the before:
To fit the table and chairs into the space, we had to turn the table on an angle. While this gave each person seated enough room, it made navigating the furniture arrangement difficult. Let me just say, it was a challenge.
When we brought in the larger table, which measures 34″ x 40″, we discovered we could butt the end of the table up to the window and place two chairs on each side, like restaurant booth seating. Let me tell you, this furniture arrangement has been a total game changer. The bonus is that this table also includes two leaves. If we ever decide to seat more than four people, we can extend the table and still have a functional arrangement. Here’s what it looks like now:
More Furniture meant More Functional Space
If you try to apply physics to this situation, you’ll likely end up confused. How can adding more furniture to a small space give you the feeling of more space? To be honest, I’m still not sure. Maybe it’s the light we get from the windows. Perhaps it’s the scale of the furniture. Potentially it could be the proportion of the furniture. All we know is, more furniture gave us the feeling of having more space. And we couldn’t be happier.
If you are struggling to find a cohesive feel in your own home, I encourage you to play around with furniture placement. The right furniture arrangement can totally transform your space.
Additional Resources:
West Elm Dining Chairs: https://www.westelm.com/products/leather-slope-dining-chair-h1529/?group=1&sku=531309
Ikea Dining Table: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/strandtorp-extendable-table-brown-80388587/
Samsung Frame TV: https://amzn.to/44kBD82
Easel TV stand: https://amzn.to/44kBD82
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