How to Decorate with Small Living Room Layout With Tv Like a Pro

The best small living room TV layout puts the screen on the wall you face when you sit, keeps the TV sized to your seating distance, and leaves a clear path through the room. Everything else (storage, rug, lighting) follows from those three decisions.

It's very common for the TV to be the biggest object in a small room, so don't feel bad if yours dominates. A few measurements will tell you where it fits best.

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What is the perfect size TV for a small living room?

Measure the distance from your eyes to the screen, then work backward. A common guideline is a viewing distance of about 1.5 to 2.5 times the screen's diagonal. For a 50-inch TV, that's roughly 6 to 10 feet, which fits most small rooms comfortably.

If your sofa sits closer than that, go down a size rather than squeezing a big screen in. A TV that's too large for the room forces you to move your head to follow the picture and makes the wall feel crowded.

Mounting the TV on the wall

Wall-mounting is the easiest way to keep the floor clear, and it suits small rooms well. Small living room ideas with TV on wall work best when the center of the screen sits near eye level while you're seated, which is usually lower than people expect.

• Pick a wall with no window directly opposite or beside the screen, or you'll fight glare all afternoon.
• Hide cables inside the wall with a kit made for that purpose, or run them in a paintable cord cover. For in-wall wiring, ask a licensed electrician.
• Use a swivel arm if the room serves two purposes, such as sofa viewing and a desk.

If you rent, a low media console plus a slim TV on its stand does almost the same job without drilling.

TV stands, shelves and storage around the screen

Choose a console with exposed legs and a shallow depth, about 12 to 16 inches. Seeing the floor underneath makes the room read larger. Open shelves beside the TV balance its visual weight; a plant, a few books and one piece of art are enough.

Closed storage hides remotes, game controllers and (if you live with a dog) the chewed toy that always ends up there. As an architect, I'd put closed storage low and open shelving higher, so the clutter stays out of the sightline.

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Small living room layout with TV in corner

A corner works when the room has doors or windows on the long walls and no clear flat wall for the screen. Use a corner mount with an articulating arm, or a low corner console, and angle the sofa slightly toward it.

The trade-off: a corner TV leaves the seating off-axis, so check that everyone can see the screen without twisting. Keep at least 30 to 36 inches for the main walkway, and don't let the sofa back block a door swing.

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Fireplace and TV together

If there's a fireplace on the TV wall, the screen usually goes above it only when the mantel is low enough to keep the TV near eye level. Otherwise, place the TV on an adjacent wall and treat the fireplace as the second focal point. Heat rising from a firebox can also be hard on electronics, so check the TV maker's guidance first.

How to arrange two sofas in a small living room

Two sofas can work in a room about 10 by 12 feet or larger if you scale them down. Pick a loveseat and a small sofa, and place them at a right angle or facing each other with about 30 to 36 inches between them and the coffee table.

• Put the longer piece facing the TV.
• Use the second piece along a side wall, not facing the screen.
• Skip the coffee table for a pair of small nesting tables if space is very tight.

An L-shaped sectional is the other option. It uses a corner efficiently, but it takes more floor than two small sofas, so tape its outline on the floor before you buy.

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Small living room TV layout on a budget

You can improve the room without buying much. Move the sofa off the wall by a few inches, lower the TV to eye level, and tidy cables with adhesive clips. A single properly sized rug under the front legs of the seating defines the zone for far less than new furniture.

Paint is the cheapest big change. A matte, muted wall color behind the screen cuts reflections, while glossy paint bounces light and makes glare worse. Dimmable lamps also help: a softly lit room reduces the contrast between the screen and its surroundings.

Color, light and texture around the TV

Keep large surfaces light and muted, then add your stronger colors in pillows and art. Cool tones tend to feel farther away, warm ones cozier, so choose based on the mood you want. What do you actually do in this room most evenings?

Soft goods matter too. Rugs, curtains and upholstered pieces absorb sound, which helps in a small room where the TV echoes off bare walls. If a pet shares the sofa, I recommend washable covers or a tightly woven performance fabric.

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For more room-specific ideas, see this guide to TV room design, these tips for a small masculine living room, or the ideas for a dark gray couch living room.

Frequently asked questions