Tips for Arranging Your Furniture Around Your TV and Fireplace

If you spend any long periods of time relaxing in your living room with your fireplace, you might be wondering if there is a better way to arrange your furniture to make the most of it.

A fireplace is often the main focal point of your room, so you would be amazed at how easy it is to transform your space simply by changing your furniture layout slightly.

So, if you are sitting at home wondering if there is a way you could improve your living room layout around your fireplace, read our tips for some starting points!

How Do You Arrange Your Living Room Furniture with a Fireplace and TV?

There is often one issue that leaves many people confused when trying to workout their room layout - how do you arrange your TV when you have a fireplace?

Yes, you want to be able to cosy up around the fireplace, but you also want to be able to relax and see your screen properly, too. So, what can you do?

Put Your TV Over Your Fireplace...

There is one simple solution to arranging your furniture around your fireplace and TV - though be warned, some people do find it controversial!

Putting your fireplace over your TV offers an easy solution to the problem. This way, you can make the most of both the cosy display of your flames while still being able to watch your TV. It also helps you save floor space and from having to awkwardly cram your TV unit into a corner, while also helping your room feel more open.

You can then place your sofa directly opposite the fireplace and TV. This is a useful fireplace arrangement for smaller living rooms as it means you won’t need as much furniture and you can make the best use of available wall space.

If your room is a little bigger, you could place your sofa and a couple of armchairs at right angles to the fireplace, too.

So, what is the downside? Well, some people have concerns about the heat damaging their TV, whether it can cause neck strain and whether the picture quality will be affected.

We have a full blog post answering the question Can You Put a TV Over a Fireplace so you can decide for yourself whether this fireplace furniture layout is right for you.

Place the TV Next to the Fireplace...

If you decide against mounting your TV over your fireplace for any reason, your TV can be placed next to your fireplace on the same wall.

This is easy to do if you have a chimney breast creating a nook either side of your fire - a perfect place to nestle a television. You can then place your sofa or other furniture directly opposite both appliances, so you can enjoy them both at once.

This can help out if you need a furniture layout for a long rectangular room with a fireplace - if it is wide enough, you might even be able to fit a coffee table or footstool in the middle. Otherwise, a well placed rug could pull this arrangement together.

With this layout, your furniture stays opposite your fireplace, which helps to maintain it as the main focal point of the room - just be careful with hanging anything decorative above the fire, as the wall might start to look too cluttered.

TV’s on extendable or manoeuvrable mounts can also help with this layout, as you can then pull them out so you can see them better around the fireplace.

Create an ‘L’ Shape With Your Fireplace and TV...

If your room isn’t long enough, or you don’t have the wall space, to be able to place your TV and fireplace in the layout above, an ‘L’ shaped furniture arrangement could be better.

For this, you place your TV and fireplace on perpendicular walls. Depending on your room shape or preference, you can then position your sofa opposite either the fireplace or the TV - or both, if you have the space to create two seating areas.

This living room layout for your fireplace and TV fits well in square rooms. If your room is big enough, you might find yourself with extra space in the centre of the room, which you can fill nicely with a piece of furniture, such as a coffee table or plush poof.

If you want to keep your fireplace as the main focal point of the room layout, draw some attention to it by hanging a mirror or piece of art over it. A bold fire surround, ambient lighting or even a few plants and vases can also help draw your attention back to the fireplace.

TV and Fireplace at Opposite Ends of the Room

If you are lucky enough to have plenty of space, you have a lot of flexibility when it comes to your living room layout for your fireplace and TV.

A good interior design technique for large square rooms is to pull furniture away from the walls so it ‘floats’ in the centre of the room. With this arrangement, you can have two seating areas facing each other, with the fireplace and TV unit at either end.

For this living room layout with fireplace, you can be really versatile with your seating furniture. You could have a couple of swivel chairs so you can adjust yourself to watch TV, along with a cosy sofa spot near the fire where you can warm up.

More Tips for Arranging Your Living Room Furniture with a Fireplace and TV…

• Be aware of how much distance you leave between the fireplace and furniture. Too much and you won't feel the benefit of the heat; if you are too close, it might be too uncomfortable to sit there. At least 2-3 feet is a good minimum distance.
• Try to avoid placing the back of your sofa flat against the window - this will block out light and make your fireplace feel too dominating..
• Placing seating areas opposite each other creates a more social atmosphere - the golden rule is to have them no more than 8 feet apart, though you don’t want them uncomfortably close, either.
• If you only have a small space, try to avoid large chunky furniture - rounded pieces can flatter the space more and allow your fireplace to take centre stage.
• Even with a TV, your fireplace should remain the focal point of your room layout.

Looking to update your living room with a new fireplace? We have an excellent selection of fireplaces, fires and surrounds available online now.

More from the Direct Fireplaces Blog…

How to Create a Stunning White Fireplace | The Best Small Fireplace Ideas | How to Paint a Fireplace

[related_products is_auto_added="1"]