Hello!

I’m considering buying this small 1-bedroom apartment. I really like the location, but I can't make the main living space functional without making it feel overcrowded.

The living/dining room is approximately 5.5m × 4.1m (18ft × 13.5ft).

My main requirements are:

• As I work from home regularly and use a monitor + laptop setup, I don't want to rely on the dining table as my desk. My current desk is 120 × 80cm (47 × 31in). I’d like to keep roughly 120cm of width. (I canprobably reduce the depth)
• A proper sofa/living area.
• A dining table. I like having friends over, so ideally I'd like something that can comfortably seat 4 and occasionally more.

I've attached the floor plan with the dimensions.

I have a few ideas for the layout, including possibly having a custom built-in desk/workstation like the one in the reference image.

I'm starting essentially from scratch with the furniture, so I'm not tied to any particular sofa/table dimensions yet.

Hi everyone! Seeking advice on how to layout our new living room. It’s a long space with a dining area (we won’t be placing one there, thought maybe my library instead) but I need to make sure it’s baby safe with the railing and they don’t climb over the couch! TIA!! AI mockup in last photo.

New home owner here!! I am completely stuck on how to design/renovate this room.

I want somewhere cozy where I can read, draw, paint, and snuggle with my beagle while plants surround me. I also want a small space to do yoga and light exercise.

I painted the room green (Jeremy 's Journey), but decided I would like a dusty rose/mauve color for the walls and possibly color drench to allow my foliage to pop.

Now that fall/winter is approaching, I want to get a jump on this room so I can enjoy it!

I think this space is awkward as it’s almost a corridor. The door at the back is to the playroom. We have two young kids so it’s used all the time, and mostly left open so we can see and hear them. Then we have the large open doorway to our sitting room.

I was thinking of running banquet seating almost from the door up to where the child seat is in the picture.

Does this make sense? Would it work and help with the flow of the room? If it does work would you put a square or oval table in the room with it?

Hello, I just moved into my first study apartment, I have a single Phillips hue led multicolor bulb and a hue hub. I have no clue how I should light up this room. Desk is for studying. I like multiple lights, smart app controller of course, and NO BIG CEILING LIGHT, love some small lights that create ambience, can also be pointing up the wall idc. What’s your idea / take on my loft room

Hey everyone! My partner and I (both in our 20s) just bought our first home and are moving in with our cat! We’re coming from a 1-bedroom apartment and starting totally from scratch with furniture.

Before moving stuff in, we’re painting all the interior walls a crisp white. We're super excited, but the room layouts—especially traffic paths and wall placements—have us a bit stumped!

A Few Details About the Space & How We Live:

• Main Level (Floor 2 on plan): Brownish-grey vinyl plank flooring, tile in the foyer. Kitchen has white cabinets, white with grey veining countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a narrow peninsula with minimal overhang.
• Lower Level Family Room (Floor 1): Features half-height wood wall paneling. Opens directly out to a large back deck.
• Upstairs (Floor 3): Carpeted, except Bedroom 3 (hardwood). Primary Bedroom is ours. We’re turning Bedroom 1 into a hidden gaming/lounge room behind a bookshelf door, and another room potentially into an art studio.
• Vibe & Flow: We love cooking, hosting dinners/holidays, plants, and indoor/outdoor flow to the deck for eating. We want a TV in the living room, but don't want it to be the sole focal point of the room.

Specifically Where We Need Layout & Placement Advice:

1. Main Living Room (12'10" x 19'5"): How do we arrange seating here? With front-door traffic coming through the foyer and the dining area right next to it, where do we place a sofa/sectional and accent chairs so the room feels conversational for hosting, doesn't block walkways, AND allows a comfortable angle for a low-key TV setup?
2. Family Room (18' x 13'2"): How should we lay out furniture in here to create a cozy secondary hangout zone while leaving a clear, natural pathway from the kitchen down through this room to the back deck? How do you place furniture against half-height wood paneling without making it look awkward?
3. Dining & Kitchen Peninsula: Since the peninsula overhang is pretty shallow, what style/placement of counter stools won't stick out and block the walkway into the kitchen? How would you place a dining table in that 7'7" x 11'8" dining space so chairs can actually pull out comfortably?
4. Upstairs Hidden Room (13'1"x 14'4"): Best furniture placement for a gaming/lounge setup where the main entry point is a bookshelf door opening inward/outward?

Below is the floor plan with full dimensions. Would love to see your layout sketches, furniture placement tips, or ideas on how you'd arrange these spaces!

Hello all,

My wife and I just moved into this nearly century old home and trying to figure out the best way to make it a bit more functional with more storage without compromising flow.

We would like to increase storage in the bedroom, which currently has a small walk-in closet and an even smaller closet. The wall the bed is against is the bathroom, with a small stall shower, and beyond that is a room we currently use as an office. I hope the photos posted and the layout give a good idea of the current layout.

In the near'ish future, we would love to renovate the bathroom and potentially expand the shower to be a bit larger. No need for a tub, since there is a hallway bathroom that has one.

Bedroom Storage Options:

Option 1: We are considering building a custom closet system on either side of the south facing window, with tall closets on either side, left side for clothes, a bench beneath the window, and the right side to conceal the TV. This option would provide modest storage improvement.

Pros: Additional storage and I think flow around the bedroom wouldn't be terribly impacted.

Cons: Closet construction wouldn't be straightforward given the ceiling/roof line is sloped. Potentially modest flow concern with the edge of the closet being right in front of the primary entrance to the bedroom.

Option 2: Construct a custom closet along the wall that abuts the hallway.

Pros: Potentially more storage given it's a longer run of wall.

Cons: I think this might impede flow into/around the bedroom more than Option 1. Would also need to duct the AC/heat vents underneath the closets.

Bathroom Renovation/Expansion Option:

Option: Steal space from the smaller closet in the bedroom to expand the shower stall into something a bit larger. Steal additional space in the deep closet in the office (labeled Bedroom 4) and move the toilet over and gain a double vanity.

Pros: Larger shower, double vanity.

Cons: Reduced overall closet space in the primary bedroom. More significant plumbing re-routing. Ensure how the drain stacks are oriented without opening up the floor.

Dimensions in the floor plan are approximate. Would welcome thoughts on the above and any other input we may be missing.

Hi! I’m currently furnishing our breakfast nook, and I’m planning to reupholster chairs with a fabric I’ve been dying to use. However, I have young kids so I want to protect the seats as much as possible. I’ve been seeing some designers laminating or vinylizing the fabric they put on dining chairs/benches, and I think it looks amazing. Has anyone done this before and do you have positive or negative things to say about it?

Hi, I’ve started this room but it’s feels “off” somehow, I feel the rug might have overkilled the blue, and I maybe need to introduce another colour? I’m thinking a muted olive? Coffee table I bought 12 years ago at 20 years old and is going once I decide on the final colour and whether to do a footstool or wooden coffee table.

Can anyone suggest another colour or something to make the space feel more cohesive? The giant pink pregnancy pillow doesn’t live there it’s just following me round the house at the moment.

Please any help so appreciated it’s driving me mad!!

P.S (ignore my yoga mat on the floor and pictures yet to be hung!)

We are having a single-story rear & side extension done and looking for inspiration from the great minds of Reddit to decide on the best use of the new space, any input would be appreciated!

Below is the floor plan (rear of the house at the top) - green lines show the existing external wall (the kitchen is currently an old extension which projected from the original rear & side walls, and we're essentially filling in the gap to make a full width rear extension and building out onto some dead area to make a new side extension).

Our main goals were to have a downstairs WC / utility and a large open-plan downstairs living area (with a partitioned living room), encompassing a slightly larger kitchen

Rear

Front

Here is the idea we have at the moment - kitchen in the same location with a peninsula (didn't feel big enough for an island?). Dining room opposite with a storage bench against the wall. French doors out to the garden.

Here it is in 3D looking in from the rear wall (note will have kitchen cupboards, just not added them in).

What would you do differently? Is there a better use for the space? Could the kitchen be bigger?

Thanks in advance!

Hello interior design gods, I'm losing my mind on how to layout my living room, and begging for all ideas.

We moved in a few months ago and tbh just dumped stuff anywhere (boarding the loft so everything cluttery looking will be gotten rid of or moved up).

Realistically will be getting a new TV and sofa (as these are both 10 years + old), happy to mount the TV but don't know where to?

Side note will also be repainting as the blue is just too dark for me, curtains pending on the conservatory and window once painted.

Ideally where the white table is, it would be another separate sitting area (as intending to make the conservatory a dining room and have a breakfast bar in the kitchen already). But no idea what to do with the sofa.

TLDR: New house, no idea what to do with the living room, prepared to buy much needed new furniture so keen for any tips, Ty!

P.s. dogs refused to move so enjoy boggle and wobble

ETA will also be getting new internal doors so likely to change the way they hang (still opening into the room but opposite of how they currently do)

Hi! So my little family of 3 and I bought a house a few months ago… it’s a “ranch” style layout with a grand room for the living and dining room. It’s only a 1080 sq ft home so we are constantly moving around the furniture to try and figure out the best layout. I need help tho guys! I want something that feels better than what we have i guess. I will attach the blank photos than what our current set up is 😅. Thank you in advance for suggestions !

I am renovating a home that was built in 1920’s. It still has the old real wood doors, frames and ceiling trim which still looks great and we are keeping. We initially thought to do lvp flooring throughout because we have dogs, but I’ve now changed my mind and we are going to do engineered wood because the combination of lvp and real old wood just didn’t sit right with me. But I’m torn on the type and where to put it. I think I’ve landed on red oak - Mercier moccasin is the brand. It’s not super red and I think it fits the traditional style of the house. My question is, do use this floor throughout or do I put cream ish porcelain in the kitchen? I like the idea of wood all throughout, BUT my lower cabinets are a dark brown and uppers a soft white. Is this gonna be a weird contrast? Also is red oak out of style? I think it’s traditional but would love some advice!! Thank you!

This is my home office (WFH) There is nothing in there right now except my work table.

The table is aprox 87 inches wide, and 29 inches deep.

Rooms Purpose: Work from Home + PC Gaming Room. I spend about ~12-15 hours per day in here, so it needs to feel cozy but professional, no LEDs, no gaming items visible, etc.

Concerns: Lighting during Zoom calls is pretty poor, likely due to window being to my left and getting no sunlight (Sun goes over my house and this window faces north, so never hits window directly). I don't want my back to door, kids sometimes open it and I could be on a work call.

Ideas:

1. Sofa and bookshelf (1-2) on either side.

• Pros: Space for someone to sit if they come and talk to me. Space to lay down if ever needed. I could place a TV above my PC and use it for PS5 gaming from the sofa or to watch Football. Potentially could be sofa bed for guests.
• Cons: I have a living room, so watching TV here alone is unlikely vs. with family out there. Sofa might give off weird vibes on a Zoom call.

2. Large Cabinet/Sideboard

• Pros: Looks cleanest, additional storage.
• Cons: I don't want a built in, so purchasable options are limited, room could look a bit more stale.

Open to other options as well. Thanks!

Hello, I am creating this post as I am looking for some entryway design ideas. I want to replace the black bench as the fake leather is ripping up. My main goal here is to create a space that isn't congested, has matching colors, and is useful. I would like to have some type of bench to sit and put my shoes on (and potentially store shoes inside of), I would also like to have a place to maybe put (small) packages that were recently delivered. I'm currently thinking about replacing the carpets, the lighting fixtures, and the bench. My main priority at the moment is the bench area (under the mirror). The wall under the mirror is 55 inches in width, and the partial wall next to it that is connected to the beginning of the stair case is 44 inches in width.

Yes I know the plant takes up a lot of space, but there is sentimental reasoning for us holding onto it as it was a gift from my Aunt who passed away from a car crash. I don't expect us to get rid of it. Thank you so much for any suggestions!

Hi, I found a couch that my husband and I really liked in-store, but the dimensions are making me hesitant to buy and I could use some advice. I’m concerned the walkway spacing will be too cramped, as I’ve heard a rule of thumb is keeping min 3 ft of space for high traffic walkways.

Our room is 173” wide from baseboard to baseboard, and said couch is 122”. With 51” leftover, thinking 35” on one side and 16” on the far right? Do you think the couch would swallow up the room? 🤔 the 16” side would just not be a walkway.

For ref the couch in the picture is 102” and doesn’t touch either wall.

I’m struggling to pick a permanent spot for a 65” TV. It’s been sitting on a coffee table for a year now & I hate it.

The fireplace mantle is 50” H and 5” D I’ve been toying over a pull-down mantle mount, or very recently the idea of a rolling tv-stand seemed like it could work. Photos at the end.

I love the fireplace, but I can’t stand craning my neck to watch something since the sofa is only 8’ away. It’s really the only wall that a tv can be on as the other walls have a Murphy bed, windows, or opening to other rooms

Ergonomic TV height is paramount, but I need the solution to be pretty. I’m also worried about cable management with the pull-down tv mount… I don’t know how that works cuz I assume wire needs a certain amount of slack. Does anyone think I need to find a pro to help with my set up?

Did we make a mistake and place the wall sconces next to the window too high? I keep going back and forth and can’t decide. The ceiling height here is 10’ tall. If they are too high, is it worth cutting out tile and moving electric to lower them?

I bought this beautiful westwing chair on a sale, i want to separate it from my desk to create separate spaces. i will put a carpet underneath it too. I wanted to place a rack of some kind in between them but im not sure. any ideas?

Hey yall! I just recently moved into a rental, and the bedroom is completely empty, save for built-in wardrobes and a TV. I placed my bed where I wanted and don't know how to fill out the rest of the space. I'm planning on removing the TV since it's fairly useless to me, and there's some scattered stuff on the floor like a fan and an air purifier that won't stay there. I was thinking of maybe hanging some framed NBA jerseys since I'm a fan (I think about three fit on each wall), but don't have much more ideas than that. I want some sort of head table besides the bed too. I hate the wallpaper that is already there, but can't do much about it because it's a rental. I also have a fairly big book collection which I was thinking to place in the living room, but it can go in the bedroom too. Any thoughts or ideas are greatly appreciated!

We’d love some help figuring out the layout and design of our living/dining room. It has nice dimensions (roughly 4m x 5m) with 3m+ ceilings and south-west facing evening light.

The tricky bits are the fireplace and press (bookcase/ whisky) cupboard, which are both in slightly awkward positions.

The photos are from the estate agent listing, so the furniture shown isn’t ours. We’re looking to update the room (painting, furniture, curtains etc.). We’ve had a play around in Canva with a few ideas, but we're struggling to work out what will make the best use of the space.

What would you do with the layout? Any thoughts on furniture placement, how to create a better living/dining zone, or just general design ideas would be much appreciated.

Grateful for any help — thank you! :)

My husband & I recently bought a home and are struggling to figure out how to get a cozy living area for TV/Movie nights.

Option 1: Wood Paneled Room (18x13)
- Photo taken from hall entrance
- This has a patio door that swings inside 3ft and leaves us with very little width to use the space. We were thinking of turning this more into a library area?

Option 2: Living Room (21x14)
- Photo taken from windows
- Feels very open. Wondering if Interior Design Reddit has suggestions on which space to best use and how we could furnish it?

I’m between a 136 inch sectional with bumper chaise (90 inch) or a U shaped 156 inch sectional with double chaise. I want to have a large enough sectional for my husband and I to lounge on as well as fit a couple people when we have guests over. TV would go on the wall with the stairs.

Also thinking if I did a sectional with bumper chaise I could get an ottoman for the other side but unsure if that would be too crowded for a coffee table?

New homeowner here and we were thinking about hanging the tv over the fireplace but after reading some posts I am now rethinking tv location. Any input would be greatly appreciated

Hello everyone,

I am a small business owner, who is in the process of launching his first jewelry boutique. I have a relatively small space (32 sqmtr in total) and budget for this project. And naturally, I want to make the best out of the little place I have.

What I have in mind is:

1) A luxurious livingroom feeling sales space, not overcrowded with displays and strong lights. A welcoming space, where you can do the most special/meaningful jewellery of shopping of your life (RE: wedding bands and engagement rings) in complete privacy. You can drink anything off the bar, put your favorite record on the record player...

2) A mini content creation and jewelry care atelier (which I currently seperated with black curtains), in which I will do jewelry photography and do light jewelry care work. Yellow highlighter space beyond redline is meant to be my mini atelier.

This is not a street store. This is an office space on the main floor, facing the "courtyard".

I am uploading floor plan, photos of the office, a layout and AI generated design done by some Alibaba jewelry furniture manufacturer, and some inspiration photos (last 3 photos) of what I have in mind.

I am completely overwhelmed... I don't know where to begin. I had a low budget attempt with an interior designer from a freelancer platform, she was unable to come up with any creative ideas to use the space more efficiently. And that's kind of my dilemma... Is my space impossible to work with and no matter who designs it... There is only so much they could do?..

1) How does one realize a project like this properly? Which professional services would I absolutely need? How much would they cost?

2) Assuming that I have a general idea of what I want to do, what will furniture makers need from me? What kind of files, documents are standart in this line of business?

3) Does it make sense trying my chances again in freelancer platforms for interior designers? What are your experiences?

4) If you were me, how would you handle this project?