Struggling with a tricky layout or narrow space? These common mistakes (and smart fixes) will help your living room feel effortlessly pulled together

One day, I designed the virtual makeover of an awkward living room with a corner fireplace, and guess what? It went on to become one of the most popular blog posts in the history of this blog!

If you’re curious to see the transformation, you can check it out here.

I get it. Awkward living room layouts can feel like a nightmare. They’re frustrating, challenging, and can make even the most confident decorators feel a little lost. If you think you lack the “design eye,” a weird layout can make it all seem hopeless. And you’re not alone; this is one of the most frequently asked questions on Reddit’s home decor channels!

In this blog post, I’ll dive deeper into the theory behind designing an awkward living room. We’ll break down the most common mistakes people make and, more importantly, how to avoid them. By steering clear of these pitfalls, you’ll be well on your way to visualizing and creating a functional, beautiful living room.

1. Concluding You Have An Awkward Living Room

Yes, you read that right! Many people think they have an awkward living room but more often than not, they simply lack the "design eye" to create a functional yet beautiful space. It’s not the room that’s awkward, it’s the design choices that make it feel that way.

Example: In this living room where the TV is mounted on the wall opposite the fireplace, it can feel tricky to figure out where to place a couch or an accent chair without creating a conflict between the two focal points. But here’s the thing, that doesn’t mean the room itself is awkward! It simply became awkward because of the decision to use the biggest wall for the TV and TV unit, rather than considering other layout options.

If your living room is a straightforward rectangle or square, chances are, it’s NOT inherently awkward. The awkwardness often comes down to how the furniture is arranged. So, before you scratch your head and label your space as difficult, take a step back and look at the choices you’ve made. It may actually be a lot easier to work with than you think.

In this case, for instance, swapping the TV’s position and mounting it above the fireplace can completely transform the room. By combining the two focal points into one, it’ll open up the living room and create a more cohesive layout, allowing room to arrange furniture without the awkward juggling act between the fireplace and the screen.

2. Pushing Furniture Against The Wall

A very common mistake people make is pushing furniture right up against the wall. Walls often seem like a natural “border” for placing a couch, and this idea rarely gets challenged. But letting your couch “float” in the room can actually make a big difference in how your space feels!

Example: this living room has multiple door openings, with a large sliding door (not visible here, but you can see the light streaming in) taking up an entire wall. It does seem like an awkward living room with no obvious place for the couch or TV. But pushing the couch against the wall isn’t the solution. This creates too much distance between the seating and the TV, leaves no room for decor elements like a shelf or cabinet, any accent piece, and makes the whole room feel disconnected. Big, yes, but disconnected.

To avoid this, pull your furniture forward. Don’t be afraid to separate it from the almighty wall! Your furniture pieces will be just fine standing on their own. To bring the seating area together, use a rug to anchor the layout. This will ground the space, making it feel cohesive and intentional.

And remember, when placing your couch and TV, stick to this rule of thumb: the distance between the two shouldn’t exceed twice the diagonal length of your TV screen. It’s a simple trick to create a balanced, functional look in an awkward living room.

3. Not Using The Emptiest Long Wall For A TV

Speaking of pulling furniture away from the walls, here’s another mistake to avoid that can help your design fall into place. In most living rooms, awkward or not, you’ll likely have one long, empty wall. The first instinct? Place a couch against it. But as I mentioned earlier, this isn’t the best starting point. If I’ve convinced you to rethink this, here’s a better way to make use of that long, empty wall: place your TV and TV unit there instead!

Let’s look at an example: in this small living room, the couch is positioned against the longest wall, while the TV is awkwardly placed on a small wall by the staircase. The result? A layout that feels disjointed and, frankly, doesn’t work well either functionally or aesthetically.

Instead, flip the setup. Use the longest wall for your TV and TV unit. This creates a central focal point and allows for a better, more cohesive layout. And, like I said before, don’t shy away from letting your furniture “float” in the room! Place a rug to anchor the seating area and tie the design together.

4. Overcrowding The Space With Too Much Furniture

While this is true in general for any living room, awkward or not, it becomes critical for an awkward living room that is also small in footprint. Without an intuitive spot for a traditional living room arrangement, people often cram everything together, sacrificing both functionality and aesthetics. Don’t make this mistake!

Example: This is an awkward living room because the fire place is off-center. It is the focal point of the small living room but because it isn’t centered around the long wall, placing furniture around it is tricky. And putting two big couches next to one another and fitting in a TV with a unit in a small corner ain’t going to do it.

In an awkward living room like this, it’s important to think of the room in sections. The off-centered focal point kind of guides you to do that! An L-shaped couch centered around the fire place will work best in not only providing enough seating, highlighting the fireplace as the focal point but will also create a “partition” of a sort leaving enough space near the window to place a couple of accent chairs with a nice drink table. As far as the TV goes, it can very well be mounted over the fireplace to free up that space by combining the two focal points.

5. Ignoring The Proportions Of The Furniture

This is a good mistake to avoid in general when decorating literally any part of your home! Overly large or weirdly small furniture pieces throw off the entire visual balance of a space, making it a very costly design mistake which you may not be able to fix as soon as you would want to. Awkward living rooms have tricky layouts and unusual footprints to work with. It is crucial to be extra vigilant of the proportion of the furniture pieces you put around.

Example: Take this living room with a corner fireplace, a staircase railing, and multiple openings leading into other parts of the home. It leaves little to no space for a traditional seating arrangement. The oversized sectional placed here? It’s only making the situation worse by dominating the room and limiting functionality.

Map out the type of layout you are considering for your space and if possible even draw it out in a 3D software. This way you have a complete idea of what to look for when shopping around. While a disproportionate TV might be forgiving, an oversized or undersized couch, coffee table, or rug may not be as easy to fix if you get it wrong. So be mindful of those.

These were the 5 common mistakes that you should avoid when dealing with awkward living rooms. They can be a pain to decorate, I totally empathize with you! But even if you can minimize common design mistakes such as these, it will save you a whole lot of headache and frustration.