Most US homes have a living room. An average living room size and how to make yours look larger are issues every homeowner encounters.
A living room where a family gathers. Guests are invited to enjoy the area. It’s also a place where you can relax by yourself on a couch.
How big is the average living room?
Living Room Vs. Family Room
A living room and a family room aren’t the same. There are differences between a living room and a family room. Some homes have both, while others interchange the term.
Living rooms are older, while family rooms haven’t been used for more than a century. It started when families decided to invite children into the living room.
Later, rooms began to accommodate children and adults. Games were added, extra televisions, and comfortable furniture. Today, living rooms are for guests and made to prioritize looks over usability.
Average Living Room Size In United States
In 2018, Paul Skema of Roth Design Build Inc. NYC says that there is a large range for living rooms. The smallest living room size is about a 7×10 room. This isn’t the average, this is simply the smallest acceptable living room.
Tiny Living Room
Paul said, “this would be a tiny room and would only really allow a small 2-seater sofa on one side of the room in the layout. But if there’s only 2 or 3 of you then this can work well in a small space.”
Related: Feng Shui Your Living Room: Location, Layout, Furniture, and Overall Vibe
Small Living Room
According to Skema, a 10 x 13ft is the next size. “This arrangement would allow 2 or 3 people to watch TV comfortably if it was mounted on the wall behind the sofa.” However, this is still a small living room.
Medium Living Room
This is when we start getting into a normal living room size. A 12 x 18 ft living room is a rather average size living room. Paul states that this living room, “would fit between 6 and 10 people in a conversation area with about 5 of the seats facing the TV.”
Of course, this is for a 1,500-square foot home. A larger home would need a larger living room. Homes over 2000sqft would consider a 12 x 18 foot living room smaller, while those under 1,000-square foot would think it was extravagant.
Large Living Room
Any larger than 300 square foot and you’re fortunate. Most large living rooms are around 300 or 15 x 20 square feet. Even most celebrity living rooms aren’t much larger than this.
“If you’re lucky enough to have a living room size with dimensions larger than 15 x 20 feet,” Paul states. “Then there is the possibility of bringing the sofas away from the walls, having deeper, more luxurious sofas, and creating secondary furniture groupings.”
Living Rooms In Other Countries
Each country has an average living room size and guidelines different from the US.
Here are a few examples:
United Kingdom
As US living room sizes are changing, the average UK living room is shrinking. In the 70s, living rooms were about 250 square feet. Today, they’re 200-square feet.
Australia
Living rooms in Australia are growing and so are home sizes. The average living room in Australia is 270-square-feet and growing. Australia has the biggest house size in the world.
India
Due to the different classes in India, it’s hard to determine the average. But the range is between 200 to 400 square feet. Living room ratios compared to the rest of the house are larger in India than in other countries.
Spain
In Spain, they have laws regarding house size. For a building to be considered a house, the living room has to be at least 9 square meters, or under 100 square feet. If the living room, kitchen, and dining are combined, this number is doubled.
Hong Kong
There is a wide range of living room sizes in Hong Kong. The city has one of the smallest house sizes in the developed world. Hong Kong has an average living room size of about 160-square-feet.
In some areas, living rooms are under 50-square feet on average.
Types Of Furniture
To figure how much room a living needs, one needs to figure what is taking up that room.
Couch
A couch is the most important part of a living room. This is the primary seating and can seat up to ten people, depending on the type of couch. A standard couch is around six to seven feet long.
Sectionals are larger but can separate a space. A sofa, similar to a couch in almost every way, takes up the same amount of space. Find out the difference between a sofa and a couch here.
Love Seat
A love seat is a small couch that seats two people. It is half the size or two-thirds the size of a standard couch. This is a great option for smaller living rooms that can’t fit a normal couch or sectional.
Coffee Table
A coffee table isn’t necessary but it does help balance a room. You can also get an ottoman, which can replace a coffee table for those who want to put their feet up. Putting your feet on a coffee table isn’t recommended.
Area Rug
An area rug doesn’t take up much room because things can be placed on the rug. But knowing the size of rug you need is important. Find the perfect living room rug size for you with this living room rug guide.
Entertainment Center Or Stand
Living rooms have some sort of entertainment system. Sometimes, it’s a large cabinet with video game systems, TVs, and more. For others, it’s a small shelf and wall-mounted television.
Lighting
Lighting doesn’t take up much room. Ceiling-mounted lights disperses lighting. While standing lights gives you more control over the light.
End Tables
End tables are necessary if you want many home decor accents in your living room. You can add table lamps to them, pictures, or other home decor items. They usually go at the ends of the couch or next to a chair.
Accent Chairs
Accent chairs are perfect for taking up that extra space while adding character.
Recliner
A recliner is different than an accent chair. Accent chairs are made for their looks and refined taste. Recliners are made for comfort. They are larger and always the choice for those who want to crash and watch TV.
How To Free Up Space
If you’re afraid your living room is too small, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways you can make it look, feel, and be bigger.
Make Everything Smaller
It sounds strange, but downsizing your furniture can make your room look smaller. If the furniture takes up a lot of space, the room will look small. Avoid this by getting smaller couches, smaller rugs, and smaller tables.
Keep It Low
When the furniture is low to the ground, the room looks more open. An open room looks bigger. That’s why we keep the furniture small. Open space is space that you would normally ignore.
Open Bottoms
Exposing the legs of furniture can make a living room look bigger. Couch skirts can bring a room in and make a living room look small and closed-in. Keeping the entire floor exposed makes sure you get the most from your space.
Mirrors Everywhere
Mirrors reflect light. They can make a room look bigger. Adding one or two to your living or dining room in an open concept home, can make your living room look much larger.
Keep It Clean And Sleek
Try not to add too many details. Busy patterns can make a living room look cramped. Opt for simple patterns or solid colors. This can open up a room, especially when the patterns are on large pieces like couches, rugs, and curtains.
Light Colors
Light colors make a room look bigger than dark colors. This doesn’t mean you can’t use dark colors, but if you want your living room to look bigger, then focus on light colors. This is most important on floors and walls.
Lightweight Furniture
Light colors are important, and so is lightweight furniture. Bulky furniture weighs a room down, to no surprise. So, try getting sheer curtains, light couches, and whimsical accent chairs for a larger-looking space.
Vertical All The Way
Vertical lines bring the eyes toward the ceiling. It’s an illusion that can make ceilings look tall and rooms look bigger. Too many horizontal lines can have the opposite effect, making the room look squashed.
Create Flow
Most importantly, create a good flow. Flow is about movement and direction. It is about controlling toe focus and making a room feel natural and relaxed.
Average Living Room Size Frequently Asked Questions
What Are The Average Dimensions For A Tiny Living Room?
As the tiny home trend expands, more people are asking about their standard dimensions. The dimensions for a tiny home living room are In a small living room, the dimensions are 7X10 square feet.
How Big Should An Oil Diffuser Be for A Standard Living Room?
Nebulizing diffusers are great for living rooms due to the mist they provide. With ultrasonic diffusers, a tank capacity of 400 milliliters is the standard. The size of an oil diffuser should match the size of your living room.
What Is The Living Room Size As Per Vastu?
Vastu is a house that has positive energy. It’s the Indian version of Feng Shui. According to the rules of Vastu, the direction of your home’s plot and construction should face north or east.
The plot’s shape should be square or rectangular. And the home’s shape should adhere to Vastu norms. And all interior designs and colors must also follow Vastu notions.
According to Vastu, a living room is 170 square feet. The living room should sit in the northeast corner of your home.
Average Living Room Size Conclusion
It’s good that you now know the average size of a US living room. Once you are under this, you can focus on designing the interior of your living room. When you get the basics out of the way, you can focus on the fun stuff.
What it comes to is location. Your home’s location determines the size of your living room. It’s common sense, like most things related to home size and design.
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