Creating a comfortable conversation area in the living room is important so that people can face each other and can speak without raising their voices.
Also, everyone should be able to comfortably reach the coffee table, or at least have an accessible side table.
A conversation area can also help to establish a focal point in a room such as a fireplace.
The furniture set up of the conversation area should also eliminate traffic flow through it so that conversation is not interrupted.
Here is a sample layout of a good conversation area:
As you can see above, the simple “ingredients” required are:
1. A sofa (or two loveseats)
2. Two upholstered chairs
3. A coffee table or large ottoman
4. End tables
5. Table lamps
In the diagram above, you will also notice that:
The arrangement highlights the focal point, the fireplace.
There is no traffic flow through the area since the entryways are to the top left and top right in the diagram.
If you are lucky enough to have a large space:
1. Creating a conversation area frees up space in the room for other functions such as a separate reading area consisting of a club chair, ottoman, table and lamp or a working area consisting of a desk and chair.
2. Two sofas can be placed back-to-back with their own set of chairs and coffee table to create two distinct conversation areas.
