We were going to buy furniture today, but it was expensive so we felt we had to prove it would work out. So, we moved around our existing furniture a lot.
Before, we had the chairs opposite the couches, and the TV at the end of the room by the dining room. I think there was some vague idea about not letting the TV be the center of the room.
The living room is not so small that there is a single obvious layout, but not big enough you can just do anything you want. When we put the couch and the chairs along the “cross axis”, that made things narrow. Also, it turned out to be awkward to have the TV near the dining room. And we do play video games and watch TV, and it’s kind of weird to look sideways to do so. (Except for the guy who has a rocking chair that he turns to face the TV.)
We moved the TV out from the end to the side wall, then moved the chairs to the end and moved a bookcase out of the corner so we could put a chair there. We didn’t quite know what to do with the coffee table, we sorta gave it the role of side table.
Putting places to sit at the end of the room make it a place to go, instead of just a place for things like the TV and books. From there, you can actually look into both the living room and dining room, which feels less confining. Putting the books into active pathways makes them both easier to notice and to grab. The speaker’s new spot makes it easier to hear in the dining room and kitchen.
Also, it is easier for everyone to see the TV now.
So, if we get that console table, it will go into a validated layout. As for actually getting it, our furniture budget for the year turns out to be only enough for one (1) non-IKEA furniture for the year. [Tugs on collar] I partly want to just keep rolling with uncoordinated free stuff.