The most common mistake is choosing furniture without measuring the room. A huge sofa in a small room squeezes the walkway and unbalances the space. In a large room, pieces that are too small look lost and the room feels empty.

A simple reference: the sofa should be about 2/3 the length of the wall it stands against. On a 360 cm wall, a 240 cm sofa, such as the LINE. Before buying, mark the sofa's footprint on the floor with painter's tape and see how it looks.

How the furniture is arranged decides whether the room works. Balance does not come from the number of pieces but from where each one goes. Before placing them, check 3 things:

• Sofa and television: the distance depends on the size of the screen; the bigger the screen, the further away the sofa should be. Centre the screen on the most used seat.
• Shelves: what is used every day should be within reach, without a stool or stepladder.
• Daylight: do not block windows with tall furniture, and avoid placing the screen facing a window, where it reflects.

To choose and measure the sofa, see the guide the right sofa.

Look at the paths left between the pieces. A tight walkway forces you to swerve, and that is where people trip. Leave 75 to 90 cm clear on the main path, measured at the narrowest point, for example beside the sofa arm.

Between the sofa and the coffee table, allow 35 to 45 cm: enough room for your legs while keeping the table within reach. The STRATA, at 85 × 60 cm and 30 cm high, is an example of a low coffee table.

Cold white light is for tasks that need concentration, not for the living room. In the living room, choose warm light, 2700 to 3000 K, which makes the space welcoming and suited to rest and conversation.

A single ceiling light is not enough either. Add floor lamps, table lamps and wall lights, at different heights, and use dimmers. The layers of light are explained in the guide the right light and on the Light page.

It is easy to fill the living room with pictures, frames, plants, throws and sculptures. With too many objects, the space becomes visually noisy and tiring. Choose fewer pieces, with intent, and leave free space around each one. If the room is small, see also the guide small spaces.

Colour changes how the size of the room is perceived and the feeling it gives. Light tones open up the space, dark tones bring the walls closer, warm tones make the room more welcoming. Choose a dominant colour, a secondary one and an accent. The method is in the guide the 60-30-10 rule, and to find your style, in the guide find your style.

To see a complete living room, visit the Living room page.

More pieces in the Living room collection.