Set the scene for watching TV, curling up with your favorite magazine (hint), or playing a heated game of Battleship by making the most of the room’s two focal points: the TV and the fireplace. Put the sofa against the wall, where it provides good sight lines to both. Above all, make sure the setup works for young and old alike. “With kids, it’s best to give them floor space without impeding the flow in the room,” says David Mullman, of Mullman Seidman Architects, in New York City.

Decorating Ideas to Adapt to Your Own Space

Viewing Area

As a rule, the distance from your seating area to the television should be roughly three times the size of the TV screen. For this 42-inch set, that translates to 126 inches (about 11 feet).
Crate & Barrel sofa.

Easy Chair

Keep your setup flexible. Angle chairs toward the TV for movie night or toward the sofa for good conversation.
Armchair from Bloomingdale’s.

Reading Room

The chaise, placed near the fireplace, offers a cozy place to stretch out with a good book. Because it’s on casters, it can easily be rolled into the conversation area. If you don’t have a chaise, you can use a comfy chair instead.
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams chaise.

Floor Space

Save a spot on the rug for kids to spread out and to give the room a sense of spaciousness. Don’t feel as if you have to fill every inch with furniture.

Order in the House

Use an ottoman as a small table for children’s coloring books or as a spot for adults to park the remote.

With a closed-door media cabinet, you can seal off the TV when the kids go to bed.

Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams ottoman; Milling Road rosewood cabinet by Baker.