How to arrange living room furniture at Christmas – 8 ways to create an inviting and comfortable space for your guests

Christmas holidays are just around the corner. And if you’re the one hosting, extending your home to the wider family and potentially other guests as well, you’re likely going to need to rearrange your living room furniture for Christmas to create a truly welcoming space that fits more people than it usually does.

From shifting your best sofa to the most appropriate position to finding the right spot for your best artificial Christmas tree without overwhelming the space, there’s much to think about when hosting in the living room and having to make space for an extra large piece of decor - the tree - at the same time.

But at the same time, there’s no need to overthink it. In fact, often small adjustments is all that it takes to get your living room ready for the big celebration.

How to arrange furniture at Christmas

When it comes to the festive season, the ideal ways to arrange your living room furniture become a bit more flexible than usual.

‘One of the most exciting parts of the festivities is decorating the home with family,’ says Sam Deeble, furniture expert at Woods Furniture. ‘However, making sufficient room for the tree can prove challenging, but luckily there are ways to reposition furniture to ensure there’s enough room for decorations and guests.’

Sam Green, interior design expert at Pole Design, continues, ‘Your living room needs to remain a living space, so you have to find ways to ensure that everyone can move around freely. Clustering furniture and leaving entryways open is one of the easiest ways to allow movement and encourage conversation.’

1. Create inviting seating opportunities

One of the most important things in a living room is to have sufficient seating for everyone. But the chairs, sofas and ottomans (and everything else you’ll be using as seating solutions for the festive season) should also be inviting and comfortable to hang out in and engage in conversation.

‘Ensure there’s enough space for guests to sit comfortably and move freely,’ says Kelly Collins, interior designer and head of creative at Swyft. ‘For instance, if you have a three-seater sofa and an ottoman, reposition the ottoman to serve as additional seating. Think carefully about seating arrangements and avoid placing the backs of chairs or armchairs directly against each other. Instead, angle them slightly to make the space feel more inviting.’

Sam at Pole Design adds, ‘If you’re rearranging your furniture to accommodate a tree, consider working in zones, and dividing the room into designated spaces – dining, socialising, playing, gift opening. If you don’t have the space to do this, try to bring in a large coffee table or several side tables to serve every seat to make the room multifunctional.’

2. Move furniture to the side to make space for the tree

As a one-month measure, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with repositioning furniture temporarily to ensure there’s enough room for decorations and additional seating,’ Sam at Woods Furniture says.

Even if that means just moving certain pieces of furniture to the side or taking them temporarily out of the room if they’re not needed.

‘Sofas, chairs and tables can all be moved to the side of the room, closer to walls, helping avoid clutter. With furniture shifted to the sides of the living room, a corner can prove to be the perfect place to position a Christmas tree. By doing this, people are maximising the space available to them while still enjoying the visual appeal of a decorated tree.

“Smaller pieces of furniture, such as coffee tables, can be easily shifted to other rooms to make space. Again, this is only a temporary measure and people can quickly revert the living area to its normal state in the New Year,’ Sam says.

3. Find the perfect spot for your Christmas tree

If you're wondering where to put your Christmas tree, interior designer Cathy Dean has a genius answer that will help with your festive furniture arrangements.

The founder of Studio Dean says: 'We all have a "least used" spot in our living room that's ornamental rather than functional. It might be the armchair that looks pretty but we never sit in it, the spot with the sideboard and lamp on it – that's the spot for your tree! Move the ornamental piece out and place your new festive decorations there. It's likely to be the most that area has been used all year.'

The added advantage is that if your tree is in a little-used spot, it's not taking up valuable real estate in a busier part of your living room that you'd usually fill with seating.

4. Put sofas in front of the fire

Whether you have a small living room or a larger entertaining space, where you position your sofa is key to creating a welcoming atmosphere, particularly at Christmastime.

'For me, Christmas is all about getting cosy with friends and family, and nothing says cosy like comfortable sofas nestled around a roaring fire,' says interior designer Jojo Bradley. 'Not only is it a stunning focal point, adorned with festive mantel decor ideas, it invites warmth and conversation.'

'The key is in the arrangement,' Jojo adds. 'Face your sofas and chairs towards each other and make sure there are clear pathways for replenishing those drinks and nibbles. And don't forget coffee tables and side tables so that you can set your cocktails and canapes safely aside.'

5. Repurpose seating from other rooms

While everyone naturally wants the best spot on the sofa, if you’re having a bigger gathering, bringing in additional seating options can be necessary to give people somewhere to perch.

'Make use of dining furniture – benches are great for providing a comfortable but flexible seating area,' suggests Lou Petersen, head of design innovation at DFS. 'Or introduce a couple of colourful footstools to create more seating options and build the welcoming atmosphere of the space.'

'We love cube footstool to work as occasional seating,' agrees Cathy Dean from Studio Dean. 'Throughout the year they can happily hide in plain sight under the coffee table or to the side of the room as an additional occasional table. But for Christmas, they come into their own as essential board game-playing spots!'

6. Don't forget cosy lighting

There's nothing worse than getting the furniture arrangement just right, but everyone hanging out in the kitchen anyway because it feels more welcoming!

'Think about your lighting,' says Jojo Bradley. 'Cosy means no harsh lights, so turn on table lamps and position them in the corners of a room so that they warm the mood and diffuse the light.'

Bonus points if you put a reading lamp behind an armchair, making the perfect reading corner idea for someone to sit in a quiet and cosy corner if they don't want to be in the centre of the festive fray.

7. Mix up a modular sofa

If you already have a modular sofa, then don't be afraid to reconfigure it throughout the festivities. The multi-piece design means it can be broken up to suit different activities.

'A modular sofa can be a great option to keep your living room even more flexible,' agrees Lou at DFS. 'You can rearrange it for any occasion – whether that means creating conversational seating areas for guests, a comfy reading nook, or a sofa for the whole family to stretch out and have a Christmas movie night!'

8. Dress up your sofa for the occasion

You don't want family and friends to feel chilly and uncomfortable, so be inspired by some cosy living room ideas and add a few little luxuries that will make them feel at home.

'Textures are key to creating a cosy Christmas atmosphere, so invest in some gorgeous wool throws or sheepskin rugs as finishing touches,' recommends Jojo Bradley. 'Mix your textures and consider adding additional cushions to your sofa for extra lounging and comfort. For this, you can't beat an oversized velvet fabric for absolute luxury.'

With furniture and home comforts in place, your biggest challenge may be encouraging guests to leave when the festivities are over!