Living Room with a Fireplace Makeover: Start With the Right Sofa

A fireplace gives a living room a fixed focal point, which makes the sofa the single most important decision in any makeover. This article explains how to read your hearth before you shop, why the surround material and chimney breast projection should influence the sofa shape you choose, and which layouts work in narrow, square and open plan rooms. We cover the distance to leave between seating and the fire, the safety points that matter with stoves and open grates, and why textured upholstery and deeper colours perform better in a room used mainly by lamplight. There is a practical section on resolving the fireplace versus television conflict without ruining either, plus guidance on rug sizing, table height, layered lighting and chimney breast styling. A sensible order of work and a short FAQ round out the piece, so you can plan the makeover in stages rather than buying everything at once....