What size armchair should you choose for your living room, and where do you put it?
By Nassim Hasni, publisher of DecoScale · published
A living room armchair is usually 65 to 85 cm wide and 75 to 90 cm deep. Placed facing the sofa or to the side, turned towards the coffee table, it closes the circle of the conversation. Here are its dimensions, the room it needs and the placement rules DecoScale checks.
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What are the dimensions of a living room armchair?
Most armchairs are 65 to 85 cm wide, 75 to 90 cm deep and 70 to 100 cm tall, according to the retailer By Crea, which points out that an armchair is bigger than it looks in a photograph. Small armchairs for small rooms start around 60 cm wide; generously padded club chairs go past 90 cm.
| Measurement | Usual, in cm (By Crea) | Accepted by DecoScale, in cm |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 65 to 85 | 50 to 155 |
| Depth | 75 to 90 | — |
| Height | 70 to 100 | 55 to 130 |
| Seat height | 36 to 45 | — |
| Seat depth | 50 to 55 | — |
Usual measurements converted from inches and rounded to the centimetre. DecoScale has no range for depth or seat.
The second column is DecoScale's: a catalogue listing is taken for an armchair only if it falls within that range. Unfolded armchairs, such as some recliners sold with their extended dimensions, fall outside it.
How much room does an armchair need around it?
Its footprint, plus walkway in front of it: about 60 cm when only the person sitting passes, about 90 cm when it is a route through the room. The chart adds those two margins to the depth of the armchair.
| Armchair depth (cm) | With 60 cm in front: only the person sitting passes (cm) | With 90 cm in front: a route through the room (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| 75 | 135 | 165 |
| 80 | 140 | 170 |
| 85 | 145 | 175 |
| 90 | 150 | 180 |
Depth needed from the wall, armchair back to the wall. Clearances: By Crea, not checked by DecoScale.
Those clearances are the retailer By Crea's. DecoScale does not check them for the armchair: it does keep 60 cm clear in front of a unit that opens, such as a chest of drawers or a TV stand. Also check the depth against the wall behind the armchair: a deep armchair needs its whole depth between the wall and its front edge.
Where do you place the armchair in relation to the sofa?
Around the coffee table, facing the sofa or to the side, never in the same sector as it. DecoScale asks for at least 80° between the armchair and the sofa, measured from the centre of the table: an armchair placed in line with the sofa lines up instead of closing the circle. Around the table, that leaves 200° of possible positions out of 360°.
Which way should the armchair face?
Towards the group. DecoScale checks that the armchair looks at the table to within about 45°: a side armchair that turns its back on the conversation is a fault. The engine only turns furniture in quarter turns: “towards the group” means here “looks roughly towards it”.
How far from the sofa?
No more than 270 cm, centre to centre, between two seats. Beyond that, DecoScale considers you are raising your voice: those are no longer seats talking to each other, but two islands. It is a soft rule, not a ban: in a large living room, the engine looks for the layout that respects it best.
How far between the armchair and the coffee table?
The retailer By Crea gives 41 to 46 cm between the armchair and the coffee table: close enough to set down a cup without leaning. Between the sofa and the table, DecoScale checks a gap of 40 to 60 cm; see the coffee table size guide. The distance from armchair to table is not checked.
One armchair or two?
Two armchairs side by side, gap included, take up 144 to 164 cm according to By Crea: less than a three-seat sofa, and easier to move. In a small living room, a single armchair in the corner is often enough to close the circle; see small living room layout.
How does DecoScale place the armchair?
After the sofa and the coffee table. The engine arranges it around the table, facing or to the side, turned towards it, and avoids moving it away from the group beyond the limit above. It chooses it from the catalogue, at its real dimensions. These rules are penalties, not bans: in a small room, it looks for the layout that breaks the fewest. The plan of the room comes from your photos and two tape-measure dimensions: see the Method page. The other living room distances are on the room layout dimensions page.
Frequently asked questions
What are the dimensions of a living room armchair?
Usually 65 to 85 cm wide, 75 to 90 cm deep and 70 to 100 cm tall, with a seat 36 to 45 cm off the floor, according to the retailer By Crea. DecoScale accepts a listing as an armchair if it is 50 to 155 cm wide.
How much room to leave around an armchair?
Its footprint plus about 60 cm in front when only the person sitting passes, and about 90 cm on a route: for an armchair 80 cm deep, 140 to 170 cm from the wall. Those clearances are By Crea's; DecoScale does not check them.
Where do you put an armchair in relation to the sofa?
Facing the sofa or to the side, around the coffee table, never in line with it. DecoScale asks for at least 80° between the armchair and the sofa, measured from the centre of the table.
Which way should a living room armchair face?
Towards the coffee table and the group, to within about 45°. A side armchair that turns its back on the conversation is a fault for DecoScale.
How far from the sofa should the armchair be?
No more than 270 cm, centre to centre: beyond that, you raise your voice to talk.
How far between the armchair and the coffee table?
41 to 46 cm according to the retailer By Crea, close enough to set down a cup without leaning. DecoScale does not check this distance for the armchair.