Forget the TV – This Living Room Layout Was Designed Entirely for Conversation with a Floating Couch Idea You'll Want to Copy

In my book, a living room needs to be two things: warm and welcoming. Then, you follow that up with the important bits – space for lounging, room for hosting, a spot for a glass, book, and my dog to rest, and of course, an uninterrupted view of Netflix.

But while in this day and age most living room layouts are designed around a TV, this one, however, was created around conversation. Designer Melissa Oholendt of Oho Interiors was tasked with carving out a tech-free zone for her clients, a space where you could sink into a sofa, light a candle, and actually talk.

The result feels deeply cozy – a space that invites you to slow down and settle in, enveloped in rich plum purple walls and layers of pattern. But aesthetics aside, how did Melissa achieve that balance of flow, function, and feeling? Here, she invites us to take a look around.

What struck me first about this cozy living room (besides the deep purple living room walls, painted in Farrow & Ball's Brinjal) was how naturally it draws you in – not toward a screen, but toward one another.

'Our design process with this project was very focused on ensuring that a historic home with architectural details that leaned formal could remain family and life-friendly with a healthy balance of elevated but casual design,' Melissa explains of the project brief.

In place of the usual living room TV setup, Oho Interiors focused the layout around the living room fireplace, treating it as both a visual and functional anchor to the space.

'The layout is really centered around the fireplace and conversation,' she says. 'Our clients were really dedicated to the idea that this room should remain a tech-free zone, so we took those notes and really created a sense of conversation around the fireplace.'

Every element in the room then radiates out from that point – the symmetrical (yet not matching) armchairs, the floating couch, and the fireplace seat – are all positioned to form a conversation circle rather than a rigid arrangement, so nothing feels blocked or boxed in.

The more time I spent looking at this room, the more I appreciated just how well it flows. The aforementioned floating couch is key to this.

Positioned in the center of the room, the blue couch creates a natural divide between the main seating area and the pathway behind it, which backs onto a dining space, encouraging a smooth flow.

'We always have eyes on where the traffic pattern of a room flows to and from, but oftentimes we also get to transform a space and the way our clients live in that space by creating a specific in-and-out flow to a space,' Melissa adds.

'This room really allowed for a circular flow around the sofa, but also gave relief points where you could cozy into an armchair without feeling like you were floating out in the open. The perfect blend of offering opportunities to craft the space to your needs at that moment.'

'While we're not afraid of a floating sofa, we do (often!) love to add a table to help anchor the position of the sofa in the middle of the room, and – hot tip! – it also solves the issue of an uninteresting sofa back being your first introduction to a space,' Melissa advises.

The woven console table – the Matthew Izzo Rattan Console from Chairish – is placed at the couch's back and does double duty in adding a layer of warmth and texture while also providing additional styling real estate. An easy-to-copy yet brilliantly effective trick.

'It brings a playfulness to the space and allowed us to add another natural material into the space to balance the formality of the architecture,' she adds.

The sofa’s central placement also lent itself to being the star of the show, and while it might feel like an unexpected color combination with the purple walls, it was one of the first items picked by Melissa for the room.

'We started with our anchor in the space, the textural linen blue sofa,' she explains. 'The form of the sofa was deceptively simple while creating a presence and anchor point to hold the center of the room.' After choosing this powder blue piece, the team went on to build the rest of the scheme around it.

'The patterned armchair tucked into the corner is shockingly comfortable, but we wanted to take a highly patterned, highly traditional textile to a more contemporary piece for balance,' she explains of the Square Chair from John Robshaw. 'It really does make the whole design and brings together all of the different tones and patterns in one epic piece.'

For additional seating, she then added the custom fireplace bench, which, if you're after something similar, you'll find by searching for "fireplace fenders" on 1st Dibs. 'Knowing that this space would need to flex from a party of one to dinner-party size capacity, we wanted to give our clients flexible options for seating, and a rose-colored plaid wool padded bench top brings function & comfort, while still feeling high-end.'

Finally, the leather ottoman was a real 'trust me' moment between designer and client. 'A skirted leather ottoman is not a common approach for upholstery, but we wanted a piece that would live and age with the family, showing the love that had occurred in that room with marks and scratches and patina.'

The positioning of the armchairs, ottoman, and fireplace bench helps define smaller zones within the space, giving it a flexible, cozy quality.

Speaking of creating a cozy feel, Melissa has a few tricks up her sleeve to help create layers of comfort – and it's all about mixing patterns.

'One of the best ways to add a level of cozy casual to a space truly is in layering patterns,' she says. 'I know it feels (and definitely can be!) a tricky thing to execute, but the trick is to lean in. Start with a classic stripe or plaid and add a floral. Layer in large-scale and small-scale patterns, and make sure you have fabrics that feel organic in pattern paired with patterns that have more order to them.'

'Look for a pattern that encompasses a wide range of colors you can pull from or use complementary shades (the color wheel is your friend here!), and do not sleep on the power of a textural linen or wool to help carry some of the visual weight.'

As Melissa explained to me, almost every fabric in the space, from the upholstery to the rugs and pillows, was selected to be as 'life-friendly' as possible. Nothing here feels too precious. You get the sense that this is a room meant to be enjoyed. 'We also installed pieces that could take a beating and still look great (and in some cases, even better as they age!).'

'This is the key to allowing a space to feel uniquely elevated while still feeling like a place you can kick your feet up and have that glass of red wine with abandon,' she advises. 'The "burn the candles, use the china" mentality of nothing is too precious –and after all, that is really what our homes should allow us to settle into.'

Every design choice in this space invites you to feel at home. Whether it’s the conversation-first seating plan, the soft, layered textiles, or the gentle yet enveloping color drenched walls. Nothing feels forced or overly curated; instead, it feels chic and curated yet totally warm and welcoming. I'd consider that a job well done.

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For more inspiration on creating a space that feels as inviting as it looks, head to our living room ideas hub for more design-led layouts, color ideas, and decorating tips to help you reimagine the coziest room of your home.