No sofa? No problem. Not all living rooms equal

"Human nature is the same everywhere; the modes only are different." — Lord Chesterfield (16th century) English politician and man of letters.

Q: We are trying to give some new life to our old living room and are just so bored with the same tired, old furniture arrangement. We’re looking at new furniture and wonder about the necessity of a sofa. Is it odd not to have one in what is considered to be a sitting room?

A: Furniture selection and placement in a room should be dictated by the purpose of the room — how it is actually used, and by whom.

A living room most certainly does not have to have a sofa, but old habits are hard to break. The sofa police are not coming. As a matter of fact, I love the look of at least four comfortable chairs around a comfortable (proper height and size) table. It makes a great conversation area, and it provides a place to put a drink or munchies.

We’re conditioned to believe that a living room must have a sofa, and there are so many beautiful styles and designs available. But, in fact, you see more and more homes in design magazines sporting chairs arranged in friendly patterns and not a sofa in sight.

If a room is on the small side, the elimination of the sofa will give the room a more airy feel. And let’s face it, when you’re moving furniture around, chairs are more back-friendly.

Again, it just depends on how you plan to use the room. If you have a big-screen TV in your room and the whole family watches it there, you just about have to have a sofa. Conversely, if you use your space for conversation, drinks before dinner, or just to read the paper or your favorite book, chairs are perfect. I equate the setup to sitting at your favorite lounge; but even better than that, you’re at home.

The table you choose is important, also. You don’t want a dining-height table, but the standard coffee table height. You could still eat at this table, but it wouldn’t be as formal as sitting down at the dinner table.

If you have an extra-large living room, you might consider breaking it up into more than one seating area. Include a sofa and chairs in one, possibly with the TV; and the second area could include the chairs around a friendly table.

Rethink your shopping. You will be surprised at the combinations you can put together.

Q: Is it proper to use a chandelier in places other than over a dining room table?

A: Oh my gosh, yes. Chandeliers are enjoying a renaissance and can be seen absolutely everywhere. I remember a time when they were only to be seen over the formal dining room table also, but not today.

Chandeliers are dressing foyers, lighting up fancy bathtubs, creating moods over beds, spicing up kitchens and showing up almost any other place you can envision light.

The styles and sizes are endless. Some are tiny and petite, great for bathrooms; and others are gigantic and cozy up a two-story foyer.

As a matter of fact, in the question I addressed the sofa/chair issue, and a beautiful little chandelier would be perfect over said table. It could be hung very low — how romantic.

When chandeliers were mainly for the formal dining room, they were just that, very formal. Now you can enjoy every color, size and shape. Don’t be afraid to be funky or formal, whatever fits your mood; you will find the perfect light.

Carolyn Muse Grant is the editor of Southern Nevada Home & Garden magazine. Her Inside Spaces column appears weekly in the Home & Garden section of the Review-Journal. Check out other decorating tips in Southern Nevada Home & Garden magazine, which is published the first Saturday of each month. Send questions to cgrant@reviewjournal.com.