Living Room Furniture Buying Guide UK: TV Units, Accent Chairs and Getting the Layout Right
Living room furniture usually goes wrong in the measuring, not the styling. A TV unit that's narrower than the screen, an accent chair that blocks the walkway, or a coffee table jammed against the sofa all look fine on a product page and awkward in a real room. Here are the numbers worth checking before you buy, and where a few in-stock pieces fit against them.
The quick answer
A TV unit should be wider than the television it holds: a 65-inch TV is about 145cm wide and sits comfortably on a unit 160–180cm wide. A commonly quoted viewing distance is 1.5 to 2.5 times the screen's diagonal, which works out at roughly 2.5–4.1m for a 65-inch TV, with the middle of the screen at or just below seated eye level. Around the sofa, leave 35–45cm between sofa and coffee table, at least 75cm for walkways, and about 60cm of clear space around an accent chair so the room still flows.
Size the TV unit to the screen, not the other way round
A TV that overhangs its stand looks precarious and a stand that barely matches the screen looks top-heavy, so the unit should be wider than the TV by a few centimetres on each side (one UK guide suggests at least 5cm). Screen width is the number to work from, not the diagonal in the product name.
| TV size | Approx. screen width | Comfortable TV unit width |
|---|---|---|
| 43 inch | 96cm | 110–120cm |
| 50 inch | 111cm | 125–140cm |
| 55 inch | 123cm | 140–150cm |
| 65 inch | 145cm | 160–180cm |
| 75 inch | 167cm | 180–200cm |
The HOMCOM 160cm TV Unit (£117.79) is built for exactly that 65-inch case. At 160cm wide it leaves about 7.5cm either side of a 145cm screen, and its listed maximum TV size is 65 inches, with a 100kg total load and 50kg on the top surface. Beyond the TV shelf it has five open compartments with two adjustable glass shelves, three cable holes for wires, and LED lighting with a remote, which is a useful extra if the TV sits in a dim room.
One thing to check against your own seating: the unit is only 35cm high. Low units suit large screens, since they keep a big picture from towering over the room, but the same guide puts the middle of the screen at or just below seated eye level, roughly 100–110cm from the floor for adults on a sofa. A 65-inch screen is around 81cm tall, so on a 35cm unit its centre lands somewhere around 75–85cm up. That works with low-slung seating, but if your sofa is high or you sit upright, it's worth measuring first, or considering wall-mounting instead. A floating TV unit is also part of this collection, but it's currently sold out.
Work out how far to sit from the screen
A commonly quoted guideline is to sit 1.5 to 2.5 times the screen's diagonal away. The diagonal of a 65-inch TV is about 165cm, so that puts the sofa roughly 2.5–4.1m from the screen. For a 50-inch TV the same rule gives about 1.9–3.2m. If your room is shorter than that, a smaller screen will usually be more comfortable than squeezing a large one into too little distance.
Choosing an accent chair that actually fits
Accent chairs are easy to over-buy for the space. Standard armchairs run roughly 80–95cm wide and 85–95cm deep, while compact accent chairs sit closer to 60–70cm wide, which is the range to look at for a smaller living room. The details that decide whether one is comfortable are seat height and seat depth. One UK sizing guide suggests 45–48cm as the ideal floor-to-seat height, notes that below roughly 42cm it becomes harder to get up, and gives 50–55cm as a seat depth that supports upright sitting, with deeper seats better for lounging.
Two in-stock chairs show the trade-offs clearly:
| Chair | Overall size (W x D x H) | Seat height | Seat depth | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOMCOM Modern Accent Chair, Grey | 64 x 74.5 x 75.5cm | 40.5cm | 50cm | £117.79 |
| HOMCOM Retro Linen Swivel Tub Chair, Blue | 60 x 60cm footprint, 79–91cm high | 46–58cm (adjustable) | 44cm | £107.46 |
The grey accent chair is compact, with channel tufting, padded seat and armrests, and rubber wood legs with felt pads to protect floors, and its 64cm width is in the compact range. Its seat is lower than the 45–48cm guide, so it's a lounge-style chair rather than an upright one, which is worth knowing if anyone using it finds low seats hard to get out of. The swivel tub chair's height adjusts from 46 to 58cm, which makes it easy to match a neighbouring sofa (the same guide suggests keeping seat heights within about 3cm), though its 44cm seat depth is shallower than the 50–55cm range, so it suits shorter sittings or a desk or side seat better than long evenings.
Both chairs are listed as linen or linen-feel fabric and neither product page states a rub-test (Martindale) rating. If a chair will get daily use, that guide recommends looking for 25,000 rubs or more, so it's worth asking before you buy for a busy family room.
Leave the right gaps around the furniture
Most layout problems come down to a handful of distances.
| Gap | Recommended distance |
|---|---|
| Sofa to coffee table | 35–45cm |
| Sofa to walls, doorways or large furniture (walkway) | at least 75cm |
| Armchair to the sofa and coffee table | at least 40cm |
| Clear walking space around an accent chair | about 60cm |
These are guideline figures from different UK guides, so treat them as a sensible range rather than a rule. If the sums don't work, a compact accent chair angled at roughly 45 degrees to the sofa tends to feel more open than a larger one placed square-on.
Add vertical storage without losing floor space
In a smaller living room, going up is usually easier than going wider. The Multipurpose 8-Grid Bookshelf (£81.67) is 178cm tall but only 70cm wide and 24cm deep, so it takes very little floor space and barely intrudes on a walkway. It's freestanding with a stated 80kg maximum load, and because it's tall and narrow, use the anti-tip wall attachments that come with it. A velvet storage ottoman in the same collection is currently sold out.
FAQ
How wide should a TV unit be for a 65-inch TV?
A 65-inch TV is about 145cm wide, so a TV unit around 160–180cm wide is comfortable. The unit should be wider than the screen by a few centimetres on each side so the TV doesn't overhang.
How far should I sit from a 65-inch TV?
A commonly quoted guideline is 1.5 to 2.5 times the screen's diagonal, which is roughly 2.5–4.1m for a 65-inch TV.
How high should the TV be?
One UK guide suggests the middle of the screen should sit at or just below seated eye level, roughly 100–110cm from the floor for adults on a sofa, and that larger screens suit lower cabinets.
How much space should there be between a sofa and a coffee table?
Around 35–45cm leaves legroom while keeping the table within easy reach.
What seat height should an accent chair have?
One UK sizing guide suggests 45–48cm for most adults, and says seats under about 42cm make getting up harder. Adjustable-height chairs make it easier to match the chair to your sofa.
Do tall bookshelves need to be fixed to the wall?
It's sensible for any tall, narrow, freestanding unit. The 8-grid bookshelf is 178cm high and 24cm deep and includes anti-tip wall attachments, which are worth using.
