In most homes, the living room is the room everyone congregates in. The TV and most comfortable furniture pieces are in there, and this space brings the family together for a few hours every day. Other homes use the living room as a formal gathering place, opting to keep the TV in the basement or den and keeping the living room as a showroom. No matter how it’s used, the living room is the largest room in the house and there are issues when trying to set up the furniture. Use these tips for arranging your living room furniture next time to create your best room.

Create a Focal Point

The first tip for arranging your living room furniture is to find the focal point. Find or create a focal point in the room that everything will go around. In some rooms, it could be a fireplace, window, or television. When you define the focal point, set up the furniture around it or facing it. In the case of a fireplace, setting up around is a better strategy, so the people in the room are facing each other rather than the fire.

Have Conversation Areas

Use the furniture to create conversation areas. If the living room is more of a showroom rather than a family room, this will be easier. Set the furniture so that it is easy to see the other people in the room without having to crane your neck or look over your shoulder. Creating a conversation area invites people to use the room instead of simply walking through it.

Let the Traffic Flow

When setting up the furniture, don’t forget to leave space for people to move around. Resist the urge to cluster everything together. Leave space so that people don’t feel claustrophobic and on top of each other. Don’t choke the traffic flow off; that way, people can move through the room and get to the other pieces of furniture with ease.

Stay Off the Wall

There’s a natural inclination to push furniture up against the wall. Avoid doing that. Leaving some room between the wall and furniture will prevent the wall from being damaged. Every time someone sits—or flops—onto a couch, it flexes and slides just a bit. Over time, the continued force of the couch against the wall will create a spot on the wall. Keep the pieces a little closer together to create a more intimate setting. No one looks at the back of the furniture anyway, so stay off the wall.

Becoming more eco-friendly doesn’t have to involve huge lifestyle changes. Even the smallest steps can make a difference for your local environment. However, a sustainable lifestyle benefits more than just the world you live in. You can reap the benefits of lower energy bills, less clutter, and an overall healthier life. Start making simple yet effective changes to your daily habits with these ideas to help you lead a more sustainable life.

Reduce Waste

These days, single-use, disposable objects are around every corner. From plastic dishware to disposable food storage, the amount of trash you throw out every day can add up quickly. Do your best to cut down on the number of disposable products you use. Invest in reusable water bottles, food containers, and other products that you would normally throw out after one use. You can also put some time and effort toward upcycling broken possessions rather than simply getting rid of them. For example, can you reupholster an old armchair instead of setting it out by the dumpster? Perhaps you can turn that torn dress into a decorative pillow covering. Find unique ways to keep using products rather than letting them pile up in a landfill.

Eat Local (Or Grow Your Own!)

Produce that comes from halfway across the world uses a lot of fossil fuels to power the boats, planes, and trucks that bring it to your grocery store. When you buy your food locally instead, you cut those carbon emissions out of your life. Buying local also means supporting local farmers and business owners. You don’t have to stop there, however. Other ideas to help you lead a more sustainable life are to grow fruits and vegetables at your home or raise your own livestock. You can cultivate your own garden to provide yourself with fresh, organic, and free produce. The same goes for backyard animals, such as chickens or goats. You can keep a flock of egg-laying chickens to give you delicious, farm-fresh eggs, or fill your fridge with delicious goat milk or cheese.

Use Less Energy at Home

Most households use more energy than they need. Not only does this increase your carbon footprint, but it can also add up to a lot of unnecessary costs in your utility bills. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to trim your household energy use. You can take bigger steps, such as investing in energy-efficient appliances and installing window treatments that offer good insulation. For a smaller step, try swapping your lightbulbs for LED lights and other eco-friendly options. Even habits like turning the lights off when you leave a room or turning off the AC and opening your windows on a nice day can help you cut down on the amount of energy you use in your home.