Creating a focal point in your living room helps organize the space, guide eye movement, and make small areas feel intentional. For Dhaka residents dealing with compact flats or multiple architectural features, strategic furniture placement is key. Here’s how to highlight your room’s best features while maximizing functionality.

Anchor Around a Natural Feature

Identify existing architectural elements like windows, fireplaces, or built-in shelves as your focal point. Arrange seating to face these features:

Place sofas and chairs in a U-shape around a fireplace or TV.
In Dhaka’s humid climate, position furniture to highlight windows with views, using lightweight cotton drapes to frame them.

Example: In a Mirpur flat, a sectional sofa facing a floor-to-ceiling window doubled as a reading nook and visual anchor.

Use Area Rugs to Define the Space

Rugs ground furniture groupings and direct attention:

Choose a rug large enough to fit all front legs of seating (e.g., 8×10 ft for a 3-seater sofa).
For open-plan flats in Uttara or Banani, use contrasting rug patterns to separate living and dining zones.

Tip: Pair jute rugs (৳3,000–৳8,000 locally) with neutral furniture to emphasize a central coffee table.

Balance Multiple Focal Points

For rooms with competing features (e.g., TV and fireplace):

Place swivel chairs between them for flexible viewing.
Tie elements together with matching décor:
- Use Sylheti bamboo trays on both a TV console and fireplace mantel.
- Repeat cushion colors from one area in artwork near the other.

Case Study: A Dhanmondi living room used twin Nakshi kantha wall hangings to link perpendicular focal points.

Create Vertical Interest

Draw eyes upward to balance long, narrow rooms:

Float shelves above sofas to display terracotta pottery or books.
Use tall, slim cabinets (6–7 ft) from local carpenters to flank TVs.

Dhaka Hack: Install budget-friendly bamboo room dividers (৳2,500–৳5,000) behind sofas for depth.

Lighting That Guides the Eye

Highlight focal points with layered lighting:

Hang pendant lights (৳4,000–৳15,000) over dining tables or centerpieces.
Use adjustable wall sconces to illuminate artwork.

Example: A Gulshan penthouse used brass swing-arm lamps to spotlight a gallery wall of Jamdani textiles.

Symmetry for Small Spaces

Arrange matching pieces to create order:

Flank beds or sofas with identical side tables (e.g., recycled wood trunks).
In studios, place two armchairs facing a low TV unit to define zones.

Budget Tip: Use mirrored furniture from Dhaka’s New Market to amplify light and space.

Flexible Furniture for Multipurpose Rooms

Choose lightweight, movable pieces like ottomans (৳3,000–৳7,000) that serve as seats or tables.
In open-plan flats, position console tables behind sofas to separate living/dining areas without walls.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don’t	Do Instead
Push all furniture against walls	Float pieces 18″–24″ from walls for better flow
Overcrowd with too many focal points	Pick 1–2 anchors and downplay others
Ignore traffic paths	Leave 36″ walkways between furniture

FAQs: Furniture Arrangement in Dhaka

Q: How to arrange furniture in a rectangular living room?
A: Place the longest sofa parallel to the shorter wall. Add a console table behind it for depth.

Q: Best focal point for small Bangladeshi bedrooms?
A: Use a bold headboard with built-in lighting. Local artisans make carved wooden ones from ৳15,000.

Q: Affordable way to highlight a TV wall?
A: Paint it sage green and add floating shelves with pitha molds or brass figurines (৳1,500/shelf).

Final Thoughts

In Dhaka’s compact homes, smart furniture arrangement turns limitations into strengths. At NextGen Interiors BD, we specialize in creating focal points that reflect your lifestyle—whether through a vibrant accent wall in Mohammadpur or a multifunctional storage ottoman in Uttara.