How to put a couch in a small living room?

Place a couch against the longest unbroken wall, oriented so it doesn't block doorways or foot paths, and the room will read larger while keeping seating functional.

In a small living room, couch placement controls how much open floor is visible from the entry point, which determines whether the space feels cramped or workable. A couch pushed flat against the longest wall gives you maximum clearance in front of it. Floating it even 2–3 inches off the wall can make a tight room feel tighter. Seat depth matters too: a couch with a 20–22 inch seat depth leaves more walkable floor than a deep-lounger at 36 inches.

Minimum walkway clearance beside or in front of a couch: 30–36 inches.
Small-room couch seat depth recommendation: 20–22 inches versus a standard 32–36 inches.
Floating a couch 2–3 inches off the wall is only practical when the room exceeds roughly 12 feet in the dominant direction.
An L-shaped sectional fits a corner and seats more people without consuming center-floor space, but requires at least a 10×10 ft footprint.