The key consideration for living room design is to ensure the setup not ... “Remember, when you entertain, not everybody is going to be sitting in that one space,” Schanstra says.

Interior designer Sean Symington was asked to add character to the sitting room of this Tudor farmhouse in Suffolk.

Design is all about the details ... One rule that hasn’t changed for me — even after learning the standing and sitting room rules — is that when in doubt, build up.