The Brownstone Parlor Room Dilemma

Interior Design by Aetura Studio

The parlor room of a brownstone presents a unique interior design challenge. While intended historically for receiving guests and entertaining, the space is typically long, narrow, and difficult to furnish well. Most parlor rooms measure approximately 12–14 feet wide and 26–33 feet deep, creating proportions that resist conventional living room layouts.

Typical Brooklyn brownstone parlor floor layout

Complicating matters further is the placement of the fireplace. In many brownstones, the fireplace begins roughly seven feet in from the front wall, with the entrance to the parlor directly opposite it. This condition visually and spatially divides the room into an awkward front third and back two-thirds, making it unclear where seating should be placed and how the room should function as a cohesive whole.

Because the parlor room often also accommodates dining due to its proximity to the kitchen, homeowners are left with a persistent question:

If the parlor is meant for entertaining, where should the seating actually go — the front, the center, or the back of the room?

Below are the most common layout approaches, along with their advantages and limitations.

Option 1: Seating in the front of the room, perpendicular to the room’s length

Placing seating perpendicular to the length of the room allows the full width of the parlor to be used, since this area does not sit within the primary circulation path between the entrance and the kitchen.

Option 1: Arrange seating in the front of the parlor, perpendicular to the room's length.

However, once proper clearances between seating and the coffee table are accounted for, this layout pushes the accent chairs directly in front of the fireplace and the parlor entrance. Even when using shallow seating and a narrow coffee table, the fireplace becomes partially obstructed.

Accent chairs block the fireplace, even when using a narrow coffee table.

Pros

• Does not interfere with circulation between the parlor entrance and the kitchen

• Preserves the back of the room for another use

• Can accommodate a relatively wide sofa

  
  

Cons

• Accent chairs obstruct the fireplace

• Requires shallow seating and a narrow coffee table to mitigate the issue

• Still compromises the fireplace visually

Option 2: Seating in the front of the room, parallel to the room’s length

This arrangement avoids blocking both the fireplace and the parlor entrance and clearly separates the room into a seating area and a dining area.

Option 2: Arrange seating in the front of the parlor, parallel to the room's length.

The limitation, however, is depth. Because this portion of the room is only about seven feet deep, the widest sofa that can fit comfortably is also seven feet. This restricts seating capacity and underutilizes the room’s overall depth.

Pros

• Maintains clear circulation from entrance to kitchen

• Avoids obstructing the fireplace

• Creates a clean division between seating and dining

  
  

Cons

• Limits the sofa to a narrow three-seater

• Uses only a third of the room for its intended purpose

• Results in a layout that feels spatially underwhelming

Option 3: Seating centered around the fireplace

Centering the seating area around the fireplace creates a strong visual impression upon entering the room and allows the fireplace to function as a true focal point. This approach also makes use of the room’s depth more effectively than the previous options.

Option 3: Arrange seating around the fireplace.

However, this layout introduces a new problem: the residual space behind the sofa. Because the room is so narrow, this leftover area is difficult to circulate through comfortably and too constrained to function as a meaningful secondary zone. The limited clearance between the sofa and the wall makes movement awkward, leaving the space behind the sofa feeling unresolved.

Arranging seating around the fireplace leaves an awkward gap of unused space behind the sofa.

Pros

• Creates a strong axial view from the foyer

• Makes full use of the room’s depth

• Is visually the most compelling arrangement

  
  

Cons

• Leaves unprogrammed space behind the sofa

• Circulation around the seating is tight and uncomfortable

• Raises questions about whether sufficient space remains for dining once circulation between the two zones is accounted for.

  
  

Option 4: Seating in the back of the room along one side

Placing seating in the back of the room allows for the largest possible sofa, both in width and depth, and easily accommodates side tables, lamps, and even media storage if desired.

Option 4: Arrange seating in the back of the parlor room next to the kitchen

The tradeoff is functional. This layout pushes the dining area to the front of the parlor, placing it a considerable distance from the kitchen and shifting the room away from its traditional role as a formal entertaining space.

Seating in the back of the room means that dining has to be in the front, away from the kitchen.

Pros

• Accommodates a large, deep sofa

• Easily supports lamps and optional media elements

  
  

Cons

• Dining area sits far from the kitchen

• Better suited to casual living than formal entertaining

The Final Solution: Centered seating, with key refinements

The most effective solution is to center the seating area around the fireplace while addressing the limitations of a conventional layout.

Final solution: Curved sofa and chairs around the fireplace with a console table with lamps behind the sofa.

Use a curved sofa with both a curved back and a curved seat edge. Place two barrel chairs opposite the sofa, with a small side table positioned between them. Center an oval coffee table sized so that it is easily reachable from all seats. Behind the sofa, add a console table with lamps on either end to provide balanced, ambient lighting.

This approach preserves the visual power of a centered layout while improving circulation, seating capacity, and overall spatial clarity.

Why a curved sofa

The curved sofa is key. A curved sofa occupies more depth, has more seating, and enables smoother traffic flow around its perimeter compared to a rectangular sofa of the same width. Let me explain.

Imagine taking a wide, rectangular sofa and gently bending it into a curve. This reduces the sofa's overall width, increases its depth, while preserving the same amount of seating. Compared to a rectangular sofa of the same width, a curved sofa offers more seating space for the given width that it occupies.

A curved sofa occupies more room depth and allows traffic to move more easily around the perimeter compared to a rectangular sofa.

A sofa with a curved seat edge also allows everyone seated to engage more easily in conversation compared to a sofa with a straight seat edge. With a sofa with a straight seat edge, only those seated next to each other can speak comfortably while those seated at opposite ends cannot.

Why the console table

The console table with lamps allows lighting to be integrated into the seating area without consuming valuable room width that is better used for seating. The console table also makes use of the awkward, unused space behind the sofa previously mentioned in this blog post. This makes the overall usage of the space feel more intentional.

The console table with lamps placed behind the sofa makes the seating area look balanced and beautiful from all angles.

Why barrel chairs

Barrel chairs are well suited to spaces where guests will be gathering because most of them swivel. This allows guests to turn easily toward different conversation areas without projecting sharp corners into circulation paths. Barrel chairs are also typically larger than rectangular accent chairs, and their rounded form and scale help visually balance the curved sofa opposite them.

Barrel chairs visually balance the large, curved sofa opposite them. The heavy base of the pieces (no legs) makes the room look and feel expensive.

About Aetura Studio

Aetura Studio is a remote interior design studio creating European-inspired, heritage-rich interiors for residential clients. Grounded in timeless design and editorial detail, Aetura creates spaces that feel layered, elegant, and deeply personal.

If you’re ready to bring a timeless, European-inspired look to your home, we’d love to help you get started.