Best placed in the ఈశాన
The north-east suits a living room for the same reason it suits everything light: it is the most protected, best-lit corner. Keep it uncluttered and the furniture low.
What the ఈశాన governs
The north-east — Ishanya — is the most protected corner in the whole mandala. It carries water and belongs to Shiva, and every school agrees on the same instruction: keep it light, clean, open and low. Almost every serious Vastu fault is some version of loading this corner.
Where the బైఠక belongs
The living room is where the household meets guests, so the tradition places it in the open, light half of the plan and keeps the seating arrangement — not just the room — in view: the head of the household faces east or north.