Principles for arranging furniture.
1. Create a floor plan of the room, mark the location of windows, doors, fireplace, heaters and electrical outlets.
Measure the major pieces of furniture  you’re going to put in the room, then either sketch out a scale drawing of the space on graph paper and begin arranging furniture using templates or download of one of the free room planning programs available online.
2. Before you start arranging furniture, take into consideration how the room is used and how many people will use it.
Identify the central point in the room (a fireplace, view, television, etc.) and orient the furniture accordingly. If you plan to watch television in the room, the ideal distance between the tv and the seating is three times the size of the screen. If you’re watching a 32-inch screen, place your sofa 96 inches away.
3. Place the largest furniture at the beginning, such as the sofa in the living room or the bed in the bedroom. In most cases, this piece should face the room’s focal point. Chairs should be no more than 8 feet apart to facilitate conversation.
4. Unless your room is peculiarly small, avoid arranging furniture so it's all pushed against the walls.
5. Symmetrical arrangements work best for  formal rooms and offices. Arranging furniture asymmetrically will achieve a more casual look.
6. When arranging furniture, consider the traffic through the room - mostly the path between doorways. Don’t place any large pieces of furniture in that path if you needn't, and allow 30-48 inches of width for major traffic routes, and a minimum of 24 inches of width for minor ones. Try to direct all traffic around a seating group, not through the middle of it. If the flow cuts through the middle of the room, consider creating two seating areas instead of one large one.
7. Vary the size of furniture pieces throughout the room, so your eyes move up and down as you scan the space. Balance a large or tall item by placing another piece of similar scale across the room from it. Avoid putting two tall pieces next to each other.
8. For contrast combine straight and curved lines. If the furniture is modern and linear, throw in a round table for contrast. If the furniture is curvy, mix in an angular piece. Combine a leggy chair with a solid side table, and a solid chair with a leggy table.
9. Place a table within easy reach of every seat, being sure to combine  pieces of similar scale. Coffee tables should be located 14-18 inches from a sofa - there should be enough place for legs.
10. In bedrooms, allow at least 24 inches between the side of the bed and a wall, and at least 36 inches between the bed and a swinging door. In a dining room, make sure there’s at least 48 inches between each edge of the table and the nearest wall or piece of furniture. If traffic doesn’t pass behind the chairs on one side of the table, 36 inches should be sufficient on that side. |
