Once you understand your room and have created a plan, you’re ready to figure out where to place furniture in the room.
I will be discussing the guidelines you should follow, but they are not considered rules. Use the guidelines as a starting point and revise as you go until it feels right to you.
Where to Place Furniture in the Room
Take a look at the shape of your room. If it’s too long, you can divide the space in half by using area rugs to create two separate areas. A square area rug will widen the space.
If the room is too narrow, you can place the furniture on a diagonal. In a bedroom, you could place the bed catty-cornered. In the living room, the sofa can be angled between two walls. A square table will help to widen the room.
If the ceilings are too low, you can add height with tall bookcases, tall lamps, and window treatments that hang just below the ceiling and go all the way to the floor. Try adding vertical lines on the wall or curtains. Using any of these tricks will make the ceiling feel taller.
If the ceiling is very high, you can lower the scale by adding horizontal lines, installing molding 3/4 of the way up, and hanging pictures lower on the wall. This will help the room feel cozy.
Create a Focal Point
Remember that there should be at least one focal point in the room that will draw attention. This could be a fireplace, a built-in cabinet, a distinctive staircase, or an unusual window. If the room lacks a focal point, you can create one by hanging dramatic window treatments, using beautiful bedding, placing an interesting cabinet or armoire in the room, or even hanging eye-catching wall art. Make sure a focal point is included in your plan.
Family Room
When placing furniture in the family room and/or living room, first think about how you want to use the room. If you entertain there, you will need to make sure that your guests are able to move around and break off into smaller groups. There should be anywhere from 4-10 feet between the sofa and chairs. Less than 4 feet and the room will feel too cramped, more than 10 feet and it will discourage conversation. There should be 14-18 inches between the sofa and the coffee table to allow enough legroom.
If you plan to watch TV in the room, the distance from the TV to the seating area should be 3 times the size of the screen. So, if you have a 50″ television, optimal viewing would be 150″ or 12.5 feet away.
Dining Room and Kitchen
In the dining room and kitchen, the table is usually the focal point. You and your guests should be able to get up and move around the table with ease. Plan for at least 32-36 inches to pull the chair out from the table. If the wall is too close to pull the chair out at least 32 inches, try a round or square table. They take up less room and the chairs would have more room to be moved around.
Bedroom
In the bedrooms, the beds are the focal points. If there are two people sharing the room, there should be a minimum clearance of 24 inches on either side of the bed for each person to get in and out easily. If there are 2 beds in the same room, there should be at least 18 inches between them.
Time to Put it all Together
Now that you know where to place furniture in your rooms, go ahead and start moving the templates around on your graph paper. Once you have the furniture in place you will be ready to move on and learn about how to use color in the rooms.
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