Recently renovated your home?
If you did, you might have more space to place furniture around.
But if it’s your first time, you might not know the best furniture placement in a room.
That might cause you to clutter your home by inefficiently placing them around.
Don’t get discouraged yet. And don’t immediately jump to Feng Shui unless you know it works for you.
The good news is that we put a beginner’s guide on arranging furniture. Read on and learn some important guidelines:
1. Pick a Focal Point for the Room
Don’t underestimate a room’s focal point. In most cases, these will appear naturally and make things easier for you.
For example, if you have a window that stands out or an integrated fireplace mantel, you’ll have a solid focal point.
But you aren’t always lucky, so in times you make them. An easy way to make the room’s focal point is to use media units like televisions.
Regardless of your choice, follow through it by arranging your furniture around it whenever possible.
2. Never Push Furniture Against the Walls
If you want a neat furniture layout for a rectangular living room with a fireplace, give the furniture some breathing room.
Allow a few inches between the furniture backs and the walls. It matters not whether the room doesn’t have a lot of space to offer.
The good news is that, despite popular belief, this practice makes the room appear bigger.
If you have a larger room, arrange the furniture in a way that the middle has the conversation areas.
It means leaving a few feet between the walls and the furniture.
3. Make Conversation Areas
When rearranging furniture, ensure that you can talk to your housemates without shouting or craning your neck.
You could upgrade traditional one-direction sofas to a Minotti sofa. Make sure to position them and other chairs to face each other.
Doing this keeps people close enough to talk without raising their voices. Is your room space large?
If so, make different conversation areas using the same rules as above.
4. Find Balance in Furniture Placement in a Room
When decorating, balance is a priority. It’s especially important when finding the right placement for different furniture pieces.
Think about the size and ensure they aren’t grouped in a certain area.
For example, if all the small pieces are on one side of a room, it makes the space look lopsided.
It’s unsettling, especially when it lacks shape variety.
That’s why if your seating has straight lines, consider picking a round coffee table to balance it out.
5. Consider Traffic Flow
A well-arranged room ensures that no one trips over furniture as they walk through it.
Ensure that the coffee table and sofa have a few feet of space in between. Apply this to chairs to maintain good traffic flow.
Arrange your furniture to carve a clear path.
This allows people to walk from corner to corner without facing difficulties.
6. Use the Right Size for Rugs
Area rugs should be below all your furniture if you can manage it.
If you expose a small portion of the flooring at the edges of the room, it’s acceptable.
But when you use an area rug, ensure it’s enough to accommodate all the furniture resting atop of it.
At the very least, the front legs of large furniture pieces should sit on the rug. It’s forgivable that the backs can rest on the floor.
Regardless, do this only when needed.
7. Get a Big Coffee Table
The principle “bigger is better” applies best for coffee tables.
A large one resting in the middle of a seating area strikes the perfect balance between form and function.
It’s an anchor for the room, leaving lots of space for everyone to put their drink down or display your favorite trinket.
A large coffee table also makes the nearby seats more accessible. But ensure that you leave enough room between the chairs and the coffee table, around 18”.
This allows people to pass without impediments.
You can get two small tables if you can’t find a sufficiently large coffee table.
Look into other alternatives if you don’t like that option.
8. Put Tables at Arms’ Length
Each seat should allow you to access either a coffee table or a side table.
Your layout shouldn’t force people to stand up from their seats to get their drinks.
When you’re looking for the best table height, ensure that the side table should have the same height as the arms of nearby chairs.
For coffee tables, its heights should be roughly the same as the chair or sofa seats.
If you can’t find one with the exact height, go for lower instead.
9. Optimize Lighting
Proper furniture placement in a room also depends on lighting and shadows.
In any room, lighting plays an important part, but homeowners often neglect it.
To optimize your lighting, get a mix of lighting fixtures.
This includes overhead lighting, table lamps, floor lamps, and sconces.
Floor lamps look astounding when placed at the end of a sofa or the rear of an accent chair.
For table lamps, they work best on side tables, mantels, and shelves. Use different lighting levels to balance the room.
10. Use the Right Artwork Size
Whether it’s art, mirrors, or sculptures, you need to hang things strategically.
It needs to be in proportion to the furniture pieces.
For example, hang a large piece around two-thirds of the sofa length instead of a tiny photo.
If you don’t have a sufficiently large art piece, use a group of pictures.
You can also use a larger frame with a large matte to hold a single tiny picture.
This helps it hold better when positioned near larger furniture.
Rearrange Your Room Today!
These are some tips on furniture placement in a room.
Apply them whenever possible and you’ll get a more well-rounded home.
It becomes aesthetically pleasing without sacrificing functionality.
But what if you want to do more with your home?
If you have more plans and need more useful guides, feel free to read our other posts and learn more valuable tips and tricks.
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