How to Place Furniture in a Room

Knowing how to place furniture in a room makes a difference in how the room appears, not just to you, but to others, as well. You should always place furniture so that it's most pleasing to the people who live in the home, and there are tips that anyone can use to make this task easier. This helps make a room more inviting and attractive. Whether you're arranging furniture in a living room, dining room, family room or bedroom, use basic furniture placement tips to create a space that's welcoming and that reflects your personal taste.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Furniture pieces

1. Analyze the room and identify the room's focal point. This may be a fireplace, entertainment center or brightly colored wall.

2. Keep the flow of traffic through the room in mind when placing furniture. Traffic paths need about 2 feet of space around them.

3. Arrange furniture in a way that draws attention to the focal point. Place big items of furniture first, such as beds, sofas and office desks.

4. Group furniture around the focal point without crowding it. If a fireplace is the focal point, center a sofa in front of it, facing the fireplace. Arrange two chairs on either side of the sofa.

5. Place coffee tables 14 to 18 inches in front of sofas. Keep seats within 8 feet of each other to allow people to talk comfortably. Arrange seats so that they face each other instead of placing them side by side.

6. Angle some pieces of furniture, instead of placing all pieces parallel to walls. This creates a more casual, warm look to the room.

7. Keep beds about 2 feet away from any walls. For rooms that have two beds in them, keep them at least 18 inches apart.

8. Mix smaller pieces of furniture among larger pieces to create balance.

Tips & Warnings

• Place some pieces of furniture away from walls, instead of arranging every piece against a wall.
• Avoid placing furniture in the path of heavy traffic areas. Don't place all of the heavy furniture in one area of a room.

References

• Furniture placement
• Arranging furniture