Rules of Furniture Arrangements

Function

• The first consideration for any room should be function. Think about what the room will be used for and how the furniture can meet those needs. For example, if the main activity in the room is media, making sure that electronic components are close to an electrical outlet and that the seating is facing the television are the most important factors. In rooms used for entertaining, ensure that there are plenty of places to set drinks near the seating and that people don't have to squeeze through any awkward spaces to navigate the room. Leave 2 to 3 feet of empty space around functional furniture like beds and dressers. Make sure that drawers, cabinet doors, closet doors, external doors and windows are not blocked or hard to reach.

Flow

• Flow is important because it helps make the room more comfortable and navigable. Determine the main paths of travel through the room and keep these paths clear so people don't have to pick their way through an obstacle course of furniture to cross the room. It can be awkward when someone has to cut through the middle of a seating area and interrupt a conversation or walk in front of the television to get where they need to go, so use furniture placement to direct traffic around these disruptive areas. Overcrowding the furniture is a common culprit of obstructing flow. If the room is crowded and hard to navigate, identify the essential pieces and move the rest out.

Balance

• A lack of symmetry in the furniture arrangement can lead to an unsettling feeling that something in the room is "off." Try to balance the room by placing furniture of similar visual mass on opposite sides of the room. Keep in mind that materials and color affect visual impact, in addition to size. A large glass piece has much less "weight" in the room than a large wooden piece. If the room has an obvious focal point, such as a fireplace or a picture window, arrange furniture in relation to that focal point to accentuate it while keeping the rest of the room symmetrical.

Seating

• Seating arrangements are crucial for comfortable conversations. Seating set up in a line is fine for TV viewing but makes it difficult to hold a conversation. Set up furniture in an L-shape, U-shape, square, circle or parallel lines facing one another for conversation areas. Place the furniture 8 to 12 feet apart, or closer together for intimate seating, such as a conversation nook in a master bedroom. The important thing is that everyone can see each other easily. Remember that furniture does not need to be against a wall; move things toward the center of the room to make it more intimate and inviting.