While there are no hard and fast laws when it comes to decorating, there are some fundamentals to keep in mind while arranging furniture. A professional room stager and designer shares tips and tactics for making your rooms appear and perform their best.
In an empty room, everything is possible. You may stuff it with classic wood furniture, or you can go for a clean, modern look by keeping to the necessities of everyday life. Between those two extremes is an almost unlimited range of options, the amount and diversity of which might be frightening to typical households.
Tips To Arrange Furniture For the Best Look and Function in Your Rooms
1. The Big Picture
Certain rules of thumb usually always apply regardless of the function of the room you’re constructing. There are exceptions—times when breaking the rules makes sense, or when the circumstances make the rules difficult to obey. Even so, recognizing the best practices and keeping them in mind may help many homeowners figure out where to start.
2. Determine Your Focal Point
If the room has a focal point, such as a fireplace or a bay window, arrange your furniture such that it accentuates and attracts attention to the element in issue. Putting your best foot forward is not only smart advice for meeting new people; it also applies to home design! Remember that the focus point should be instantly evident to anybody entering the room.
3. Maintain a Clear Path
A well-designed space invites you in and provides no obstacles in your path as you arrive. So keep the quantity and size of the parts in mind. Only use what you require for comfort, storage, and function. Other than that? Find another home for it, whether in another room or on the garbage heap. It’s as easy as this: if you can’t move freely around the room, you’ll never be happy with its arrangement.
4. Avoid the Periphery
Placing furniture along the walls creates a sluggish, almost lifeless appearance. However, most rooms are too small to permit any other configuration. Fortunately, there is a workable solution: Place the larger pieces of furniture along the outside of the room, then float smaller objects closer to the centre of the floor. (Imagine a wall-hugging sofa coupled with free-floating armchairs.) The end result? A sense of equilibrium.
5. Remove Clutter
Don’t allow clutter to interfere with your design vision. Take a stance against it from the start by designating locations for collections, mementos, and family pictures. Resist the urge to cover every surface with something. Instead, arrange to section off potential clutter on a table or on the shelves of a wall unit—anywhere your stuff may be seen but not in your way.
6. Mindfully Measure
The arrangement of furniture is not abstract. You could like the notion of a specific piece of furniture, but if it won’t fit snuggly in the area, it doesn’t belong. It is therefore prudent to acquire measurements before purchasing or transporting anything. Understand the proportions of the room you have to deal with, as well as the link between the bigger area and the size of the individual furniture items you’re thinking about buying.
7. From Room to Room
Undoubtedly, generally applicable information assists homeowners in avoiding some of the most common errors in furniture arranging. However, because different rooms serve distinct functions, Mayer suggests adding a layer of room-specific best practices. In a private room committed to comfort, the correct formula for a high-traffic, utilitarian location is unlikely to succeed. You must let the situation determine your strategy.
8. Encourage Discussion
Aim to incorporate at least one seating place in the living room that can accommodate at least three individuals. Place a sofa and two chairs at the main center of the space, or choose a pair of love seats that face each other.
9. Dining Room Mechanics
Place the table and chairs in the center of the room, and if space allows, place a sideboard, hutch, or console (or even a chest of drawers) along a wall for much-needed linen and flatware storage. There’s no need to recreate the wheel.
10. Bedroom Fundamentals
If you have a great view from your bedroom, position the bed such that you can look out the window even when lying down. Include nightstands on both sides of the bed, as well as a wardrobe or armoire for clothing storage.
11. Watch Out the Kitchen
Be truthful about how you intend to utilize the kitchen. If you enjoy cooking and entertaining, consider purchasing an island with a built-in room for bar stools and a banquette. If you seldom cook and entertain but frequently work from home, consider making room for a workstation. Don’t rush: assess your behaviours, but most importantly, your pain areas.