How you decide to arrange your furniture will affect the room's appeal, comfort, and functionality. If you use a combination of furniture styles, you could end up with a fun "eclectic" assortment. Understanding some basic rules about furniture arranging will help you get off to a good start.
Define the purpose of the room
This will help you decide how to use the space effectively. For example, if you need a place to work or study, you will want to allow room for a desk and chair. This could affect the size of other furniture you may want to include.
Choose a focal point
You might include the television, fireplace, a window, or an aquarium as the focal point in your room. Decide where you want to focus attention so you can arrange the furniture accordingly.
Remember, some furniture expands!
A good example is a hide-a-bed sofa. Make sure there is actually enough room to pull the bed out. When you set up your dining set, you'll need to leave space to pull chairs out from the table. Areas for hobbies tend to take up extra room, too.
If you like to sew, you'll need room for the sewing machine as well as a table to lay out your projects. And if you favor reading, don't forget to plan for good lighting and a comfortable chair.
Don't waste valuable space
Position large pieces of furniture parallel to the wall, especially in smaller rooms. Diagonal placement of furniture cuts down on precious space.Traffic lanes are important
People normally establish a familiar path from one point to another shortly after moving into a new home. You may have to do some rearranging if you find that the traffic lanes are continually obstructed or inconvenient. It's also important from a safety perspective that you maintain a clear, uncluttered path to the main exit of any room.
Before you actually begin moving furniture, sketch out the room dimensions and use basic shapes to represent different pieces of furniture. It's much easier to try different layout options on paper than moving heavy furniture multiple times!
Finally, for a more dramatic result, try moving pieces into different rooms in your home. You'll be surprised at how well an old bedside table might look in your living room as an end-table. Be creative and enjoy!