Living room with balanced space and great pathways.
If you recently purchased a home or want to redesign a room, are you overwhelmed with the possibilities and insecurities of furniture arrangement? There is hope! With tape measure, paper and pencil in hand, draw your room and consider the following guidelines:
- Determine room size and use. Measure the dimensions of the hallways, stairs, and door widths leading into and out of the space. Special tip: Identify that doorway, stairway, ceiling and window sill heights are large enough for existing or potential furniture.
- Will you use the room as a passageway to another room – such as a living room that opens to a dining area? If you go through the room to get to another room, you need a traffic lane three feet wide (four feet for a larger family).
- Is it a family or dining room? How many people do you want to seat? Will you use the room for entertaining? If you have a small space, try coordinating nearby areas to place extra seating out of the way until needed.
- In a combined living and family room (Great Room) allow 48” to 100” between sofa and chair and 18” between coffee table and soft furniture.
- If a television is part of the focal point and will be viewed from a seated position, place the middle of the TV at 50” height. A basic calculation for the distance from TV to seating is two times the size of the TV.
- An average adult needs a depth of 20” for a dining chair plus 16” to scoot the chair back from the table. Allow 24” or more in width per person. If serving guests, allow at least 46” between the wall and dining table and other furniture in the room.
- Allow at least 24” between the side of a bed and wall and at least 36” between the end of the bed and any door.
Adjust space according to your needs, as these are basic guidelines. The most important thing is that you are happy and comfortable in your home, and keeping these guidelines in mind will help you get the best results!
