Figuring out Furniture Placement

Nothing excites me more than decorating a room! Combing through magazines and Pinterest for ideas, choosing colours, textures and finishes then shopping for all the accessories… But before all the fun can start you have decide on the most important thing; furniture placement. No matter what type of space your are working in, it is essential to decide where all the furniture is going before you can possibly know where to hang your artwork, place your lighting or what size rugs you might need. Symmetry, balance and rhythm all begin with furniture placement, so to create a space that looks, feels and functions just right, form your foundations with the following…

Function First

I know you hear it all the time but you must decide on your priorities for the use of the room first. Once you are sure what you will be doing you then decide how the room should feel. Do you enjoy closed in and cosy, sparse and spacious, quiet and comfortable or loud and stimulating? The vibe of the space always begins with furniture size and placement.

Decide on orientation first, do you want to face a window, into the room, to a fireplace, artwork or TV. Is the room for socialising or for solitude, contemplation or action?

For example, in a work space or study most people naturally think to push a desk up against wall or under a window. However, you also have the option of using the centre of the room with chairs on both sides or the short end to the wall leaving both long sides available all depending on the function and feeling you are after.

Room to Move

Traffic flow through a room is a practical consideration but this also affects the way a space feels. You can choose to leave obvious paths to enter and exit a room quickly and efficiently or introduce a meandering path that entices people in and encourages them to linger longer. There are no rules to the flow of a room, it all comes back to function and feeling, as long as you do allow room to comfortably move through the space. Keeping the furniture pulled tightly together will create a cosier feeling than that of a room with large expanses of floor space.

Don’t leave me Lonely

One piece of furniture always looks lonely on its own. A big cosy chair pushed into a corner doesn’t look any good by itself. It comes back to functionality, what are you going to do there? Have a cuppa? Read a book? Make sure there is a side table to rest your mug, a lamp to read by, an ottoman for your feet or a stool for someone to stop and chat with you (or to massage your feet…)

Balance is Best

Good balance leaves a room feeling calm, comfortable and easy to be in and its a hard element to explain. It generally refers to visual weight and the easiest way to achieve balance is by using symmetry and making both sides of a space the same as each other. This can be beautiful but creates a very formal look. Balance in an asymmetrical room is usually created with an odd number of pieces. Shape, colours and textures are balanced in a space without duplication. For example, if one side gets weighed down with large furniture, your room will feel off balance. Remedy this by adding something sizeable on the other side to pull the eye over and around the room. Asymmetrical balance is more challenging but generally creates a more interesting design.

All images via Pinterest

Put it to the test! Rearrange your furniture and change the vibe of your room. Shaking things up is an exciting and easy way to create a new space and at worst you can always move it back!! Any questions? Contact me anytime 🙂