Furniture Placement

Floorplan, traffic patterns, size and type of furniture and architectural elements all influence the way a room is arranged. To give every room a harmonious blend of comfort, flow and functionality, follow these simple tips.
 

• Start with curtains and a rug. Frame the room by dressing the windows and the floor, then layer in furniture, piece by piece. Finish with accessories that personalize the space and give it a sense of “you.”
• Find the focal point. Arrange furniture to make the most of built-in design elements. Let overstuffed chairs and a table cozy up to a fireplace, a carved bench look out a picture window, a bed snuggle up diagonally to French doors and a tranquil patio. If you don’t have a natural focal point, make one. A rounded sofa, a sculpture on a pedestal, a spotlighted piece of art or an oversize wall clock or mirror all command attention.
• Create at least one conversation area. A sofa and two chairs placed in a cozy U-shaped grouping allow everyone to see and chat face-to-face with everyone else. If your room is large, divide it into several conversational clusters, each defined by its own distinctive area rugs to create intimate spaces within a space.
• Mix and match. Family antiques, flea market finds and department store pieces mix creatively, radiating individuality without looking “matched.” Look for pieces with good lines, gentle curves and interesting details, then use paint and fabric to pull them together. Flowers are a great unifier, breathing life into a room and tying spaces together.
• Let pieces multi-task. Save money and space by seeking out pieces that moonlight as something else. A large ottoman can serve as an impromptu seat, a handy table or tuckaway storage. Chairs can move from room to room for extra seating. A drop-leaf table fits neatly behind the sofa, but folds out to serve a crowd.