Speaker A
[Music] Hi everyone, welcome to another interior design tips video. Today's video is all about tips for arranging your furniture. An empty room can be a daunting task, kind of like a blank canvas. Whether it's a bedroom, a living room, or even your home office, your furniture layout can really make or break the way you enjoy your home. It's a real balance between aesthetically pleasing and functionality, but both are important and both are the whole reason interior designers exist. This is what I live for, so I've got some great practical tips to keep in mind when you're figuring out how to place your furniture. Basically, this is exactly how us pros do it, so let's get right to it. The first obvious step is to determine the room's function. Is it a living room or a home office? How many people will use the space at the same time? How will they be using the space? What kind of storage is needed? All of these questions will help determine the type of furnishings and quantities. It may seem obvious, but in many cases rooms may in fact have several functions. It could be a living room where the family gathers for TV watching, but they may need a desk with a computer for kids' homework, or a living room with lots of books where you may want to incorporate a cozy reading nook in addition to TV viewing, or a home office that doubles as a guest bedroom. Once you've figured out how you're going to use the room, a focal point is the next step in this process. Sometimes your focal point can be quite obvious, like an existing fireplace or an amazing view. Other times you may have to create your own focal point. I have a great video all about this topic. It's a definite must-watch if you're wondering what your focal point should be. I'll link it below. The focal point in a room is important for so many reasons, but with regards to furniture, it's important because you'll want to direct most of your furniture towards that focal point, and you might want to add to that focal point as well, like adding additional storage on either side of the fireplace. You know, the storage you determined in step one was needed for the function of the room, like book storage or TV equipment storage. Plus, in some rooms, the actual furniture can become the focal point. This is especially true for your bedroom, where the bed's headboard is a great way to create a focal point, or your desk setup can be a great focal point in your home office. Step three is the beginning of actually arranging your furniture, and it starts with the largest pieces in the room. So, of course, that would be a sofa in your living room, a bed in your bedroom, or a desk in your home office. For living rooms, in most cases, the sofa should face the room's focal point, and then you can place all the other smaller furniture in a way that makes conversation easy, meaning seating should be no more than eight feet apart. This will help create a natural space where people can share the focal point, like a TV or a fireplace, and still be close enough to each other to share conversation with each other. If your room is very large, then you'll need to create multiple conversation areas, keeping these same rules in mind. And unless your room is very small, avoid pushing your furniture up against the walls. Give your pieces a little breathing room. Even a few inches between the backs of the furniture will create the illusion that you have more space. As you're deciding on your furniture arrangement, you should be considering the flow of traffic in and out of the room. You'll want to avoid placing large pieces of furniture in that path of travel if you can avoid it. For instance, walking into the back of the sofa will not only be cumbersome, but it will make the room feel smaller because it blocks the view into the room and the rest of the furniture and the space. Think about how people will travel from one end of the room to the other and create a clear path where they won't be tripping over furniture or other people's feet. If the path of traffic cuts through the conversation area, try to divide that conversation grouping into two smaller groups. If you're enjoying this video and find it helpful, please hit that like button, share it with your friends, and if you haven't already, subscribe for more tips just like these. Leave a comment or a question below in the comment section, and I'll try to answer as many as possible. Do you need more personalized help from me? You can find me on Patreon for one-on-one consultations. Head over to patreon.com/designchicky for all the details. The next key component is circulation space, which ties very closely to your traffic flow. Allowing for proper distances between furniture pieces is important because it makes using that space so much more comfortable for us human folk. A great rule of thumb for residential design is to allow between 30 and 48 inches of width for primary paths of travel. That gives people comfortable space to walk through. In bedrooms, allow at least 24 inches between the side of the bed and a wall. In a dining room, make sure that there's at least 48 inches between each edge of the table and the nearest wall or another piece of furniture like a sideboard or a sofa. If your main path of travel doesn't pass behind the chairs on one side of the table, 36 inches of space between the edge of the table and the wall should suffice. All of these distances are based on anthropology and ergonomics—the human body. It's all about making us feel and use the space comfortably. In addition to moving around the space comfortably, consider placing furniture in a way that makes using the space the way you intend to use the space as comfortably as possible. Step six is what I call ease of use. This includes laying out your living room furniture so that tables and surfaces are within reach wherever you are sitting. Locating these smaller pieces of furniture like side tables or coffee tables within arm's reach will help create a more functional space. Or having a secondary surface for your printer within arm's reach will make working in your home office more efficient and productive. Or placing lighting where you need it most, like adjustable wall sconces on either side of your bed so you can read before turning in for the night. A mix of lighting is always important in making every space functional and comfortable, so definitely consider the general lighting in the room and augmenting it with a variety of task lighting to create that perfect blend of practicality and ambiance. Another tip to consider when arranging furniture in your space is the formality of the space. Generally, symmetrical arrangements create a more formal setting, whereas asymmetry can make a room feel more casual. One example is a more formal living room with a fireplace focal point, but a more casual arrangement in the family room where pieces of furniture are arranged asymmetrically around the TV. And finally, do what us designers do. Actually, this should be your first step, by the way: measure, measure, measure. Designers always measure everything in the room. Here's an example of a recent site measure that I performed. A laser measuring device is great, a 25-foot measuring tape, different colored pens help, maybe even a highlighter or two, and definitely some grid paper. Measure the room size, the ceiling height, the size and location of doors and openings and windows, the location of plugs and lighting in the room—everything—and then draw it all up in a floor plan so that you can play with the arrangement of furniture on paper first. Grid paper works great. There are also lots of digital tools that you can use for an even more professional outcome. By testing it out on paper, you'll avoid mistakes and create a better layout for your room without the heavy lifting, and then you can go shopping and make a very informed purchase. So here's your takeaway: an empty room might be a challenge, but challenges create opportunity. These practical steps will help you create a space that is functional and aesthetically pleasing by arranging furniture in a...
