After moving into their new home, most homeowners are overwhelmed with the possibilities of furniture arrangement. They wonder how they are going to arrange a room to fit everything into the new space. They may have purchased their furniture to suit their previous home or apartment and are now speculating whether it will all fit comfortably.

We certainly can’t tell you the best way to arrange a room, but we can give you some ideas and suggestions to make the process less daunting.

Things to Consider to Properly Arrange a Room

• Are there doors? Do they open in or out? If they open in, you will need to allow room for those to open fully.
• Is the room used as a pathway to another room? Is it a destination room?
• Is this room one that people go to or go through? If they go through, you need an easily navigable pathway from one room to another.
• How do you want people to feel in the space?
• Do you want it to be cozy and intimate? Do you want an open and spacious feel? Furniture in a cozy area tends to be placed closer together but a more open feel needs more space between pieces.
• Are you going to use the room for entertaining? If yes, then you need flexibility in your furniture choices. Extra seating may be placed out of the way and can be moved into use when guests arrive.

Guidelines to Follow to Arrange a Room

• Ideally you want 48 to 100 in. (4 to 8 feet) between sofas and chairs. But you can adjust and arrange a room according to your family’s needs. If you feel more comfortable with the chairs closer or if you are better able to hear conversations, then move them closer together.
• If you are using a coffee table in front of the sofa, the typical placement of the table is 14 to 18 inches from the sofa. But again, if you have short arms or long legs, adjust the table until you are comfortable.
• Three feet of space is recommended for traffic lanes. But if you have large family members or lots of kids or animals allow an extra foot for safety for your family members.
• In the dining room, an average adult needs a depth of 20 in. for a dining room chair plus an additional 16 in. to scoot the chair back from the table. Again, adjust the measurements to fit your family’s needs.
• At the dining table, you should give 24 in. per person or more. If your family tends to talk with their hands and make big gestures as they eat you should allow another 6 to 8 in. between place setting.
• In your bedroom, give at least 24 in. between the bed and the wall to get out of bed comfortably and 36 in. between the ends of the bed and the bedroom or bathroom door.

Now you have some ideas to get you thinking as well as points of reference to arrange a room in your home. If the idea still seems too overwhelming, feel free to outsource the task to an interior designer that specializes in redesign.