To rearrange the existing furniture or to place or arrange furniture in a room is not a very easy task. The look of the entire room can be changed with proper placing and this depends on many factors. There are different decorating themes for different rooms and you have to consider how your family uses that room. Once you have a fair idea of how the room is used, you can start planning as to how you can arrange the furniture in that room by keeping a few tips in mind:

Start from the large to the smaller pieces
In furniture arrangement of any room, the largest furniture piece must be considered first. For example, the bed in the bedroom, the dining table in the dining room, the sofa in the living room or the desk in the office. This largest piece is usually the focal point of the room. Large pieces should distributed evenly so as not to off balance the arrangement of the room. Adequate space must be kept around these pieces. Also keep in mind the architectural shape of the room.

Next place those furniture pieces relating to the main piece or the largest piece
The arrangement of the room should be such that it is comfortable and convenient and at the same time flatter your furniture. While arranging the furniture, think about the use of the room. For example, if you eat or drink there, there should a side table to set your cup or plate down. If the room is used for family gathering, is there enough seating and is it appropriately arranged? It is better to keep pieces of similar scale together. A small occasional chair would look much better if kept next to an accent table or floor lamp rather than next to a large sofa. Try to balance furniture pieces opposite one another. You should also try to balance the number of wood and upholstered pieces.

Add accent pieces
Furniture arrangement for secondary activities adds function to a room. For example, a reading corner in a bedroom or a game area in a living room can be created with a minimum space. A long empty wall can be made attractive by grouping pictures over a long narrow table. You can place a desk under a window to take natural light and view. You can place a corner cupboard or curio cabinet at the cornet of a room.

Place your furniture where it looks best
Light in the room plays a major role when deciding on your furniture arrangement. A dark cabinet may not be visible in a dim light. On the other hand, bright pieces may seem garish when place under a picture window. You can break up the room's horizontal lines by mixing in taller items. A bookcase against the wall, a high back or rocking chair next to the sofa or a pair of lamps on a credenza will improve the view and add varieties to the view.

Consider traffic patterns
The flow of traffic in the room must be considered while arranging furniture. Try to leave a minimum of two and a half feet for walkways. It is better to avoid flowing traffic through a conversational group. Try to create a less disruptive environment by arranging traffic around the room.

Your lifestyle
Ultimately, you express who you are through your home. Design your rooms and arrange your furniture so that you are comfortable, relying on your own taste and habits rather than on some magazines as you are going to be living there.

Some other tips

• You can divide a large room by placing a sofa, bookcase, screen or even a table in the room.
• You can create a wall effect with bookcases or a cabinet.
• A smaller room can be divided without being making it more tiny by using a sofa, chest to create the same division without the height.
• Think about the furniture placement in doorways. For example, do you want to block the traffic or want the traffic to flow through the furniture arrangement or force traffic to go around the furniture arrangement.
• For every seating arrangement, make sure there is both a light and a flat surface near at hand.
• Always keep 2-3 inches between furniture and walls.
• Avoid putting all of the short furniture on one side of the room and all of the tall furniture on another. The room looks lopsided.
• Try to think in pairs like two similar chairs, two end tables, lights which can the room's design balanced.
• In a bedroom, try to leave at least two or three feet around the bed so as to help in making the bed and getting in and out of the bed.

---

» More Furniture Buying & Maintenance Tips

---