Friday, April 3, 2015

Design Theory: How to Place Furniture









Are you looking to change up your living room? Is it uncomfortable to walk in that tight entry way?  Or is it hard to have guests over because you feel like you don't have enough space to host a group of people? In this post, we will help you understand why. Most of the time it is all about furniture spacing and placement.

Many times when we host a party we feel like there isn't enough space for everyone. This is caused mostly because people place their furniture in the wrong way or don't follow simple guidelines. With a few tricks we will show you how successful your furniture layout can be.





  •  As a rule of thumb it is a good idea to leave 3.5' and 10' between seating so your guests can easily talk to each other without the room feeling too crowded,
  • Allow 18" between a coffee table and a sofa to give enough leg room but at the same time be able to reach for your drinks,
  • Place a rug about 24" between the wall and a big sized rug in a large room, and between 12"- 18" in a smaller room. Place the rug in a strategic way: at least the front two legs of a sofa or armchair should rest on the rug.
  • Make sure to have some occasional chairs on hand so that they can easily be pulled in to accommodate additional guests - position chairs  24" apart for guests to pass through.
  • When selecting a dining table, allow at least 36" between the dining table and walls or other furniture to have enough space to move around freely


  • When setting the table provide 18-24" between dining chairs to prevent your guests from being in each other's way. For smaller spaces a circular table can maximize the amount of chairs you  can have at one sitting.
  • Last but not least, good lighting is very important when sharing a meal with friends and family. A good rule to follow is to hang your light fixture 24"-32" above the table





Want to learn more? contact one of our designers on our website at www.taointeriors.com