How to Space Plan & Arrange Your Furniture
A well-planned room is at the heart of great design. The home is the most intimate of places; it represents your personality and values.
3 Key Rules
Rule # 1
Traffic Patterns |
Traffic patterns refer to the way traffic moves in a room. You can redirect some traffic patterns with furniture placement.
In the example below, you can see that the room has multiple doorways, so without proper furniture placement the traffic pattern would move through the center of the space and interrupt the room flow. |
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| Example 1 |
Example 2 |
| Distance for Travel |
| Rules of Thumb |
| 3 ft |
Major Traffic Patterns |
| 2 ft |
Minor Traffic Patterns |
| 12” – 18” |
Distance between sofa and coffee table |
| 3 ft |
Room to pull out a dining room chair |
| 18” |
Distance between bed and wall for bed making |
| 30” |
Space in front of drawers for ease in opening |
|
| Rule # 2Conversation Areas |
- Conversation Area refers to a space where people can gather and socialize.
- A conversation area is defined as the ideal distance for social conversation.
- A room can have and needs more than one conversation area if it is a large area.
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In the next example the room has multiple doorways so without proper furniture placement, the traffic pattern would move through the center of the space and interrupt the room flow. By creating a sitting area in the center of the room, the traffic is forced to the outside, creating a cozy place for people to gather. |
| Rule of Thumb |
Conversation areas should be no greater than 8 – 12 feet. If the area gets any bigger than 12 feet, the room will feel uninviting and a traffic pattern could develop within the conversation area and that would be breaking Rule #1. |
| Rule # 3Focal Point |
- Focal point refers to the piece or element that carries the most visual weight in a room.
- A room can have more than one focal point.
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| Rule of Thumb |
A focal point should be balanced. For example if you have a strong focal point on one wall. You must create a balanced focal point on the opposite wall. |
Related posts:
- How to Measure and use Floor Plans
- The Elements of Design
- Arranging Your Room By Yourself
- Living Room Furniture Needs: Portland, OR
- Portland Oregon Furniture: All you need to know.
This entry was posted
on Friday, July 17th, 2009 at 11:55 am and is filed under Furniture.
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