7 Common Furniture Mistakes That Will Disrupt Your Room’s Flow
When your furniture isn’t right, the entire room falls short. Develop a perfect layout by avoiding these common furniture arranging blunders that will make a room feel overcrowded, off-balance or unappealing.
1. Problem: Furniture is Out of Scale
Furniture dimensions should be based on room size. For example, there’s a good chance that an oversized sectional will overwhelm a compact living area. Similarly, a narrow loveseat might be eclipsed in a room that features vaulted ceilings. To ensure a look that is proportional, simply scale the furniture in relation to the constraints of the room.
2. Problem: Excessive Amount of Furniture
When it comes to arranging furniture — particularly in compact spaces — less is more. Packing in too many furnishings is a good way to overwhelm a tiny living room and make it feel cramped and messy. As an alternative, try finding just a handful of well-made pieces that won’t fight for attention, and leave lots of open space between them.
3. Problem: Failing to Adjust for Height
When planning the furniture for your living room, it’s important to remember that the sizes of your accent tables should coordinate with the height of your couch. For instance, your coffee table should be about the same height as the top of your sofa cushions. As far as end tables go, they should ideally be as tall as your sofa arms so that refreshments are easily accessible. Going by these rough guidelines will help to make a comfortable furniture arrangement that is also visually balanced.
4. Problem: Pushing All Furniture Up Against the Wall
It’s true that pushing all your furniture up against the wall might make a room feel more spacious, but if you find yourself yelling to have a conversation, that’s your clue it’s time to rearrange. Pulling your couch and chairs in from the walls and creating a cozy conversation spot in front of a fireplace, for example, makes the room design look intentional and eases function. No fireplace? No problem. Simply use a rug to build your conversation spot around.
5. Problem: Neglecting Zoning
If you’re dealing with big, open spaces, dividing it into separate zones for different activities will bring order. For instance, create a seating arrangement around the TV for relaxation and conversation, and a work area with a table or desk for projects, homework, or paperwork. Designate space for the things that are important to your household, rather than what is noted on the builder’s layout. Once you get used to it, creative furniture arranging can open up new possibilities for how a space is used.
6. Problem: Disregarding a Room’s Purpose
Focus on what activities will occur in a space and go from there when determining what your layout should look like. Remember, you want the arrangement to promote the experiences you intend to have. For instance, froma practical perspective, you want your living room side tables and coffee table within reach of all the seats so that snacks, drinks, books and other items are easily accessible. Positioning couches and chairs to face one another encourages conversations, rather than television watching.
7. Problem: Not Going With the Flow
Traffic flow is another factor that plays into furniture arrangements, in addition to how the pieces work together and with the room. Think about how people enter, leave and walk around the space. In the living room, are people able to easily get in and out of the sitting area? If the room has multiple entries and exits, then you need to plan a distinct path between these points. For example, developing a pathway from the archway leading into the living room from the kitchen to the patio doors on the opposite side of the room. You ultimately want to arrange your furniture in a way that maximizes the space, while also allowing for natural walkways.