Furniture arrangement

The careful arrangement of furniture can change the spaciousness of a room drastically. By following a few design criteria and keeping in mind these points when arranging the furniture in a particular room will make the room more functional and spacious.

In furnishing any room the major piece for the primary activity of the room must be considered first. Firstly arrange the largest piece of furniture in the room, i.e. the sofa in the living room, the bed in the bedroom or the desk in the office. In selecting these pieces, keep the architectural shapes of the room in mind. To echo a curved bay window with a curved sectional sofa or curved desk is pleasing to the eye.

Next arrange the furniture pieces relating to the main piece. Think about the use of the room as you place the furniture. If you typically eat or drink there, is there a place to set your cup or plate down? Is there enough storage for books or CDs? If the room is used for socializing, is there enough seating and is it appropriately arranged? Wherever possible keep pieces of similar scale together. Try to balance pieces opposite one another. A pair of upholstered seats is visually more balanced across from a sofa than a pair of small-scale occasional chairs. Mix straight lines for interest in a room. A round table or curved chair breaks up the monotony of an otherwise linear room.

Be aware of traffic patterns. The flow of traffic can be directed through a room with the placement of the furniture. Leave a minimum of two and a half feet for walkways and avoid flowing traffic through a conversational grouping if possible. Guide the traffic around the room's perimeter to create a less disruptive environment.

Finally creating an area for a secondary use adds function to a room. A reading corner in a bedroom or a game area in a family room can be created with a minimum of space. Be aware of the light in the room when selecting and placing your furniture. A dark cabinet may disappear in a dimly lighted corner. Break up the horizontal lines of the room by mixing in taller items. A bookcase against the wall or a high back chair next to the sofa or a pair of lamps on a display cabinet will give the eye some variety and improve the view.

For further details/information on this article or previous articles, contact Architect Rumana Malik, Email: afmalik@bangla.net.