{"id":3010,"date":"2022-01-29T13:05:45","date_gmt":"2022-01-29T13:05:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hollidaydesignonline.com\/roominess\/?p=3010"},"modified":"2022-02-19T03:14:50","modified_gmt":"2022-02-19T03:14:50","slug":"why-decorators-arrange-living-room-furniture-that-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hollidaydesignonline.com\/roominess\/3010\/why-decorators-arrange-living-room-furniture-that-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Decorators Arrange Living Room Furniture That Way"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Contemporary
Image created with RoomStyler<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If I were to name one issue that jumps out as I look at online forums and discussions about decor, it\u2019s furniture arrangement. This isn\u2019t always what commenters are explicitly asking about. A lot of times, the questions are about what to do with walls, or what color to paint something. But what jumps out at me is how the furniture is arranged. The average DIY home decorator shoves their furniture against the walls, leaving the middle of the room empty. Why is that a problem? Keep reading!<\/p>\n

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This article walks through my basic philosophy of furniture arrangement. You can see my related video here<\/a>. Furniture arrangement doesn\u2019t start where you think. When you look at most successful interior designs, they don\u2019t start with the walls. They start with the people.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s that supposed to mean?<\/p>\n

Start with the People<\/h2>\n

What I mean is that the purpose of most living rooms is to get together with friends and family. Many living rooms include a TV, and we won\u2019t ignore that. But the most successful designs are put together with people and conversation in mind.<\/p>\n

When you watch groups of people interact in public, you see a pattern emerge. They naturally form a circle to talk to each other. It\u2019s not rigid and geometrical. It\u2019s loose and fluid. People who are in closer relationships might stand closer together. Maybe someone not as familiar with the group stands a little farther away. People come and go from the group, and the size and shape of the circle adjusts. Most people don\u2019t stand in such a closed circle that no one can join.<\/p>\n

\"Diagram
A conversation circle with natural openings that allow newcomers to join<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another example: When people congregate at a food court or school cafeteria, they naturally find a center point of conversation and arrange themselves around that. So even if the tables and chairs are all arranged in a linear fashion, circles of conversation form, sometimes in the aisles rather than at the tables. And as different groups arrive and leave, those conversation circles move around the food court tables and aisles. What does this have to do with arranging your home furniture? Start with where people like to congregate and talk, and arrange your furniture around these natural conversation circles. Don\u2019t force people to be where your furniture is.<\/p>\n

How We Treat an Empty Room<\/h2>\n

In any given empty seating room, the first thing most DIY decorators will do (if the movers didn\u2019t already do it) is put the sofa again the wall. A couple of chairs go against the other wall.<\/p>\n

\"Room
Image created with RoomStyler<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Look familiar? You or someone you know probably has a room like this. But is this what the room in your favorite decor magazine looks like? Probably not.<\/p>\n

What if you can only put the sofa against the wall? What do you do then? Have a look at this video.<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Now think about the same room, empty again. If you walked in and were talking with a group of friends, where would you stand? Would you all line up against the walls? Most likely not. You\u2019d stand in something of a circle, probably toward the middle of the space.<\/p>\n

\"People
Image created with RoomStyler<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If there\u2019s a television or a view to the backyard in the room, you might stand in more of a U-shape to take in those views.<\/p>\n

\"People
Image created with RoomStyler<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Start in the Center<\/h2>\n

So instead of letting the walls dictate where your furniture goes, start in the center of the room and arrange the furniture in a circle or square with the pieces spaced at a comfortable distance from one another.<\/p>\n

The size of the circle depends on the amount of furniture you\u2019re trying to include and the scale of that furniture. A standard recommendation would be a circle with a 12-foot diameter. If your room can\u2019t fit this size, the furniture will obviously need to be closer. If your room is bigger than this size, you can float the furniture out a little farther, but I wouldn\u2019t try to make one conversation circle go beyond about 18 feet in diameter. (That\u2019s really big!)<\/p>\n

\"Diagram
For larger rooms, try arranging the furniture in a circle no greater than 20 ft. in diameter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you have sofas, they don\u2019t work too well making a circle. Upholstered furniture pieces more naturally form squares or a rectangles. You can place your sofas at right angles or facing toward each other to make those shapes.<\/p>\n

Another easy trick is to arrange your furniture around a rug. An 8′ x 10′ up to a 12′ x 15′ rug is great for arranging furniture.<\/p>\n

So can a sectional sofa and a coffee table accomplish a conversation circle? They do, in effect. However, for reasons I\u2019ll go into later, a sectional sofa isn\u2019t my first choice for furniture. Take a look at this video<\/a> for some alternative furniture selection ideas.<\/p>\n

Where to Focus<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s return to the concept of the conversation circle. A new person who wants to join the group might feel a little awkward if no one is leaving an opening. Similarly, try to open up your furniture arrangement toward the entrance of the room so that people are invited in. If you can, also leave openings for focal points of the room, which might be a TV, a fireplace, or a window view. Some furniture will likely face away from one or more focal points. Here\u2019s the hierarchy I recommend:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Television<\/strong> – If the intended use of the room is for TV viewing, don\u2019t make someone crane their neck to view it.<\/li>\n
  2. Fireplace<\/strong> – Placing furniture adjacent to a fireplace without a full view of it is acceptable. One doesn\u2019t need to face a fireplace in order to experience it, unlike a television. Placing a sofa where it blocks the fireplace is almost always a bad idea.<\/li>\n
  3. Windows<\/strong> – Enjoying a view is nice, but not always necessary. A sofa can sit in front of a window if either (a) the back is not higher than the window bottom ledge or (b) you\u2019re able to leave a couple of feet between the back of the sofa and the window.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    What if you want more seating in a room, but can\u2019t do it without blocking one of the focal points? Consider using an ottoman, stool, bench, or pouf. These can allow for seating without blocking the view. They are also easily shifted around if you want more temporary seating around the TV for something like a football game.<\/p>\n

    \"Diagram
    Leave openings in your furniture arrangement for easy access to focal points, such as a TV.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Here are some other benefits to a conversation circle:<\/p>\n