To apply the principles of design in furniture arrangement

1. z
How to Arrange
Furniture
5.2 To apply the principles of design in furniture
arrangements.

2. z
1. Arrange major pieces first
 Arrange major pieces of furniture
first, such as a couch, table or
bed, then smaller items such as
end tables, chairs, and plant
stands.
 Leave enough room for doors and
drawers to be opened.
 Think about lighting and how light
will work in the room; lamps are
easy to move. However, this
should be done before hanging
mirrors and pictures.

3. z
2. Balance furniture
by size and weight
 Balance between size: large,
medium or small furniture or
accessories.
 Balance between weight: heavy /
solid and light / airy
 For example, a heavy filled
bookshelf or cabinet might pair
better with a lighter loveseat or
coffee table.

4. z
3. Avoid placing large items at an angle
 Placing large items at an angle can make them look out of place.
 Your eyes are naturally trained to view things horizontally or
vertically.
 Angling furniture can bottleneck trafficways and cause
inconvenience.
 Putting large items against walls can free up space in a small
room (ex. beds, tables, couches).

5. z
4. Consider the flow of traffic in the room.
 Traffic patterns are how people flow in
and out of the room.
 Before adding furniture, establish where
the traffic patterns will be, taking into
consideration doors and windows, and
whether the door swings in or out.
 You should have a comfortable 24 inches
of space in which to maneuver in and
around furniture.

6. z
z
5. Group furniture for conversation and other functions.
Group conversational furniture around a “focal point”.
Point conversational seating within someone’s range of sight
(straight across or within a 45 degree angle).
Have conversational party seating in an open area where it is easier to hear
or in more enclosed areas for more intimate conversation.

7. z
6. Consider the size and
shape of the room.
 If a room is long and narrow, choose one
end wall as focal point or split the room up
into two distinct areas.
 If it is short and wide, have the seating area
converge in the center of the room.
 If the room is an “L” shape, don’t obstruct
the movement around the inside corner of
the “L”.

8. z
7. Consider the placement
of windows and doors
 Do not obstruct pathways of doors and
windows (for movement and safety.)
 Strategically place seating or activity
centers (like sinks) so that you can peer
out windows (ex. watching kids in the
yard, watching the bird feeder, etc.)
 Again, establish where the traffic patterns
will be, taking into consideration doors and
windows, and whether the door swings in
or out.