Five furniture arranging tips for good interior design

Furniture is the meat and potatoes of interior design. Accessories like throws and pillows may fill in the little gaps but the furniture you select and the way you arrange it is going to determine the success of your interior design more than anything else so it’s important that you put a lot of careful though into it. Here are five furniture arrangement tips that will help you to decorate like a pro.

Every seat needs a conversation partner

Good interior design facilitates conversation. That means that when you’re deciding on a way to arrange the furniture for a room, every seat needs a conversation partner. Every sofa, loveseat, and armchair needs a conversation partner. They should be arranged in such a way that the people sitting in them can face people sitting in the other one. Also make sure that the space between them is comfortable. Seating that is too close or too far makes conversation awkward.

Float your furniture

People have a tendency to make wallflowers out of their furniture, especially in smaller spaces. It’s natural to want to use the square footage in the most efficient way possible by pushing everything against the walls and maximizing floor space in the middle of the room but you should resist that urge and float your furniture by moving everything a couple of feet inwards from the walls of the room. Contrary to what you might think, floating your furniture will actually make the space appear to have more room and not less. Floating your furniture is especially important if you have baseboard radiators since furniture that’s pushed up against them can pose a fire hazard. Even if they’re a few inches away they will block airflow and reduce the effectiveness of the heaters. In addition to floating furniture you can install baseboard radiator covers to put another layer between the heating elements and your furniture.

Have a focal point

For good interior design, every room needs a focal point that draws the eyes. In many US households, this ends up being the big flat screen TV more often than not. But if you want to be more creative, you can make one of your major furnishings the focal point such as a chandelier or a stand-out coffee table. The furniture itself can be a focal point if it has a more interesting color, texture, or pattern. If you want something else to be the focal point, then keep the furniture more subdued by choosing a more neutral, light color.

Less is more

You may have trouble creating a focal point in a space if there’s simply too many pieces. If you’re struggling to find a good arrangement for a given room, the problem may be that you’re trying to cram in too many things. When it comes to furniture arranging, less really is more.

Get an outside perspective

Another tip if you’re struggling is to get an outside perspective. You can ask a trusted friend or relative for their opinion. They may see a possibility for a layout you never even imagined and it may be just what the room needs. You can get an outside perspective without help from someone else by taking a picture to help you see the space as guests will see it. This can reveal new possibilities or problem areas.

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