How to Arrange Furniture Like a Pro

How to arrange furniture like a pro.

Have you ever wondered how to arrange furniture just like a professional designer?

Whether you live in an apartment, townhouse, single family home, rent or own your own place, a surefire and inexpensive way to transform your home is to rearrange your furniture and furnishings. But how to arrange furniture ideally for your space?

Usually twice a year, I rearrange the furniture in my living room. I do it along with my semi-annual spring and fall cleaning–I move all the furniture to clean anyway, so it makes sense to change the layout of my room at that time. Having lived in our home for almost 15 years now, I know there’s only three ways I can arrange my current furniture to fit the living room. If you are new to rearranging, or new to your home, you might not know how to arrange furniture ideally for your rooms.  That’s why I’ve put together some tips, tricks and ideas on how to arrange furniture in your rooms like a professional designer.

7 Tips on How to Arrange Furniture Like a Pro

  1. It might seem obvious, but the first step is to get out the tape measure and to use it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve “eyeballed” a layout only to be sadly disappointed when things didn’t fit like I thought.
  2. Make the fundamental decision about whether you want to create a symmetrical or asymmetrical layout. This will inform everything you do after this point. For example, if you opt for a symmetrical look, then you would place your matching lamps on either side of the sofa. Conversely, if you opt for an asymmetrical look, then you will break up those matching lamps and put one next to the sofa and the other one on the other side of the room.
  3. Let the space make decisions for you. By this I mean, if you have a long, narrow living room, then one smart way to arrange the furniture for that room would be to create separate groupings or zones rather than trying to create one long, narrow area. The zones could have different functions, e.g, a conversation area and a separate TV viewing area.
  4. Plan ahead by drawing out your layout before you actually arrange furniture. Your back will thank you.
  5. Plan the ingress and egress into your rooms and make sure that your arrangements make sense. Consider whether there is an doorway that leads outside or whether you will be traveling through the room to get to another room. You don’t want to place seating next to a door that leads outside (can be chilly in the winter) and you don’t want to place an obstacle directly in a pathway.
  6. Decide what the focal point of the room will be and arrange your furniture in relation to that focal point. A fireplace, TV, windows, artwork or a signature furniture piece, like a coffee table, can all act as the focal point.
  7. Don’t crowd your rooms and consider removing furniture pieces if you can’t figure out where they should go. That’s a sign that maybe you don’t need that extra bookshelf in that particular room.

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Jen Wallace

Jen Wallace shares her indie life by writing about making, creating, cooking, learning, playing, decorating, and pretty much anything else that strikes her fancy from indie biz tips to the modern history of the American hemline.