Placing furniture in a room can seem overwhelming. It may seem worse if you are just trying to rearrange it and keep running into snags. Going to your favourite furniture store in Ottawa without a placing plan might lead you to a purchase that can make the room overly crowded and that you won't be happy with. That's why having a plan is key, and today we'll give you a few tips to help make the process as easy as possible.
Here are some tips that may help.
Focal Point
This can be obvious, like a fireplace, picture windows, entertainment center, or artwork. You may need to choose one and stand by your decision at other times. Once you have that single item, you can adjust your furniture around it.
Walls
Avoid putting furniture up against the wall, even if your space is small. Keeping some breathing room between a chair and the wall will make the room look larger. If you have the proper space, putting a sofa in the middle of the room is best.
Conversation Areas
People need to be able to speak with one another without shouting. They also need to be seated but not so close that they feel they are in someone else's lap. Chairs should at least generally face each other without putting a back to others.
Balance
Make sure that the room is not "lopsided" with all the large or heavy pieces on one side and the smaller items on another. Also, mix up the shapes. If you have rectangular or straight-lined seating, use a round or oval coffee table.
Traffic Patterns
Every room develops its own traffic pattern or how people move from room to room. There need to be at least two feet of clearance around furniture so that anyone can get up from the sofa or chair without knocking on the coffee table or a lamp or stepping on someone's toes.
Area Rugs
Exposing your hardwood floors is wonderful, but you also need to protect them from scratches from furniture movement. Consider area rugs for at least the front legs of Ottawa sofas and chairs.
Tables
There need to be enough end tables and coffee tables for people to place their cups or glass conveniently. These are also anchor pieces that work to stabilize the room, like a coffee table or even a small grouping of tables instead of one large one.
Lighting
Overhead lighting is important but if your room is not so equipped, make sure there are enough table lamps, sconces, or pole lamps so that people are not sitting in gloom. Lights at different levels help. Use LED light bulbs for the best value.
Artwork
Art is very subjective and comes in various types like paintings, sculptures, mirrors, and memorabilia. Just be sure it is stable and in proportion to the room and furnishings.
In the long run, if you plan ahead and work with an online planner or simple graph paper, it will make furniture placement much easier. It will also help when you go to purchase new items so that the salesperson can show you the right pieces for your space.