Understanding Decorating Space
Concepts for Arranging Furnishings

Understanding several concepts relating to decorating space before considering your colors, fabrics, carpeting or any other home furnishings will help you with your decorating plan.

If there are things you don't like in your room it may not be structural but the scale of the objects chosen to fill it or how the furniture is arranged. The living room may not be too small but the sofa is too big.

The fundamental concepts relating to decorating space would include scale, proportion, line, balance, harmony and rhythm.

Scale and Proportion work hand in hand.

Proportion refers to the balance and relationship of objects based on the size. The scale of a petite lady’s chair would be out of proportion if used as a pair next to an overstuffed lounge chair.

Next to consider is line. Simply put line defines decorating space. Two-dimensional space consists of flat surfaces such as walls, floors, and ceilings which are formed by intersecting lines. Add depth or volume to a flat surface and it creates a three-dimensional space.

• Vertical lines imply strength, dignity and formality, like a column which appears stately.
• Horizontal lines on the other hand convey relaxation and security.
• Diagonal lines such as a balustrade express motion and
• Curved lines denote freedom and softness.

When you begin to select furnishings, look for ways to incorporate a variety of lines to include into your decorating space and room’s design plan.

• Balance is another important concept related to decorating space. All of the furnishings should be evenly distributed throughout the space.
• Balanced relationships between objects can be symmetrical or asymmetrical.
• Symmetry refers to the same arrangement of objects.
• Symmetrical arrangements appear to look formal and are nice in a traditional setting, and using pairs of items underscore balance.
• Asymmetrical arranging is the balance between objects of different sizes and can be every bit as pleasing as symmetry.

Harmony pulls a room together
while Rhythm moves you around the room.

Rhythm refers to repeated patterns.

Creating good harmony and rhythm is balance. Always try to add at least on contrasting element for interest.

Make an informal sketch of the room.

Also take note of the permanent features like doors, stairs, closets, and adjacent decorating spaces. Observe the traffic pattern in and out of the room and the direction of the door swing if any. Allow for natural pathways such as from the door to the closet.

As you are walking thru the room, start with a rough outline of the room's shape. Again take note of the fixed features such as doors, windows, fireplaces, staircases, closets, built in bookcases and cabinetry to include on the sketch.

Indicate the adjoining rooms on the sketch so you don't want to block access to any.

How do you measure up?

Then starting from one corner, working all the way around, measure to the first opening or obstacle (fixed features) that breaks up the space. Jot down the measurement. Measure the obstacle, continuing all the way around the room.

Note all the dimensions on the sketch in the margins including the height of the ceiling.

A floor plan gives an outline of your decorating space.

• Once you've evaluated the decorating space, convert your rough sketch to scale using 1/4"graph paper.
• Every square on the graph paper represents one foot. For example, if the overall length of your room is 15', then when you draw it on paper it will take 15 squares.
• You can use any straight edge instrument to draw your lines.

It's okay to estimate for your rough sketch but you want to be accurate for the scale drawing.

• To make furniture templates to scale use the same graph paper used for the scaled drawing of your room.
• For example, a fairly standard size for a sofa is 84 X 40. Count out seven squares by 3.5 squares on your graph paper and cut that out to represent a sofa.

Don't buy a piece of furniture without measuring first. After you order it and wait for it to come in, if it's the wrong size you don't want to find out your guess was wrong. Even with the furniture you already have and are planning to keep, it is a good idea to include them in with the cut out templates.

• Move the templates about your scaled drawing to work out how the furniture can be arranged. Play with different groupings to find what works and is pleasing.
• Remember if it is crowded on paper it will most likely be crowded in real life.
• Always note the traffic pattern first on your floor plan and begin with the largest and most important piece of furniture.
• Allow 3 feet when possible to move in and through the decorating space.
• Do consider the use and function of the room before deciding on furnishings and arrangements.

If your dining room needs to double as your home office, you'll want to provide a space for a desk, books, lighting and files as well as the dining room table and chairs.

It's better to create small conversational groupings at each end of the room if the room is large and one in the center if the room is small.

Make sure you can move around these areas and the traffic flow should never interrupt them.

Visually camouflage the shape of your room.

• If your room is long, divide the space by creating two separate major groupings of furniture. Use area rugs to anchor the space. Use square shapes to widen the decorating space.
• Arrange furniture on the diagonal for narrow spaces. For example, a bed or sofa catty corner in the room.
• Add height to a low-ceilinged room with tall furnishings such as bookcases which will make the space feel more grand.
• Lower the scale of a tall space by incorporating more horizontal lines in the room.
• Painting one wall a different color visually separates one area from the other and is another means of dividing your decorating space.

Provide at least one visual link that moves the eye along different ways.

One way to do this would be to use the same palette of color throughout your space. You may want to vary the intensity of the color from one room to the next. Sticking to the basic hue creates a cohesive backdrop for everything.

Another option to stretch space is by using the same flooring treatments so that there is no separation as you move from room to room.

Simple guidelines for arranging furniture.

• The recommended distance for a sofa from chairs in the same grouping is 4-10 feet.
• For a comfortable amount of leg room, the coffee table should be positioned between 14-18" from the sofa.
• Seating opposite the tv should be three times the size of the screen, for example if the tv has a 30" screen, your seating needs to be 90" away for optimal tv viewing.
• In the dining room a seated adult occupies a depth of about 20" but needs 12-16" more to pull the chair back and rise.
• A rectangular table requires 24" per person and 32-36" of clearance between the table and the wall.
• On the serving side the space needed between the table and the wall is 44".
• The minimum clearance between the edge of the bed and the wall should be 24". In addition allow, at least 36" between the edge of the bed and any door that opens into the room.
• If you place two beds next to each other, maintain at least 18" between them.

Identify the focal point to anchor the room.

It may be a distinctive architectural element such as a fireplace, a built-in bookcase, or a spectacular view out the window.

If the room doesn't have its own focal point create one with a beautiful piece of furniture, like an armoire.

If the space is large there should be more than one focal point.

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