#1 Blunder

By far the most common mistake made, is the bowling alley syndrome in large living rooms. You know what I’m talking about. All the furniture in the room is pushed up against the walls with a big empty space in the middle. Sorry, having kids is no excuse.

• Problem: No conversation area! When you are visiting with someone it’s nice to feel like your actually sitting in the same room together. If your friend is sitting on a couch eight feet away from you, the talking distance becomes naturally uncomfortable. We humans are just that way. We like to be in closer proximity to one another during conversation.
• Fix #1: Place your couches and chairs in an ‘L’ shape pattern with no more than 24”-36” between the end of your couch and the end of your love seat or recliner. This leaves plenty of space to pass between the furniture or place an end table.                                                              
• Fix #2: Place your sitting pieces across from one another; couch opposite chairs or couch opposite love seat. Leave no more than six feet of space between them. This allows seating close enough to feel intimate and plenty of room for a coffee table. People don’t need more than 18” to comfortably pass between tables and sofas.

If you find you have a bunch of empty space after ‘grouping’ your furniture, GREAT! Every square foot of your home is valuable real estate. Now you have room to place a writing desk, small game table, reading nook or a ‘play’ area for the kids…you get the idea.

#2 Blunder

This one is a horrific mistake. Please don’t hide key features of your room with your furniture! Don’t use your sofa to block fire places, sliding glass doors or terrific views.

• Problem: You just killed your focal point! Key features in a room are natural focal points. Play them up.
• Fix: Find one or two of your favorite things about the room and make those be your focal points. Orient your furniture in such a way that you get to appreciate them every time you take a seat. If it happens to be a fire place and a great view, make sure they are seen!

You pay good money for those high value features in your home. Play them up, show them off and don’t forget why you fell in love with the house to begin with.

#3 Blunder

This one is understandable, but has its consequences. Mistake #3 is placing too much or too little furniture in a room. I know, I know, it all comes down to money or emotional attachment. Either you don’t own the furniture or you have no place to store it.

• Problem: The room feels crowded, cluttered and uncomfortable or cold and lonely. Either scenario screams “Let me out of here!”
• Fix #1: For the overstuffed room, take some of those pieces out! Put them in another room, store them, sell them or give them away. If you must live in tight quarters, for heaven sakes make it pleasant. Letting go of clutter is liberating. You might just find your place isn’t so small after all!
• Fix #2: For the empty room, get some furniture. Real furniture. Grown up rooms have furniture. It’s about creating a life style for yourself. It’s about creating an environment that makes you feel good. Make the decision and make it happen.

Great furniture placement is time well spent and it’s free! It sets the tone for the whole room. When a room flows, it feels good. When it feels good, you feel happier. After all, isn’t that what life is all about? And just think, now that you have great flow you can get down to the real business of decorating your space…but that’s another article.

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