Once your home has been designed and built with flow in mind, you have to continue that process through furniture placement.

Photo Courtesy of Davishire Interiors

Before placing any furniture, you need to know what activities are going to be performed in each room. Have a list of furniture that you plan to use in each room.

You’ll probably have a vision of how you think the space will be designed but don’t let that vision blind you to the reality once you start placing furniture. Often, you realize that what works best for the room is a layout you hadn’t imagined.

What to Start With
Half the battle is knowing where to start. If you start with the wrong pieces of furniture, you’ll never achieve good flow in your home. With just about any task, you start with the largest part first, and furniture is no different.

Living Room – Sofa first, chairs second
Family Room – Entertainment center first, sofa second
Dining room – Table first, side piece second
Bedroom – Bed first, armoire second

 

Checklist

Finally, ask yourself these questions about each room. The answers will highlight any areas that still need improvement.

1. Is there enough room to do everything I plan to do in this room? If not, is there too much furniture, or too many large pieces?

2. Are there enough tables for lamps to create sufficient area lighting?

3. Is there enough seating to accommodate everyone comfortably?

4. Are furnishings grouped according to activity?

5. Is there enough room at eating tables so that you can walk around the table even when all the seats are occupied?

6. Are all the traffic lanes open and unimpeded?

 

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