Arranging Furniture is Easy When You Create a Layout Plan
Learn professional interior design secrets for arranging furniture, and easy ideal spacing tips.
Ideal spacing and arrangement of the furniture is a very important part of your design...
And can often be overlooked.
Layout - The Key to a Successful Scheme
You can choose the perfect interior design style and color...
But if your furniture arrangement is wrong, it will let your whole scheme down.
But that’s not going to happen to you.
Not with these pages on arranging furniture at your fingertips!
It helps to imagine your room
from a bird's eye view
We are going through the whole design process from start to finish, seeing how real interior designers do it...
This info will help you to decide exactly where to put your furniture for the nicest arrangement. And you will learn exactly how to create layouts that work.
Follow the Easy Steps Below...
You can use this section with your free downloadable How to Design checklist
Here's how to use all the info in this section...
- Start drawing your layout plan here...
- Use these pages to help you:
- Look at real readers' layout problems and Q&A for help and inspiration here...
- Free interactive online layout tool here
How to Draw a Layout Plan
- Professional interior designers always draw a layout plan - it helps them to really play around with arranging furniture - and get it right!
- It’s something I really recommend you do - particularly if you are starting on a major home decorating project.
Even if you are keeping exactly the same furniture it may be worth taking a little time out to try this - you may find a great new way of arranging the furniture, that gives you the ideal spacing in your room.
I will admit that I don’t do this now for some of the rooms in my house - my lounge, for instance - it is so tiny that there are only 2 ways of arranging the furniture...
I have tried both - and have decided which way round I like best.
If this is you too, don’t worry - it’s not essential. Just leave this step out - remember, this is interior design to suit you.
I have included some standard dimensions for furniture to help you with the plan.
Click here to learn how to draw the layout plan.
Free Interactive Design Tool for Floor Plans
I also recommend a great free interior design software tool, here... which will really help you to create a floor plan in just minutes
Tips on Arranging Furniture
Here are some considerations I always like to bear in mind when planning the layout of a room...
These tips on arranging the furniture will make sure your room really flows and looks spacious.
And there will always be enough room for everyone to move about comfortably.
Click here for furniture arrangement tips.
Also think about how arranging your furniture, and your layout, could affect the sense of balance and harmony in your room
If you want to plan your layout with the best positioning for TV and surround-sound speakers in mind check out the help, here...
Measurements for Ideal Spacing
When I discovered these measurements for ideal spacing between pieces of furniture in a room, I really found them a godsend.
Never have to squeeze past that tight corner - or push your chair back from the table - straight into a wall!
Click here to discover ideal spacing measurements for yourself.
Don't forget to make notes for your own layout project on your free downloadable How to Design checklist
Keep Track of Your Interior Design Project
Stay on track and get help for your interior design project - from start to finish in the main How to Design section.
Still Stuck?
Read other people's layout and arranging furniture queries, or ask your own here...
Comments or Questions about Layout and Furniture Arrangement?
Can't quite get your layout right? Wondering where to put the sofa in an awkward shaped room? What looks best?
Ask your questions here and we'll try our very best to help out...
I love helping you out with your interior design questions and dilemmas.
But due to the volume of enquiries I've been getting recently, and other time constraints, I can now only answer a small amount of quick questions for free...
If you think your question requires a lengthy, time-consuming or more complex reply, please consider paying me for the time I take to answer your queries, and get a quote for my help with your design dilemma.
(Please note that some of the Q&A you see on the site were responded to when the site was much smaller and I had more time available to me to answer all of your questions.)
While I always make every effort to answer your questions, I'm sorry but sometimes not all submissions will receive a response.
To improve the chances of your submission being included in the website, please let me know as much information as possible about your current interior decor, and what your problem is.
What About Other Readers' Layout Problems...
Click below to see comments and queries from other visitors to this page about their layout and furniture arrangement concerns...
Help Arranging Living Room Furniture 
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I have a friend of mine who is planning to buy a sofa set for her living room. She already has the dimensions of the full set.
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How do I arrange my place???????
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I have just bought this apartment.... They are two of them but I have turned them in to one......
I am posting a picture along as I am open …
So confused on how to arrange the seating in the "living room".
Hi there!!
First of all I love your site! :)
I've been trying and trying to come up with the perfect way to arrange my (not bought yet) furniture. …
A living room with high ceilings, placement of room arrangement with fireplace and large screen tv
I have a high ceiling living room. The space is 18ft. long by 13ft. wide.
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More Questions and Answers on Furniture Arrangement Not rated yet
I have a new house which is only 35 sq meters floor area. Two rooms upstairs. I dont know what to do.
.............
Comment
By Charlotte
30 …
More Reader Arranging Furniture Q&A
Dustin needs help positioning the TV in his room layout
Katrina needs help with a layout for a cluttered feel
Dipan wants some help in creating an open plan layout
Donna wants help with a bizarrely shaped 'double' living room
Ask your own layout questions, here...
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Standard Dimensions for Furniture
These are standard dimensions - for typical pieces of furniture.
If you don’t have a specific piece of furniture in mind - these will help enormously with your layout planning and arranging the furniture.
- Living room furniture
- 3 seat sofa - 185cm x 85cm /6 ft 2 x 2ft 9
- 2 seat sofa - 150cm x 85cm / 5ft x 2ft 9
- Armchair - 85cm x 85cm / 2ft 9 x 2ft 9
- Small armchair - 50cm x 40cm / 1ft 7 x 1ft 3
- Dining room furniture
- Dining table - 150cm x 90cm / 5ft x 3ft
- Dining chair - 50cm x 50cm / 1ft 7 x 1ft 7
- Study furniture
- Desk - 130cm x 70cm / 4ft 3 x 2ft 3
- Chair - 50cm x 50cm / 1ft 7 x 1ft 7
- Kitchen
- Width of countertop units - 63cm / 2ft
- Bathroom fittings
- Bath - 170cm x 70cm / 5 ft 8 x 2ft 3
- WC - 70cm x 55cm / 2 ft 3 x 1 ft 9
- Washbasin - 56cm x 42cm / 1ft 10 x 1ft 4
- Shower - 90cm x 90cm / 3ft x 3ft
- Bidet - 56cm x 42cm / 1ft 10 x 1ft 4
- Bedroom furniture
- Single bed - 90cm x 190cm / 3ft x 6ft 3
- Double bed - 135cm x 190cm / 4ft 6 x 6ft 3
- King size bed - 150cm x 200cm / 5ft x 6ft 6
- Super king size bed - 180cm x 200cm / 6ft x 6ft 6
- Single wardrobe - 60cm x 60cm / 2ft x 2ft
- Double wardrobe - 120cm x 60cm / 4ft x 2ft
- Chest of drawers - 75cm x 45cm / 2ft 5 x 1ft 5
- Bedside table - 40cm x 40cm / 1ft 3 x 1ft 3
- Dressing table - 135cm x 45cm / 4ft 5 x 1ft 5
Ready to Start?
Make sure you also have the measurements for ideal spacing in your room
Now you have these measurements, start your own layout plan
Or get help with how to arrange the furniture
Readers' Measurement Questions
Nadine needs help with how to measure a sofa
Don't Forget Your Checklist
Well, good luck with your layout and arranging your furniture.
Make notes on any information you need for your own layout project on your free downloadable How to Design checklist
Next Step:
After planning how to arrange your furniture, the next step is to look at your lighting - this is a very important part of the interior design process - and should definitely not be overlooked.
Ask your own layout questions, here...
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