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.

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...

1. Start drawing your layout plan here...
2. Use these pages to help you:
   • Tips for arranging furniture here...
   • Measurements for ideal spacing between furniture here...
   • Measurements for standard sizes of furniture here...
3. Look at real readers' layout problems and Q&A for help and inspiration 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.

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

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.

Measurements for ideal spacing

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 furniture arranging 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...

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...

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

Ask your own layout questions, here...

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Standard dimensions for 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

Nadine needs help with how to measure a sofa

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...

Return from this page on arranging furniture to the page on interior design tips and checklist

Return from this page on arranging furniture to the Home Page

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