The Bradenton Herald

Furniture placement: A biggest challenges when setting up your space

- BY CATHY HOBBS Cathy Hobbs, based in New York City, is an Emmy Award-winning television host and a nationally known interior design home staging expert and short-term rental/vacation home designer with offices in New York City and The Hudson Valley. Conta

One of the biggest challenges when it comes to setting up one’s space relates to how to properly place furniture.

Knowing the basic elements of spatial design and common floor plan configurat­ions will help to serve as a guide.

Common Room Shapes

Rectangula­r

Square

Angled

Curved

While rectangula­r shaped rooms is the most common floor plan shape it may pose challenges as it relates to floor plan layout. Glass walls or rectangula­r rooms with windows, closets or door openings can be difficult to plan when it comes to furniture placement.

Getting Started: The Planning Process

Before purchasing any furniture be sure to preplan by following these Design Recipes tips:

Measure your space, both the width and length and if needed the height.

Obtain measuremen­ts for your desired furniture. Nearly all furniture selections will provide product dimensions.

Plan and Sketch. Plan out your space on paper.

This step isn’t about drawing ability but is a helpful visualizat­ion tool.

Typical Furniture Layouts:

Straight

Parallel

Angled

L Shaped

Straight: This type of furniture arrangemen­t works well when one has a long wall in which furniture is mostly arranged along a single wall or plane.

Parallel: This furniture arrangemen­t works well in narrow rooms.

With this arrangemen­t, furniture groupings are placed opposite each other.

Angled: This arrangemen­t can work well when space is challengin­g as angling helps to maintain the openness of a space.

L Shaped: This popular arrangemen­t helps to frame a space while still allowing for an open feel.

Design Recipes Takeaway Tip

Go modular. Modular furniture pieces allow for the most about of flexibilit­y, furniture arrangemen­ts and configurat­ions.

 ?? Getty Images ?? A sofa paired with elements such as a tree, side chair and side tables create an L shaped furniture arrangemen­t.
Getty Images A sofa paired with elements such as a tree, side chair and side tables create an L shaped furniture arrangemen­t.

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