This week I’d like to share some tips on how to fit the right amount of furniture to your room size.  I call this “spatial planning”. Spatial planning can be difficult for a lot of people. If you’ve ever felt that you’re horrible at gauging the right size Tupperware to put some leftovers in—then spatial planning a room will definitely challenge you.  Here are a few tips that can help.

1.Remember that your furniture should take up a maximum of 60% of the whole room as well as 60% of the floor space.  If it’s less than that, your room won’t feel quite right. It will look incomplete, unbalanced and probably a little scanty.  If there’s MORE then 60% it will end up feeling cluttered and crowded.

2. Draw up a floor plan.  Measuring your room and drawing up a plan can be very helpful. Again, this may not be an easy thing for some people – but if you can figure it out, it will definitely help.  You can then cut out some pieces of paper that are the size of your furniture. Of course this will all need to be at the same scale. As you rearrange the furniture papers, it is important to remember things like your flow of traffic, TVs, fireplaces, etc. – while at the same time finding the 60% balance.

3. A good interior designer should have access to this kind of planning help and will be able to help you with balancing your furniture to room size, provide a good floor plan with furniture options to scale, not to mention the right style of furniture, colors, stains and fabrics, so that the whole room flows together.  There is definitely something to “spatial talent” that some have and some just don’t.

4. Finally – not all interior designers can provide a perspective drawing – but if you find someone who does, it will make a world of difference!  There is nothing like being able to envision a change to a room.

Floor Plan to Scale