Furniture Needs to be Practical
Arranging Furniture Home furnishings should serve those who live there and simplify day-to-day activities. Furniture arrangement is important because it can make a room more functional. Appearance is not its only role. Analyze each area to see what furnishings are needed and how they should be arranged. To begin you may need to draw a floor plan of the areas or rooms to be furnished. The floor plan is a two-dimensional view of a three-dimensional space. The floor plan should show the walls, doors, and chimney locations. You can also indicate where windows are located so that you don't accidentally place furniture where it will block the view. Use a tape measure to make a rough sketch of the floor plan in an existing room. Then transfer the measurements to grid paper to help scale your plan. (A scale of 1 /4 in. to the foot is best.) Using duplicate copies of this plan makes it possible to experiment with a number of different furniture arrangements to create a space you like. A few simple principles can help you decide on the best arrangement. First, leave adequate space around furniture and equipment for easy use and operation. Always keep pathways clear and doors unobstructed. Determine the traffic pattern through the room. Use the flow pattern to establish a "focal point." Perhaps your eye naturally looks toward a picture window or pauses at a fireplace. Create your room arrangement around such centers of interest. Determine the position of the largest piece of furniture first. Then look for ways to balance the room arrangement as you place the smaller pieces. The smaller pieces fall into place as you experiment.
Balance
Published by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
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