Are you a furniture re-arranger? That is, someone who gets bored with the look of their home or rooms in their home? Do you have to change things up every so often?
Avoid boredom and poor room dynamics with these tips on how to arrange furniture in any room. With the following furniture decorating tips, you won’t believe it could be this easy.
Tip #1 – Start big and work your way down.
When working with furniture, use the largest piece first. It could be a sofa or it might be the entertainment center.
Find a position that is both functional and practical within the room. For example, if you have a short wall in your living room, use something that will fit on that wall without overhang on an open doorway. The largest piece of furniture may have to sit opposite on the longer wall.
Tip #2 – Arrange furniture around a central object. 
This could be a coffee table. Place it in the center of the room and position furniture so everyone could reach the table from their seat.
Now, everyone can have a place for their drinks and a central place to hold a conversation or play a game. Be sure to leave at least five inches of space around the coffee table so you don’t hit it each time you sit or stand.
Tip #3 – Know which way your doors open.
There is nothing worse than having a door that can’t swing freely. Positioning furniture behind a door that opens in is waiting for an accident to happen.
Either the hand of the person in the chair will get smashed or the door will get damaged from always hitting the furniture. Leave doorways open and free of furniture that overhangs into the space.
Tip #4 – Use all the space in the room.
There is no hard and fast rule that says sofas and chairs need to be against a wall. In a large room, you will get an echo effect if you do that.
For family, the seating is too far apart to hold a conversation without shouting. You can group furniture around a central point in your room. For example, if you have a fireplace, you can place two side chairs around it for cozy seating and arrange the sofa and love seat around the television as another sitting area.
Leave space between the walls and furniture. Leaving space between walls and furniture makes small rooms appear large.
How is your furniture arranged?
Use the tips above to find new ways to position your furniture to suit your needs. You might even find when you place your furniture a certain way, you’ll love it so much, there is no need to rearrange in the future.
Decorating mistakes not to make.
Mistakes are a fact of life but that doesn’t have to include home decorating. Knowing what things to avoid can save you both time and money on your project. Here are six decorating mistakes that everyone needs to avoid if they want to create a functional room.
Usually, decorators or friends can tell you, after the fact, what you did wrong. These pointers endeavor to stop you from ever taking that path in the first place.
1. Using too many accessories. 
It is a fact that you can knick-knack yourself to death. Every blank space in your room doesn’t need a bobblehead or a glass figurine.
When you can’t think of what to fill an empty space with, place a chair or a floor vase there until you come up with something better. Refuse to use a stand loaded with collectibles. It’ll be harder to move than the vase when you do find an item for the spot.
2. Throwing pillows all around.
Pillows are fun but can be annoying when you have to throw them on the floor to make room on the sofa.
Now, your room is completely thrown off by the sea of blue, red, and green pillow icebergs all over the floor. That’s not attractive to guests.
Use pillows sparingly and where the room calls for it. Sofas are for sitting and talking or watching television. The occasional family member who wants to sleep can use the arm of the sofa or bring their pillow out for a snooze.
3. Large furniture in the room.
This is okay for a large room that needs to be divided up, but most people get larger furniture than they need. A living room set comes with a love seat, sofa, and probably a side chair. You don’t have to use all three pieces in your living room, especially if it is too small for them. Measure the dimensions of the room (bedroom, bathroom, family room, and living room) before purchasing furniture to be sure it will fit.
4. Heavy curtains to block the light.
There are other methods for blocking out sunlight besides heavy, dark curtains. During the day, they are not so bad but in the evening when the sun goes down, the room gets dark and small. Instead, use shades that filter light but also help to illuminate the room and provide privacy in the evening hours.
5. Eye-level wall hangings.
It seems like it makes sense to hang pictures and mirrors at eye level. The only problem with this is that they are too close to the back of the head when you sit on the couch.
In the hallway, shoulders can bump them because they are so low.
Hanging items on your wall that are above your head, gives the room the illusion of height. They are also out of the way of little hands and not-so-little elbows and shoulders.
6. The wrong paint color. 
Avoid darker paint hues for a small room. Your space feels even more cramped when you paint with dark colors.
On the opposite side of the coin, keep in mind, large rooms can seem like a cavern with light colors on the walls. Choose a color that brings about the desired effect for your room.
Painting with seasonal colors will see you repainting in no time. Accessorize for a seasonal feel but skip painting for it.
Avoiding mistakes is better than making them in the first place as far as decorating is concerned. If any of these ideas have been on your mind, banish them right away in favor of better suggestions.
Carson Dane, Founder
Furnitureplusdecor.com
