What you should never say to your living room furniture: "Everyone up against the wall."

I am always somewhat bemused and slightly bewildered walking into a client’s home for an initial consultation when I see every single piece of their living room furniture pressed up against the walls.  I always wonder if a hoedown has occurred and I have not been invited.  I am teasing, but there does seem to be a common misconception out there about how to arrange furniture.

Flip through any shelter magazine and you will see pleasing arrangements of sofas, chairs and occasional tables within arms reach of one another.  Frequently entire compositions are put in the center of a room, which in decorator jargon is called “floating” the furniture.  Then the wall space can be freed up for tall bookcases or hutches and side tables to hold lamps.  The key is to place your sofas and chairs along with the occasional tables that make up a grouping close enough together that your guests do not have to shout at one another to be heard.  You want to create a comfortable room that invites you to come in, sit down and have a chat.

Every room has its own geometry but there is a guiding principle to start with and that is to find the focal point of the room and arrange your seating towards it.  A focal point could be tied to the architecture, like a fireplace or window with a stunning view, or it can be a dramatic piece like a marvelous hutch. Use your imagination in creating a focal point thinking of it as the star of the room.

Before rearranging your furniture ponder what you are actually going to do in the living room.  If you are going to spend a lot of time reading then make sure you have a comfortable chair and good reading light.  If your family watches TV, accommodate this activity in the most aesthetically pleasing way as possible. Perhaps a flat screen TV surrounded by a built in bookcase to the right of the fireplace would do the trick and keep the focus in the same direction as the main architectural element.

Another good trick is to throw a party and observe your guests for clues as they move chairs closer together and find places to put down their drinks.  This will give you tremendous insight into the function of the room and will give you some guidance on the changes that need to be made.

And if you are planning on dancing at one of your parties then by all means push the furniture out of the way temporarily and go for it. You can rearrange it in the morning.