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Have you ever felt uncomfortable in a room but not sure why? Maybe the sofa and chairs were too far apart, or the art hung too high, or a hanging lamp too small for the room, or maybe the curtains don’t reach all the way to the floor. Chances are your personal space has been subtly challenged. When spatial guidelines are ignored, a space can feel crowded or off balance or just not right. But it’s not always obvious – just something you feel.

The following measurement formulas will help you determine if your room is spatially balanced. With a few tweaks, you might find harmony in your space with very few changes!

furniture arrangement

• Allow 2 feet for sidewalks and try not to force sidewalks through a conversation space.
• Allow 14 to 18 inches between the sofa and the coffee table.
• Reserve 2 feet behind dining and desk chairs and leave ample room for drawers to open.
• The conversation zone should be within 8 feet in diameter.
• The distance from the TV to the seating should be three times the size of the screen. For example, to comfortably watch TV on a 32-inch screen, allow 8 feet of space between the TV and the seating area.

hanging art

• Most people hang art too high. While normal advice is to hang artwork so that “normal” eye level (5′ 7″ to 5′ 10″) meets them one-third from the top of the artwork. However, you should also consider the type of space and the way the art is viewed. For example, hang living room art lower to appeal to seated guests, foyer art higher for standing guests, and nursery art slightly lower.
• Bottom line – use your common sense and when in doubt, hang it a little lower than you think you should.

hanging lights

• The sum of a room’s length and depth (in feet) equals the ideal width in inches of your fixture. For example, in a 14 x 12 foot dining room, a hanging chandelier should be 26 inches wide. A pendant light in a 10 x 10 foot foyer should be 20 inches wide.
• When hanging a light fixture over a dining or kitchen table, the bottom of the light fixture should be 28 to 32 inches above a dining or kitchen table. Hang it lower for contemporary designs or intimate settings and higher for larger tables.

Hanging curtain panels

• Your goal is to hang them so that the bottom of the panel lands directly over the window sill or reaches the floor (not in between!).
• The higher you hang your panels, the larger the room will appear.
• Hang them about 3 inches beyond each side of the window. This makes the window appear larger and allows more natural light into the room when the panels are open.
• Double Rods are great when hanging curtains behind panels. Just make sure the curtains are the same length as the panels.

carpets

• When placing a rug in a dining room, measure your table and then add 24″ to 30″ all the way around (or about 4′ to 5′ in overall length and width). This makes it easier for guests to move their chairs. Consider casters on the bottom of the chairs to make them easier to move.
• If using a room-sized rug on hardwood floors, leave at least 8 inches of exposed hardwood visible around all edges of the rug.
• If you’re using a rug in a seating area, make sure it’s anchored to the front legs of the furniture and doesn’t float in the middle of the room.

So get out your tape measure and make your room cozier! Your friends will notice that something is wonderfully different, but never put their finger on what it is. It’s our little secret!

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