Furniture Arrangement

A great deal of expense can be saved if the rooms are first planned on paper. Draw the room to scale. Make templates of cardboard approximating the shape and size of furniture.

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Balance: Furniture and decorations should arranged in the groups for specific purpose-conversation, reading, etc. Group should be arranged in balance, with several small pieces or bright pieces offsetting larger or heavier-looking pieces. The balance may be formal-that is, symmetrical, or informal, asymmetrical. Formal balance tends to appear stilted, should not to be used on more than three groups in a room. Equal balance gives a restful effect to a room, but may become monotonous and dull with too much repetition. Consequently it is good to combine formal and informal balance in the same room.

Line: Lines of furniture and decorations may be straight, curved, parallel, vertical, horizontal and diagonal. They may be delicate or strong, soothing or harsh. Lines should harmonize gracefully. Too many lines, like to many colors, give an air confusion.

- The fundamentals of furniture arrangement:

- Keep accessories in proportion of furniture

- Keep furniture in proportion space

- Arrangement may be symmetrical or asymmetrical

- Don’t put furniture in traffic lanes

- Place large pieces against the wall

- Seating or flat topped pieces may be placed at right angles or against the wall

- Place furniture around a center of interest

Color: Color schemes for furniture should be planned with consideration of the size, shape, exposure, use, and available furnishing.

Scale and Proportion: Small rooms should have small furniture; large rooms, larger pieces. Small and massive furniture, mixed in one group, tend to clash. Furniture itself and its relation to wall space should be in a good proportion. Certain proportions of space are pleasing to the eye, others are dis-pleasing. Good proportion of furniture space to wall space are 2 to 3, 3 to 5, 4 to 7. These proportions of furniture may be used in arranging any group, as to height, width or overall mass.

Texture: The roughness or smoothness of materials gives a feeling to a room. Textures may be mingled, should be graduated.

Rhythm: Rhythm is related movement. Architecture has been called “frozen music”. In a room, rhythm is a repetition of accent, either by furniture arrangement or by the use of color or design so the eye is carried from one point to another. You may obtain it by a repetition of color, as when the eye is carried from a color window drapery to chairs, pictures, and accessories, each repeating in correct proportion the man color scheme of the room.