How to position furniture to make a room feel more inviting
1. The Problem
Is your furniture pushed up against the wall to create the feeling of space? You may end up creating a space that feels more like a waiting room, rather than a welcoming and inviting space you want to spend time in.
2. The Consequence
A room that has ineffective furniture placement will likely feel uncomfortable, impersonal or temporary.
3. The Solution
By pulling pieces of furniture away from the walls slightly your space will feel less like a waiting room. Don’t be afraid to experiment with furniture placement in ways that use the space in the middle of the room. This will feel much more inviting than having everything pushed to the outside. This doesn’t mean blocking the traffic flow from one area to the other, but give yourself permission to have a play and see what other configurations might be possible that bring furniture into the space.
Is it easy to have conversations in your lounge, or does it feel a little bit awkward? Try to configure the space so there is a comfortable distance between you and your guests to have a conversation without straining your neck to see each other, or having to shout across the room. The aim is to create an intimate and inviting area that you want to spend time in, connecting with friends and family. Once you get it working well, you’ll want to spend time there a lot I guarantee it!
Here’s an example to show you what I mean.
4. Example
In this example, my client was considering replacing her lounge suite as she thought that it was the problem.
During our consultation we identified two main issues with the placement. The first was that the couch was in a thoroughfare, so didn’t feel like a comfy destination, and the other was that it was hard up against the wall. We brought the couch into the space, created a comfortable conversation area that wasn’t directly in the thoroughfare. Worked a treat and saved her thousands on not having to replace her lounge suite after all!
Before buying that new lounge suite, think carefully about the layout of the space. Sometimes a simple reconfiguration can make your space so much more comfortable. Try a few options and see if you feel more comfortable, and more inclined to use the space.