Top Tips for Furniture Spacing & Placement

Akin to an invisible thread that ties a room together, the correct spacing between furniture helps to form a cohesive and functional interior.

Follow a few simple rules and you will be well on your way to creating a space that feels ‘perfectly put together’. If you would like help putting together your space, we offer in-home consultations with our highly experienced, specialist furniture consultants. They will help you find the right pieces of furniture to fit your home, assisting you every step of the way.

Dining Room

For dining rooms your first consideration should be size of the table and how many people you will need to accommodate. If there are only two of you, a small table will be sufficient but if you have a big family or entertain frequently a larger table would be better. Need a bit more flexibility? Consider bench chairs and extending tables for extra guests when required.

When choosing chairs to match, check the height of the seat as well as the height of any arms to ensure the chairs will slide easily underneath. There should be at least 18cm between the chair arm and apron of the table. Provide around 60cm between chairs so your guests can get in and out without bumping into each other.

In regards to positioning your dining table, a good rule of thumb is to have it at least 90cm between any walls and the dining table. This means your chairs will fit comfortably while also allowing for ease of movement. For the same reason you should also have around 120cm between the table and an entrance.

Lights set the tone of dining areas, with pendants being the perfect way of adding personality. There are no hard and fast rules here, but placing pendants at a lower height offer a modern look. Just be sure not to hang them too low otherwise they will get in the way and inhibit conversation – around 60cm above the table is a good height.

Finally a rug is a great way of anchoring a dining table and defining a space, especially in an open plan area. For both practical and aesthetic reason, rugs should be at least 90cm bigger than the table on all sides. It’s best for your chairs to be able to be pulled out without going off the side of the rug and getting tangled.

Living Room

There are few important measurements to consider when it comes to choosing furniture for living rooms. The distance between sofas is a key one as you want them to be close enough to make interacting with your guest easy but not so close that the room feels cramped. The perfect amount lies between 9cm and 25cm.

For coffee tables and side tables you should make sure they are at the right height and place them close enough so you can reach drinks and nibbles easily. 45cm between your coffee table and sofa is a sufficient amount while allowing for enough leg room. Aim for around 10cm of height between the seat of your sofa and the coffee table. Side tables on the other hand should line up with the height of your sofa.

The distance between your TV and sofa essentially comes down the screen size. Around 2m is a good guide but the ideal distance will vary if you have a smaller or larger TV.

As with the dining room, a rug can tie the whole space together. Bigger is usually better and at the very least, the front two legs of your sofa should be within the rug. Encompassing the entire sofa and any armchairs will make the room appear larger and lends itself to a more luxurious look. You should however leave 60cm between the rug and the wall of large rooms and between 30cm- 45cm in small rooms.