Size and Space

The beautiful china cabinet you purchased has just been delivered, but there is a problem. It takes up half of the room! You forgot to take into consideration the size of the rooms, when you selected new furnishings. This is a common oversight most people make when they shop for new furniture. Even chairs and sofas can overpower a small room if careful planning isn't done in advance. It's usually a good idea to measure larger pieces of furniture before purchasing them, and then use cardboard or paper cutouts to see just how much space they will occupy in your home.

There are also commercially available room planning kits that will allow you to place scale models of furniture on your floor plans. This allows you to move the pieces around for the best fit. Also, keep in mind the size of doorways, halls and stairs, so that furniture can be easily moved from one room to another. If you live in a small apartment, you may be willing to live with a piece of furniture that you really like, that is too big for now, if you are planning on moving to a larger home in the near future. However, if you have a large home and are planning on moving to a smaller condo or apartment, remember that the rooms may be smaller than what you are used to. Often it is not only the size of the room, but also the shape of the room that needs to be considered when purchasing furniture.

You may also want to visit model homes and apartments that are similar to your own to see how different decorators make use of living space and furniture. Many furniture showrooms also have decorators that may be able to help you select furniture that is the right size for your living space. Just remember, carry that tape measure with you when you shop for furniture!

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