Wall Space at a Minimum? Create the Perfect Furniture Arrangement

A new home is a wonderful thing and a reason for excitement.  Whether you are moving into a bigger place to accommodate a growing family or you are downsizing as empty nesters, this is the time to rethink your approach to home design.  Among the many challenges that can come with moving into a new space is finding that the living room or family room does not have adequate wall space to make furniture arrangement simple.

The natural thing for most people to do when laying out a room with furniture for the first time is to set the largest pieces against the walls of the room.  Sofas, lounge chairs, china cabinets, and bakers racks find their way to these room boundary markers.  However, that is not always an option in a new space.  Many living areas today have rooms with walls that are eaten up by architectural elements.  Fireplaces, oversized windows, decorative entryways, and staircase railings are all beautiful, but they can present a problem when they take up wall space.

If this is the case in your new space, do not fret.  Furniture is often so beautiful today that it can stand on its own without the need for an anchoring wall.  Even couches with less than beautiful backsides can float in the room with the help of a decorative table behind them, adorned with welcomed accessories.  A piece in The Gainsville Sun recently addressed this topic.  It makes mention of the use of area rugs and coffee tables to make floating furniture appear intentional.  In fact, large spaces – even those with plenty of wall space – can feel more intimate when furniture is arranged in this way.

These same principles can be put to use in a large bedroom.  The bed can float in the room and feel perfectly natural when a rug is used as an anchor.  The addition of a table or chest at the end of the bed and other well-aligned accent pieces can make it feel even more natural.  An elegant wrought iron headboard can even add interest from all angles.