Before You Buy: How to Choose The Right Size Furniture

Furniture shopping is all fun and games, until you cannot fit the cupboard in the bedroom! That is why choosing the right size furniture while shopping is a must.

Choosing the right furniture is an integral part of decorating, you need to choose the right shape, color and size to fit your rooms.

And while shape, color and material are all subjective to your personal taste, size is another matter.

The size of your furniture should complement the size and shape of your room, and here is how to choose the right size furniture for that.

Determine the functions of each room

The first thing you need to do is decide what you will really use each room for.

Not just the obvious functions but try to think beyond the basic as well, will you be using this room for more functions?

For example, if you plan on creating a study area in your kids’ bedroom in the future maybe you should choose smaller beds so you can fit everything.

Or, maybe you have got a good sized dining room, but your family does not always sit down at a traditional table setting, and would much rather eat in the living room while watching TV.

If that is the case, you may want to allow some extra space in your living room for a large coffee table or extra end tables to set things down.

Design your layout

Decide where you want to put everything, how do you want to orient the space?

Do you want your living room centered on the television? Do you have a huge window with a nice view in a certain room that you do not want to block?

Choosing a space for every piece of furniture makes it easier for you to get the right size when you go shopping.

And always measure before you commit to buying any item, make sure that it will actually fit the space you have.

After you determine the dimensions of the object you want to buy, map it out on the floor where you plan to place it.

After that try to walk around the mapped area and see if there is enough space to move about freely without bumping into anything and whether there is enough room for the other furniture.

Choose the right couch for your living room

In the living room the couch is usually the center of attention and the most used item, however, keep the scale in check so all the pieces work together in harmony.

Do not get a large sofa for instance if you are going to place smaller furniture around it.

If your living room is spacious you can pretty much choose any couch shape, but bear in mind the other furniture. One of the most common mistakes people make when decorating a large area is overcrowding it with furniture.

So if you choose a big comfy couch and some matching chairs try to keep the other items like tables and lamps sleek and simple.

On the other hand, if you have a smaller living room you need to get a smaller couch. Try to pick something with a classic shape and strong design elements.

And keep the spacing cohesive, the sofa should be placed about seven feet from the television. And the coffee table should be positioned about a foot and a half away from the sofa.

Choose the right bed for the bedroom

The bed is definitely the most important item as well as the focal point in any bedroom.

Consider the size of the room before you choose a bedframe, a huge bedframe might be overwhelming in a small space, while a tiny one may make a large room feel a little sparse.

Also remember that tall bedframes like canopy and four-poster beds will make a small space feel crowded, even if they are the same size as their shorter counterparts.

Also think of what you really want. You may have for example a large spacious bedroom but would rather include a cozy seating area instead of filling up the space with a king size bed.

Choose the right table for the dining room

If the space is limited, look for more delicate styles, something sleek with small chairs.

A round table is also a good option for small spaces. The round shape keeps things centered and cozy, and it leaves generous space for moving around it as well.

A large room on the other hand can handle a large table. You can choose something long and rectangular, and maybe even add a complimentary piece like a china cabinet in a similar style to the table.

Choose the right area rug

The right area rug can unify the look of the space. Getting a rug that fits with all pieces of furniture in a room will create a more cohesive look.

That is why the size of the rug is very important; you must keep the scale in check and think not only of the size of a room when choosing a rug, but also of furniture size.

When choosing a rug for the living room, make sure at least the front legs of all sofas and chairs in the room rest on the rug.

Choosing a rug for the dining room on the other hand has got more straightforward rules.

The table and chairs should all be well within the rug’s borders, and the rug should have at least a two foot border extending out from the furniture on all sides.

The reason why you need so much space is so people can comfortably pull their chairs out and walk around, without catching furniture on the rug.

For the bedroom rug, you can choose one of two options: Either add a small rug on each side of the bed, and maybe even one to the foot of your bed.

If you choose that option note that the rugs on the sides must be the same size, and that the size must be proportional to the size of the bed.

Or, you can opt for a large rug under the bed. Similar to using a rug underneath your dining room table, remember that you should leave a border of a couple feet or so.