Do you find arranging furniture difficult? You’re not alone. Many find that the most frustrating part of moving. The following suggestions may help you determine the best arrangement for your living or family room.

Start by determining the room’s focal point. A fireplace or dramatic view makes the decision easy. If you’re planning to have an entertainment center, that becomes a natural focal point. Arrange the seating so that it opens up the room for people to automatically see and pay attention to your focal point. For example, put the sofa across from a fireplace, or arrange your sofa on one side of the fireplace and two chairs on the other side so the fireplace stands out in the middle. Try to keep seating within an eight-foot area to encourage conversation.

Use tape or string to lay out the natural traffic patterns in the room. People will want to walk in a straight line from one end to the other without having to pause to walk around furniture. If possible, set those paths two to three feet wide.

Place coffee and side tables within reach of your seating. For a coffee table, think between a foot and a foot and a half in front of a sofa or chairs and at the same height as the seat or a few inches lower. Side tables should be no more than a foot away from seating and within two inches of height in either direction from the closest chair or sofa arm.

These suggestions are not written in stone. They provide a good starting point, but the final arrangement will depend upon your living room space and your furniture. Don’t hesitate to move things around until you find the arrangement you like – both from a design and a functional standpoint.