Generally speaking when buying furniture, you see it at a showroom in an appropriate setting. After the furniture is delivered many people feel like they made the wrong choice. Proportion is everything. A room could be filled with beautifully expensive furniture; if the proportion is out of whack, the room will look and feel un-appealing. Usually once the delivery truck leaves your driveway, you are stuck with that furniture. The following will help you make the right choice for your room and prevent you from being stuck. The intention of new furniture is to improve a space; not “make do”.

Step 1: Determine the minimum and maximum dimensions of all the furniture pieces you intend having in the space.

• Using quarter inch graph paper. Sketch your room to scale with the correct measurements. One square on the graph paper equals 12”x12”. Your sketch should include all doors, windows, outlets and anything else that can’t be moved or covered by furniture.

Step 2: Decide what activities are taking place in the space. Place the most important piece in your sketch first and work your way around based on priority.

• *Keep traffic patterns in mind. Walkways should be at preferably 36 inches wide; 30 inches wide is the minimum width you can allow for walkways.

• Place masking tape on the floor as a foot print for the size you feel most comfortable with.

• Measure the outline of tape on the floor. This will give you the maximum dimensions for that particular piece. You know that you can’t go bigger than the max but you can go a couple inches smaller; without disrupting the proportion.

• TIP: Artwork placed above furniture can help balance height, if you are working with a high ceiling.

Step 3: Go shopping and have FUN! Bring the pictures of the room along; this will help give a better idea of your space.