KE’s 10 Commandments of Styling
Whether you’re rearranging one room or rethinking your whole home, how you arrange furniture makes a bigger difference than most people expect. These are the ten principles our stylists apply on every project – practical, not prescriptive, and worth knowing whether you’re working with a stylist or doing it yourself.
1. Function Over Form
Let the layout reflect how the space will actually be used. Two sofas facing each other might look pleasingly symmetrical, but if the main activity is watching TV, it’s not the ideal setup. Think about what you actually want to do in the space, and what needs to be within arm’s reach.
2. Balance Is Key
Visually counteract a large piece of furniture with two smaller ones, or a tall floor lamp with a hanging pendant.
3. Find a Focus
Orient furniture to make the best use of what your home actually offers – keeping the view of an ornate fireplace clear, arranging seating to take advantage of a window view, or keeping furniture low to show off wall panelling.
4. Every Seat Gets a Buddy
Wherever there’s somewhere comfortable to sit, make sure there’s also a surface nearby – for a cup of tea, a lamp to read by, or at minimum a second chair so two people can sit and talk.
5. Allow for Clearance and Flow
Map your traffic routes through the room. Less is more, and aim for at least a metre of walking room between pieces of furniture.
6. Keep the Horizon Clear
Keep eyelines across a room clear – particularly items placed in front of windows, or directly in the traffic path when entering a room.
7. Create Zones
In an open-plan space, furniture arrangement can create “rooms” within a room. A rug under a group of chairs makes a conversation zone; turning a sofa with its back to the rest of the space signals “this is the living room.”
8. Don’t Be a Wallflower
Avoid pushing all furniture up against the walls. Even 30cm of breathing room behind a couch can create the illusion of a larger space.
9. Experiment
It’s just furniture. Many people settle into one layout and assume it’s the only way the room can work – but moving a chair, shifting a sofa, or reorienting a bed is often enough to give a home a whole new feel.
10. Loosen Up
Every rule here can be broken with a bit of creativity. Every home can be beautiful and welcoming with a little care – experiment with your layout and see what happens.
Final Thoughts
Want a second opinion on your own space? Our Style to Stay consultation gives you two hours with a stylist to apply these principles to your actual home.