Cheat Sheet: Key Measurements for Floor Planning
Planning room layouts is one of my favorite parts of the design process. It may sound pretty nerdy, but it’s the truth! It’s one of the very first things I do when I dive into a room design. Starting with the space plan helps me get a sense for the scale of the pieces I’ll be looking for and their placement in that space. Getting those two right is important for both the look and the function of the room.
You want to make sure you have “good flow,” which means that you can easily walk from one room to the next, navigate the furniture in a space, and pass by others without any awkward interaction (no shimmying!). The goal is to make it natural to move through and within a space.
Now, I don’t want this to be an intimidating process - taking time to learn a few key numbers and measurements will actually make designing your home a more enjoyable experience! Playing with numbers may not feel very glamorous or exciting, but think of it as a helping you create a roadmap to a well-decorated room. To that end, here you’ll find some “cheat sheets” of key measurements for space planning. Following these guidelines will help you create an amazing room no matter your budget. It’s all about getting proportion and placement right!
We’ll focus on three major spaces in our homes: seating areas, dining rooms, and bedrooms. I’m not going to cover kitchens and baths here, but I may address those down the road!
P.S. If you’d like to learn how to draw a digital space plan (easily!), check out my tutorial on using Homestyler below!
Seating Areas (Living Rooms, Family Rooms, Lounge Spaces)
Space between major furniture pieces: 30'“-36” ideally, 18”-24” minimum.
Space between coffee table/ottoman and seating: 16”-18”. This is usually relative to the largest piece - the sofa.
Passageway from one room to the next: 48” ideally, 36” minimum (depending on how much traffic the walkway sees).
Distance between seating: 3.5’-10’. You don’t want to be too close to the person across from you, but you also don’t want to have to shout!
Space between two armchairs: 24”-42” to accommodate a side table between them.
Coffee table size: One-half to two-thirds the size of your sofa. For a sectional, this applies to the longest part of the seating area before you get to the corner piece.
Side table size: this one is a bit relative because it will depend on the size of the furniture next to it, but generally, make sure your side table is no deeper than what it sits next to. Give it 2-3” of breathing room between it and the piece of furniture.
Dining Rooms
Space between back of chairs and wall (or another furniture piece like a sideboard): 30”-36” ideally, 24” minimum.
Space between edge of table and edge of rug: 36” ideally, 24” minimum so your chairs don’t fall off the edge of the rug .
Passageway from one room to the next: 48” ideally, 36” minimum (depending on how much traffic the walkway sees).
Amount of “space” for each person at a table: 24”+. You can use that measurement to determine how many chairs your dining table can seat. Be sure to take into account the table’s legs though so nobody has to navigate around them when they sit!
Bedrooms
Walkway around bed: at least 36”.
Nightstand width: in proportion to bed size - 20” is average, but if you have a king, you’ll want it to be wider (24-40”) and for a twin it can be narrower if desired.
Nightstands height: 24-27” (ideally the height will be same as the top of your mattress +/- a few inches).
End of bed bench: 6-8” narrower than the bed width on either side (about 3/4ths of the total width).
