Even the most beautiful furnishings won't work together if they're not arranged so that family and guests want to plop down and hang out a while.

 

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When it come to interior design, the number one rule to live by is this: The arrangement of a room's contents is as important as the contents themselves.

1. Take a look around the room and see what doesn't work there.
Is your furniture flush against the walls? To create a sense of depth and softness, position furniture at an angle to or floating away from the wall. This makes the room feel less boxy, more intimate and inviting.

2. Changes things up.
Start by placing the largest piece, usually the sofa, so it faces the room's main focal point, such as a window with a view or a fireplace.

3. Group the rest of the seating at a maximum of 10 feet (3m) from the sofa.
Farther away makes conversation from the sofa or chairs difficult.

4. Balance pieces of similar size by placing them across from each other.
For example, a pair of upholstered chairs placed opposite the sofa will provide a better balance than would a pair of delicate, carved-wood chairs.

5. Allow 3 feet (1m) between pieces.
This will ensure easy traffic flow into and out of the seating area.

6. Balance it.
Balance the room by putting major elements on separate walls; the flat screen TV will be more prominent if it isn't right next to the fireplace. (And it'll be safer, too.)

7. Place darker pieces where they'll get the most light, by a window or floor lamp.
A dark cabinet will disappear in a dimly lit corner.

8. Large room? Create a room-within-a-room. If the room is large, set up a secondary area to make the room feel cozier and do double duty. Add a desk and chair to a window corner, or create a family game area with a small table and a few chairs.

9. Get angular in a small room to create the illusion of more space.
Place the furniture, starting with the sofa, on a corner diagonal. This unusual placement takes the focus off the room size and places it square on the furnishings instead. Resist the urge to fill up the room with every stick of furniture you own. Bare areas imply spaciousness.

10. Arrange furniture in a way that makes living comfortable.
If you plan to use a room for entertaining, are there enough places where guests can set down glasses and plates? If a coffee table is out of reach from the chairs, place small tables beside them. Will you be watching Humphrey Bogart classics from your sofa? If so, make sure there's a shelf or cabinet nearby with space to store your DVDs of Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon.