Arranging Furniture

Before: This "room" is functional but lacks pizzazz.

After: A cozier space is created with the addition of an area rug and a new furniture arrangement.

Interior designer Mark McCauley is an expert at balancing furniture and accessories in a home, accounting for a furnishing's volume, size and mass, and incorporating that special piece into a room's style and decor. He shares some tips on creating a comfortable, balanced space:

• Don't group focal points all in one corner. For example, don't put a TV and bookshelf directly beside a fireplace.
• Think of the living space as a "city" with major roads, side streets and alleys. Translate this concept to the room's traffic flow--reserve three feet for the main pathway, two feet for pathways to a window or fireplace, and allow 18 inches for the "alleys," like the space between a coffee table and sofa.
• Arrange furniture on angles and layer carpets on top of each other to create depth.

Resources
Let's Talk Decorating : The Professional Guide to Smart Design
by Mark McCauley, Patrick Caton (Editor) (ISBN: 1562452266)
Order this title.
Great Quotations Publishing Company
1967 Quincy Court
Glendale Heights, IL 60139-2045
USA
Phone: 630-582-2800
Toll Free Phone: 800-354-4889
Fax: 630-582-2813

Interior Design for Idiots
by Mark McCauley (ISBN: 1562451863)
Order this title.
Great Quotations Publishing Company
1967 Quincy Court
Glendale Heights, IL 60139-2045
USA
Phone: 630-582-2800
Toll Free Phone: 800-354-4889
Fax: 630-582-2813

Marshall Field's Interior Design Studio
Beverly Rehfeldt, I.I.D.A., Interior Designer
Macy's
Website: www.macys.com
Also in this Episode

Decorating With Style : Episode DWS-454
•	Scenic Door
•	Petroglyph Plate Hangings
•	Arranging Furniture