Ideal Room Size by Pamela Cole Harris When planning your home décor, it is vitally important to understand your space needs. Do you have enough room to open any doors? Can you walk from one side of the room to the other without climbing over the furniture? Here are some rules to keep in mind when you plan your room update: 1. Living Room – Keep in mind that for good conversational and traffic flow, keep at least 4-10 feet between sofa and chairs. Place your coffee table between 14-18 inches from the sofa (although I would only use 18 inches if you have lonnnnng arms!). 2. Family Room – To the above rules about sofa and chair placement, add the viewing area needed for a television. To view a 30 inch TV screen, the sofa or chair should be at least 90 inches away (but not so far that you have to change your glasses prescription to view!). To create an easy flow in any room, there should be traffic lanes which are at least three feet wide. 3. Dining Room - A seated adult at a round or square table usually occupies a depth of about 20 inches with at least 12-16 inches more to pull back a chair. Rectangular tables need at least 24 inches per person and about 32-36 inches clearance between table and walls. On the serving side, the table to wall distance should be at least 44 inches. 4. Bedroom – For maximum comfort, the distance from the bed to the wall should be at least 24 inches. To allow any door to open easily, there should be 36 inches between the bed and the door. Knowing how much space you really need in a room can make planning your space much easier. Be sure to measure your room height and length, the size of windows and check to see of your room is “true” or square before you place your furniture. Doing so will help avert a potential disaster like buying a king-size bed for a queen-size room! Try one of these ideas or use them to jumpstart your own creative imagination. Remember, there is a designer in each of you! It's just very well hidden in some - VERY well hidden! Pamela Cole Harris has been a writer for over 35 years (Yikes! Has it been that long? Her fun, tongue-in-cheek approach to decorating has made http://www.homeandgardenmakeover.com one of the most popular décor sites on the net.

Featured Articles Wooden Window Blinds   Here are some tips on selecting the in trend wooden window blinds. Window blinds are very important decorating elements in your home and office. Many websites also offer customer service for maintenance of the wood blinds. If you don’t want to work with an interior designer, you can find a variety of custom designed wooden window blinds at the majority of manufacturers. Designer deck railings   Here is an article on designer deck railings. You can create an extension of your personal likes in decoration, with ornamental parts of wood, iron and other material easy to install that will increase the value of your home at the same time. They have many decorative options and display themselves beautifully. Very complicated can be making stairs. Organize Wall Storage   Here are some ideas to Organize Wall Stor. Everyone can use more organization in their lives (except those misguided souls who alphabetize their spices, canned goods and color-coordinate their laundry supplies!). Do you have an old garden bench or one of those wooden benches which are frequently beside dining tables or in entry halls? Selection of Room Humidifier   Here is an article on how to select and make a choice of room humidifiers. A room humidifier can relieve the symptoms associated with air that is too dry. Dry air can cause health problems as well. Your nasal passages and throat to become dry. Maintaining the correct level of humidity in the room will help prevent problems with mold and mildew. Decorating and maintaining budget   Here is an article on how to decorate your home and office while maintaining the budget First, you need to know where to shop. Don’t go to a high end art gallery and expect to find something in your price range. Another tip is to forgo the framing and matting and do it yourself. Many artwork sites will tack on another hundred dollars for framing. Lastly, be creative with your artwork. If you are unable to find prints that suit your style, try to think outside of the box. You can frame just about anything.