It's all in the layout

We’ve all been there; walked into a room and found that for some reason, it just doesn’t feel right. Often it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what the problem is: perhaps there’s too much or too little furniture for the space, or that the positioning is awkward. Maybe the purpose of the room feels confused, lacking a focal point. Whatever the reason, it’s a space that’s unlikely to set any flames burning or hearts fluttering in potential buyers. That is, until the power of a well-considered layout is unleashed; a surprisingly simple and effective way of turning a room from meh into yeah!

Planning a successful layout is not just about making the most of the space available but presenting it to make sense. By this I mean that a room needs a clear function - or functions – plus it should be pleasing to the eye and easy to navigate. After years of dressing rooms, some straightforward, others challenging, we are experts in maximising your properties potential and dressing spaces to show them off at their best.

We start by identifying the purpose of every room and therefore, what needs to go in it. That sounds ridiculously obvious, but it’s no good dressing a property and only afterwards realising that you haven’t included a table and chairs, which could have easily been accommodated with more careful planning. Next, we identify the focal point in a room, the spot the eye is naturally drawn to, the point around which the layout of the furniture will take shape. This could be a gorgeous chandelier, a striking architectural feature such as a fireplace or window, or patio doors to the garden. And if the room doesn’t have a focal point then we will use the tricks of the trade to create one!

Next, we consider traffic flow. There is nothing more irritating than having to dodge a plethora of chairs and sharp edged coffee tables when trying to get closer to the view of the garden. We will create a clear and logical path that will enable viewers to move easily throughout a space while still marvelling at it’s beauty. 

we are never tempted to overfill a room. other people’s clutter is a turn off and oversized furniture will dwarf and crowd a small space. With our carefully curated selection of furniture built up over years, we have the luxury of choice and can select the pieces that best suit your property and most importantly will actually fit. This can be particularly challenging in open plan spaces that need to fulfill more than one purpose. If a room is to be multi-functional (living/dining, study/play) it is down to us to create zones and define the separate areas to show how this can be achieved without over packing the space. As skilled home stagers we will ensure that the potential versatility of a multi purpose room is maximised, and that every piece of furniture has it’s purpose and its place.

Balance is key to the overall harmony of a room. This can be achieved by perfect symmetry, with sofa facing matching sofa for example, but this certainly doesn’t have to be the case we are careful to balance weight throughout a room - don’t place all the heavy furniture along one wall and watch that pieces of a similar height are not positioned side by side. Balance can also be achieved with colour and pattern, with touches of a similar tone dotted throughout a space to subliminally join the dots and create overall unity.

By its very nature, balance is restful and calming, so symmetry can be particularly effective in a bedroom scheme, with just the occasional accessory placed to ‘offset’ it and stop the overall look feeling too formulaic.

There are plenty of considerations when it comes to room layouts. Consider the lighting and, where possible, place a dining or coffee table under the central pendant light, while artwork will benefit from existing wall lights rather than being confined to a darker corner. Don’t push furniture up against the wall no matter how compact a room may be, furniture needs space to breathe and this simple trick will actually make the room look bigger. Highlight lost corners within a spacious room with a floor lamp or plant to help define the expanse of the space - i could go on and on!

But much of creating a pleasing layout is down to instinct, tricks of the trade and a creative eye for composition, something the team at EHG Home have in spades. We know how to establish balance so a layout feels calm and pleasing rather than heavy handed and lopsided. We know that less can be more when it comes to furniture and how best to place it to show a room off at its best.

Why don’t you give us a call on 02087414545 and put us to the test!