How Much Space Between Furniture For Walking?

You are arranging your furniture and are wondering how much space you need between furniture for walking. Perhaps you are designing a new house and want to design your new living room layout. Having enough space between furniture is important, so you don't stub your toes on the edge of the couch, but you want to comfortably fit all of your favorite furniture into your living space. Keep reading for tips and information. 

Provide 30 to 36 inches of space between furniture to comfortably walk. A coffee table in front of the couch should be 14 to 18 inches away from the couch to grab drinks or snacks easily. Chairs should be spaced at least three feet apart but no more than 10 feet apart. 

Now that you know how far furniture should be placed apart, you probably have more questions about the layout of your furniture. This post will be a comprehensive breakdown of spacing and furniture placement. We will answer how far a tv should be from the couch, how much space should be between chairs, and where to place a bookcase in a room. Keep reading to get all of the details. 

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How Much Space Between Furniture For Walking?

When you need space for walking, it is best to allow a minimum of 30 inches between pieces of furniture. This equates to two and a half feet, which is enough space to walk through. If you want a more comfortable area to walk, allow at least three feet or 36 inches to walk between furniture easily.

You may decide to provide more space between furniture for a larger area to walk. This is completely fine and may work better for your living space. The 30 inches is only a minimum standard. 

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Is There A Maximum Standard For Furniture Spacing?

The spacing of furniture depends on the specific furniture and how much space you have available. The maximum spacing relates specifically to seating.

There should be no more than 10 feet of space between chairs so that people can easily maintain a conversation. You should have no more than 18 inches of space between any seating area and a coffee or side table. 

How Much Space Should Be Between Couch And Coffee Table?

How much space between couch and coffee table should be, How Much Space Between Furniture For Walking?

A coffee table should be placed 14 to 18 inches from a couch. You want the table to be placed close enough to the couch so people can easily reach their drinks or snacks. You also want to make sure there is enough leg space for people to sit on the couch comfortably.

Think about the people who live in your home and where they will be sitting most of the time. A person over six feet tall would appreciate more legroom, while a person under five feet tall would prefer a table be placed closer to the seating area. 

How Do I Save Space?

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You want to follow all of these spacing guidelines but wonder how you can fit all the necessary furniture in a smaller room. There are different space-saving ideas, and some of them are to use smaller pieces of furniture.

You want a coffee table in your living room, but it doesn't need to be the length of the couch. For some excellent coffee table ideas for small rooms, check out this post: 11 Great Coffee Table Ideas For Small Spaces.

How Much Space Should Be Between Chairs?

Chairs should be placed far away to give people some space but close enough to foster conversation without having to raise your voice loudly.

This range is somewhere between three and a half feet and 10 feet between chairs. If you arrange a space with more seating, you will want to stay on the lower end of the range. 

How To Design Furniture Layout?

When you are trying to place large objects in a designated amount of space, it can be hard to imagine how all of your furniture will look. There are design booklets and layout kits that can help you position the decals like your furniture.

This will help you determine if you have adequate spacing between your furniture. It will also help you figure out what furniture fits best in your space, so you don't buy something that doesn't fit. 

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How Much Space Do You Need Around A Couch?

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A basic design guideline is to provide three feet of space for family and guests to walk comfortably. You may not need this much space on all sides of the couch, however. If you have end tables, then you may place them just a few inches away from the couch for easy drink access.

If you have limited space, then you may decide to place your couch up against a wall. Living rooms with enough space should be designed to have the couch at least three feet from any wall to make the room cozy and inviting. 

How Far Should A Couch Be From A TV?

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The general rule is to take the diagonal measurement of your TV and multiply it by 1.5 to 2.5. This number is how far you should place your couch from the TV. It is common to think being closer to the TV will provide a better entertainment experience.

Most people don't prefer to sit in the front row of the movie theater, so you should consider this when finding where to put your couch and TV. 

A 55-inch television should be placed 82.5 inches to 137.50 inches from the couch. You should have 6.8 feet to 11.5 feet of space between your couch and a 55-inch television.

If you have a 32-inch television, the ideal spacing is between four feet and six and a half feet. Placing the couch too close to the TV can cause eye strain. 

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How Much Space Should Be Around A Bed?

How much space should be around a bed, How Much Space Between Furniture For Walking?

When setting up a bed in your room, you will want to provide enough walking space on the sides of the bed.

The general design rule is to provide two to three feet of space on all sides of the bed unless one side is placed against a wall. Feng Shui guidelines would advise having space around the wall, but some rooms are too small to provide this.

Consider where the bed will be when the door opens. Bedrooms usually have inward swinging doors, which is an important design consideration when determining your bed placement.

Preferably, you would have space to walk between the door and the bed while also having three feet of space on all sides of the bed.  

Where To Put A Bookcase In A Room?

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The usual placement of a bookcase is in a corner or against a wall. Room designers also like to place bookcases near doors or windows. Placing it near the door or wall is always an excellent space-saving move.

When placing a bookshelf next to a window, there is plenty of natural light available. Small bookshelves may be placed underneath the window. 

There are two main design questions to answer. Where will the bookcase look the best in the room? Where will you be reading the books?

One question is related to aesthetics, while the other is related to functionality. For a more comprehensive discussion on the best places to put a bookcase, check out this post: Where To Put Bookcases In Your Home

How Much Space Between Dining Table And Walls?

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When choosing a table for your room, you may think bigger is better. A bigger table provides more space for other people to sit. If the table is too big for the room, then the walls might be too close to the edge of the table.

Chairs need to be pulled out with a comfortable amount of space for guests to sit down. You also want enough space when somebody pushes the chair out from the table to stand up. 

In Closing

The placement of furniture depends on the size of the space and the amount and size of the furniture you will be putting in the room. Any area that is a possible walking spot for people should be a bare minimum of 30 inches or 2.5 feet wide.

If you have enough space, you should provide three feet or more between furniture for walking. When you have a large enough room, it is better to place all furniture three feet away from any wall. 

One comment

  1. Hi, I have a three seat sofa with two side tables on each end. One side table is next to a wall and we use it to charge devices as we installed a charging outlet on the wall next to the side table. The gap between the sofa the the side table is big enough to walk through it (which I like). The other side table used to have about the same gaps as the other, it look esthetically pleasant and we could walk between the three seater sofa and the side table. We also have a two seat sofa next to the side table with even gaps between the side table and the two sofas, the sofas make an L shape around the middle tea table. I thought this made perfect sense but some one else in our house hold thinks that no one should be able to walk through a side table, although the side table next to the wall has a gap that allows as to do so yet on the other end of the sofa the gap does not allow as to walk through and it now the living room looks out of balance and we have to walk around the tea table to get through.
    What are your thoughts about this…

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