Space Planning Your Way to a Cozy Living Room

I've lost count of the huge living rooms I've seen with all of the furniture shoved against the walls, or two chairs placed too far from each other to carry on a conversation. Space planning can be difficult; due to all of the factors that must be considered there is not always an obvious solution.

Here are some major points to consider when planning the layout of your room:

1. Create seating arrangements that can actually be used. Can you chat with a friend without yelling?

2. Allow ample space for moving through a room. Do you have to squeeze by the coffee table? 18" is the standard distance to allow from a table to a sofa or chair. If your space is tight, you can cheat a little and go with 15" -- but not less.

3. Don't forget to incorporate lighting into your plan. A dark room is a depressing room.