At Switch Studio, we are always being asked about how high things should be, what size is best, and why something just looks “off”. Here are a few basic interior design rules to help answer these questions.
Proper height of side tables
Side tables should ideally be even with the arm height of your sofa, or the same height as the top of your mattress if we’re talking about bedroom design. That being said, you may not always be able to do that, so either a couple of inches higher or lower is totally fine. We would not suggest a difference of more than 3 inches higher or lower, because then it can start to look weird and the functionality of the table suffers as well.
Ideal rug size
Ideally, your rug should be large enough for all of your furniture to be sitting on it. That being said, you want to ensure that the rug is also not too big or too small for the room itself – It’s nice to have an approximate 12-24 inches of floor showing around the edge. In the bedroom you want to aim for a minimum of 24 inches of rug extending past your bed.
A few more tips
When determining your furniture layout for a living room, it’s always great to keep conversation in mind. When creating a conversational seating area be sure to keep the seating around 4-8 feet from each other, so you don’t feel too close or too far from your guests.
When hanging drapery you should hang them as high as possible. If you have crown moulding, be sure to mount the rod below that (obviously), but if you don’t have crown moulding then you can mount the rod even higher. The higher you go the taller your room will feel.
When hanging art or decorative mirrors have the midpoint of the piece sit at around 60 inches. If your home has high ceilings then you can hang it a little higher so the midpoint is around 65 inches. If you’re hanging art or decorative mirrors above a sofa or bed you should have approximately 8-12 inches from the top of the sofa/bed to the bottom of your piece, depending on the height of your ceilings.
You may know Staci Edwards from her appearances on Breakfast Television, CP24 Breakfast, CHCH Morning Live. Staci’s work has also graced the pages of several magazines, such as House & Home, Style At Home, Today’s Parent, and more.
Being the only designer in the area who also owns a sewing and upholstery studio, Staci is able to create a truly custom experience for her clients. She encourages her clients to live beautifully by creating spaces that enhance their day to day lives both aesthetically and practically. With Staci’s fresh sense of style that honours classic elements, she is able to create interiors that are both current and timeless.
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