Scaling Furniture for your Home with 8 Creative Tips

Many large companies that sell furniture have apps available where you can see the piece of furniture in your space. Amazon, Wayfair, IKEA, and others each have their own augmented reality apps that can be really helpful. Other third-party apps can be used for stand-alone visualization options. The app Mark on Call can come up with floor plans based on the dimensions you put in. Another app called Photo Measures allows you to draw pictures of your room so you can see dimensions while out shopping. 

Making a cardboard model of your apartment or house scale can give you a fun project and will help give you a visual idea of the size of your space. Dioramas were fun in school and can be useful as an adult furnishing a new place. It can be tedious and time-consuming but an exciting craft to fill the time! If you want to keep it 2D, sketching out a floor plan is definitely something that could help you visualize. 

Let’s keep it visual by measuring the exact dimensions of the new piece of furniture and marking it on the floor with blue painter's tape where it will go. Make sure to get the correct height, width, and yes even depth! This can be extra important in order to imagine it in your home. If you want to go that extra mile, try making actual lifesize cardboard models of the furniture and placing them on the tape. This is where all your wasted Amazon boxes could be useful! 

Architecture can be overlooked but it’s necessary to look at ceiling height and window measurements. High, lofty-style ceilings look better with taller items, and lower ceilings of course look better with low-slung pieces. 

When moving into my apartment, I never even thought of measuring the hallways and doors. I just had this feeling everything would fit easily. This was definitely not the case! It’s important to remember that this is where your furniture is coming in and even if it is in a box, what if you move out and it doesn't fit in the door? In the design world, this is called a “fit appointment” and we should all get on board. 

With small spaces it’s easy to remember, the more furniture and other items you add, the smaller and more cramped it will feel. It’s a good idea to look for pieces that are smaller and have more than one use. Find a coffee table with extra space or a bench to double as storage. Keep in mind that you want pieces that allow more light to travel throughout the room in order to create the illusion of a bigger space. 

Make sure that if you have a large space to fill, you actually buy pieces that can fill it. Get larger furniture if your new home is bigger and don’t spread them out too far. Spreading furniture too far apart in a larger home can give a cold and stiff feeling. Another useful tip, find artwork that is proportionally correct for the wall it will be hung on. Do not hang a single small piece of art on an overly large wall because it will look way too tiny. 

Light is needed in order to help your home feel inviting. If you absolutely need to block a window, make it feel intentional. If it’s a couch back that needs to be against a window, attempt putting a thin sofa table between the window and the couch in order to not block any light. 

Be aware of your entryways and doors as well! Your larger pieces shouldn’t interfere with a doorway or walkway. Once you choose an appropriate-sized sofa, choose a coffee table that is about ½ or ⅓ of its length. 

Try to be aware of how you move around a room; what’s most comfortable for you? Leave enough space in the room in order to travel efficiently in and out of the space. Don’t forget to account for doors that swing open as well! 

I hope these tips will help you to understand your home scale better and allow you to save time and money! Do you have any helpful tips for ordering furniture? Have you had any furniture fiascos?