How much space to leave around furniture
A room works when you can walk through it, sit down, pull out a chair and open a drawer without thinking about it. These are the distances that make that happen, room by room.
Walkways
The most important number in any room is the space left to walk through it.
| Where | Comfortable | At least |
|---|---|---|
| Main path through a room | 36″ | 30″ |
| A path used now and then (behind a chair, to a window) | 30″ | 24″ |
| In front of a doorway | Clear of the door's swing, and about 30″ deep |
Living room
| Space | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Sofa or chair to coffee table | 14–18″: close enough to reach a drink, far enough for your knees. Under 12″ is cramped; over 24″ is a reach. |
| Coffee table size | About two-thirds of the sofa's length, and about as high as the seat or 1–2″ lower. |
| Seats in a conversation group | Within about 8–10 feet of each other, so no one has to raise their voice. |
| End tables | Within reach of the seat, and close to the height of the arm. |
| TV viewing distance | For a 4K TV, about 1 to 1½ times the screen's diagonal (a 65″ TV: about 5½–8 feet). For an HD TV, about 1½ to 2½ times. |
| Rug | Big enough for at least the front legs of the sofa and chairs to sit on it, usually with 8–18″ of floor showing to the walls. |
Dining room
| Space | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Table edge to a wall or furniture | 36″ to pull out a chair and sit down. |
| To walk behind someone seated | 42–48″. |
| Width for each person | 24″ at the least; 30″ is comfortable, more with armchairs. |
| Rug under a dining table | About 24″ wider than the table on every side, so chairs stay on it when pulled out. |
| Light over the table | The bottom of a pendant about 30–36″ above the tabletop. |
Bedroom
| Space | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Beside the bed | About 24″ to get in and make the bed; 30–36″ if it's also the way through. |
| Foot of the bed to a wall or dresser | About 36″. |
| In front of a dresser | About 36″ to pull the drawers out and stand at them. |
| Nightstand | About level with the top of the mattress. |
Kitchen and home office
| Space | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Kitchen work aisle | 42″ for one cook, 48″ for two. |
| Island or counter seating | About 24″ of counter for each stool, with room behind to get on and off. |
| Behind a desk | About 36″ to roll the chair back and stand up. |
Allow for what opens, too: a door's swing, a dishwasher or oven door, wardrobe doors and drawers all need their own clear space.
How Sofaplot checks it
Sofaplot measures the gaps between everything in your plan as you move it, and flags the tight ones:
- gaps under 30″ where you'd walk between pieces,
- seating more than 24″ or less than 12″ from the coffee table (14–18″ is ideal),
- less than about 36″ behind a dining chair to pull it out,
- less than about 24″ beside a bed,
- anything in a door's swing or the space in front of a doorway, and anything tall covering a window.
Pieces that belong together, like chairs around a table or nightstands beside a bed, are allowed to sit close.
See your room's clearancesSelect a piece in the planner to see the gaps around it, measured.
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