Guide
How much space to leave around furniture
Updated
Leave at least 75 cm (30 in) for walkways, 60 cm (24 in) beside a bed, 40–50 cm (16–20 in) between a sofa and coffee table, and 75–90 cm (30–35 in) from a dining table to the wall. These are common interior design rules of thumb; the table below has the rest.
Clearances at a glance
| Where | Minimum | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|
| Main walkway through a room | 75 cm (30 in) | 90–100 cm (35–39 in) |
| Beside a bed (the side you get in) | 60 cm (24 in) | 70–75 cm (28–30 in) |
| At the foot of a bed | 60 cm (24 in) | 70–90 cm (28–35 in) |
| Sofa to coffee table | 40 cm (16 in) | 45–50 cm (18–20 in) |
| Dining table edge to wall (chair out) | 75 cm (30 in) | 90 cm (35 in) |
| Behind a seated diner, to walk past | 90 cm (35 in) | 110 cm (43 in) |
| In front of drawers or a wardrobe | 80 cm (31 in) | 90–100 cm (35–39 in) |
| Behind a desk chair | 90 cm (35 in) | 110 cm (43 in) |
| In front of an oven or dishwasher (door open) | 100 cm (39 in) | 120 cm (47 in) |
Doors need their swing
A hinged door sweeps a quarter circle as wide as the door: about 76 cm (30 in) for a standard internal door. Nothing tall should sit in that arc. movinghouse.app draws each door’s swing and warns you if furniture blocks it.
TV viewing distance
A common rule is 1.5–2.5 times the screen size (the diagonal):
| Screen | Viewing distance |
|---|---|
| 43 in | about 1.6–2.7 m (5′ 3″–8′ 11″) |
| 55 in | about 2.1–3.5 m (6′ 11″–11′ 6″) |
| 65 in | about 2.5–4.1 m (8′ 2″–13′ 6″) |
Rugs
- Living room: big enough for at least the front legs of the sofa and chairs to sit on it, often 160 × 230 cm (5′ 3″ × 7′ 7″) or 200 × 290 cm (6′ 7″ × 9′ 6″).
- Dining room: 60 cm (24 in) wider than the table on every side, so chairs stay on the rug when pulled out.
- Bedroom: showing 45–60 cm (18–24 in) of rug on each side of the bed.
Let the planner check it for you
In movinghouse.app, furniture that overlaps, sticks out of a room or blocks a door’s swing is highlighted as you move it. Use the numbers above for the gaps in between. Sizes for individual pieces are in the guides to beds, sofas, wardrobes, dining tables and desks.