- 1). Decide on the style of traditional furniture you want. Stay away from styles that are particularly large and bulky, such as Louis XIV, or Empire. Look into Queen Anne, American traditional, or Louis XV for moderate to smaller scale pieces.
- 2). Select furniture that is smaller in scale to match your room's size, rather than excessively large pieces. For storage, look for pieces that make the most of the room's height. Instead of a wide console or dresser that will take up more floor space, consider an armoire or 6-foot bookshelf.
- 3). Measure your room with a tape measure. Make a chart of your room on graph paper that shows the width and the length to scale, with 1 square inch equal to 1 square foot.
- 4). Measure your furniture. On another piece of graph paper, draw a representation of them to scale, again with 1 square inch equal to 1 square foot. You don't need to draw the details of the furniture. Use simple rectangles, squares or ovals to represent them as if you were looking at them from above. Cut out the pieces.
- 5). Lay the pieces on top of the room chart and arrange your furniture on paper. This will help you make a floor plan without a lot of heavy lifting. Take advantage of the chart and move the paper furniture markers in a number of combinations. Something you hadn't thought of before might have promise. Strive for a layout that is symmetrical and balanced, as is common in traditional decor. Arrange furniture to allow traffic to flow through the room easily.
- 6). Make use of empty space. A room with piece after piece of furniture lined up against the walls side-by-side looks smaller and more cramped than it really is. Allow some wall space to show through.
- 7). Move your furniture into your room and select your accessories. Use small area rugs to anchor seating areas. Make use of floor lamps so you will have ample lighting without needing tables for lamps.
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