Design Studio | Tacoma Furniture & Consignment
The Design Studio

How to design a room you actually love.

Eight questions. Tap one to jump.

№ 01

How to choose a rug

Living room with correctly sized rug under sofa and chairs

Go bigger than you think. The front legs of every piece of furniture should sit on the rug.

  • Living room: 9×12 is the usual minimum. When in doubt, size up.
  • Bedroom: the rug should extend at least 18 to 24 inches past each side of the bed.
  • Dining room: when a chair is pulled out, its back legs should still be on the rug.
  • Let the rug define the zone. A too-small rug makes furniture float.
Living room
9×12 min.
Bedroom
24" past bed
Dining
Chairs stay on
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№ 02

How to arrange furniture

Living room with furniture pulled off the walls in a conversation grouping

Pull it off the walls. Seating should face each other, within eight feet.

  • Create a conversation zone. Not every piece needs to kiss the wall.
  • Keep seating within eight feet so people can actually talk.
  • Anchor the whole group with one rug underneath.
  • Use a coffee table or ottoman as the center point everything orbits.
U-shape
Sofa + two chairs
L-shape
Sectional + chair
Face-off
Two sofas
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№ 03

How to hang art

Art hung at the correct height above a sofa

Lower than you think. Center it around 57 inches from the floor, or 6 to 10 inches above the furniture.

  • Center point of the art at 57 to 60 inches from the floor. That's museum height.
  • Above furniture, leave only 6 to 10 inches of breathing room, no more.
  • Group small pieces tightly so they read as one unit, not scattered dots.
  • If it looks too high, it is. Trust the instinct and take it down.
Over a sofa
6–10" gap
Gallery wall
Tight spacing
Single piece
Eye level
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№ 04

How to style a coffee table

Coffee table styled with stacked books, a tray, and one organic object

Three things. A stack of books, something living, one object with personality.

  • Stick to three to five objects, never more. Restraint is the whole trick.
  • Stack books flat to give height and a foundation for other pieces to sit on.
  • Add something organic: a plant, fresh stems, a piece of fruit in a bowl.
  • Finish with one sculptural or personal object that tells you something about who lives here.
Books
For height
Greenery
Keeps it alive
One object
Sculptural
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№ 05

How to mix vintage and modern

Room mixing a vintage cabinet with modern upholstered furniture

One vintage piece per modern piece. Repeat a wood tone or color so the room still reads as one thought.

  • Pair one vintage statement with cleaner modern pieces. Balance is the point.
  • Repeat a wood tone, metal finish, or fabric to tie everything together.
  • Let one piece be the undisputed hero. The others play backup.
  • Avoid matching sets. Showroom furniture never looks like a real home.
Vintage cabinet
Modern sofa
Old rug
New chairs
Antique art
Clean walls
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№ 06

How to make a room feel cohesive

Well-styled room with a repeating color and material palette

Three colors, not ten. Sixty percent main, thirty secondary, ten accent.

  • Sixty percent main color: walls, big rug, sofa. The background of the room.
  • Thirty percent secondary: chairs, curtains, larger accent pieces.
  • Ten percent accent: pillows, art, small decor. The spice, not the meal.
  • Repeat materials across the room. Wood, metal, and linen should each show up more than once.
60% main
Walls + sofa
30% second
Chairs + rug
10% accent
Pillows + art
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№ 07

How to make a small room feel bigger

Small but open-feeling living room with a large rug and minimal furniture

Fewer, larger pieces. One oversized rug beats a crowd of small ones every time.

  • Pick a larger rug, not a smaller one. Small rugs make small rooms feel chopped up.
  • Use mirrors to bounce light and trick the eye into adding depth.
  • Choose furniture with open legs so light passes through. Skirted pieces feel heavier.
  • Edit ruthlessly. Visual calm reads as square footage.
Big rug
Expands floor
Tall mirror
Adds depth
Open legs
Lets light through
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№ 08

How to create a focal point

Room with one clear focal point: a bold piece of art or a statement sofa

Pick one hero. Art, a sofa, a cabinet. One thing leads, everything else supports it.

  • Every room needs one dominant piece. Art, a sofa, a vintage cabinet, a dramatic table.
  • Arrange everything else in support of that piece. Nothing should compete for attention.
  • Use lighting to draw the eye directly toward it. A wall sconce or spotlight does the work.
  • Keep surrounding decor simpler. The hero needs room to breathe.
Bold art
On a quiet wall
Statement sofa
In a color
Vintage piece
The showstopper
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