Sometimes less really is more! I’ve noticed in many homes that people have this tendency to stuff all kinds of furniture into rooms. It seems to have happened gradually, a simple living room set will turn into a living room set plus some extra chairs that were found at a tag-sale, then comes a desk, a piano and the room fills and fills and fills. Most of the time my clients’ response is, well we have it, we have to use is!

If you feel like your rooms are getting smaller, take a look around and see how much furniture is in there. Think about what you use the room for and exactly what furniture is needed to achieve that function. For example, you probably don’t need a desk in your dining room.

After you’ve decided what you must have in the space, eliminate the furniture that doesn’t follow the room’s function. Now, consider how the remaining furniture is arranged. Sometimes just changing around a few pieces will give your room a better feel.

Keeping additional seating in a living room if you entertain frequently is OK. Instead of trying to work it into the main living room furniture, think about making a separate, intimate seating area in front or near the fireplace for example, so that you can use it when you want to read a book on a chilly winter night, but also can easily be incorporated into the rest of the furniture when entertaining and more seating is needed.

It is also OK to part with furniture! Many don’t like the thought of just getting rid of their furniture, but if it’s not helping to create a nice, relaxing environment, it’s time to let it go. Keep the things that are meaningful to you and functional in the space, and put the rest in the summer tag-sale!