Plan Your Room

Consider the purpose of the room you are furnishing.  What do you want to feel when you're in the room?  More energy?  More relaxed?  Do you like a lot of texture in a room, or do excess "knick knacks" create for you a sense of clutter?  How many will use the room regularly?  How many family members and guests need to be seated?

It's always a good idea to take measurements before furniture shopping.  Write down feet and inches between permanent features, such as fireplaces, doors, windows, cabinets, and hallways.  That will help you select pieces of furniture that look, feel - and fit - right.  The smaller the spaces the more important the measurements.  

For a space constrained...

• Family/Living/Great Room consider low-profile sofas and chairs.  But don't trade looks for comfort, if you will spend hours in that room watching a game or a movie.  You might prefer, in that case, a higher backed option - something that you can fully rest on, with your neck, head, and eyes in the best position for viewing. 
• Bedroom, consider lower profile headboards, & under-bed drawers.  Large items, such as an armoire, or large chest of drawers can make a small room feel smaller.  Instead, use a lower-profile dresser.  That will lower the 'center of gravity' of the bulk in the room.  Mirrors enlarge spaces.  
• Dining, consider a standard height dining table.  Get a table of the appropriate size for every day use, and no more.  If you entertain, get a table that is expandable with one or more leaves, and put those leaves away after guests leave.  You will enjoy how this enlarges your room.  Plan for everyday use and for expansion for guests.  Many tables contract/expand with leaves.

In larger spaces...

• Family/Living/Great Rooms there is nothing at all wrong with lower profile pieces, if that is your preference.  
• Bedroom spaces can be filled with some beautifully designed pieces.  Beauty is a matter of taste, remember.  Beauty is ornate and carved, for some.  For others beauty is simple, clean lines.  For some, it is color; for others beauty accents the grains inherent in various types of wood.
• Dining, you might consider a counter-height dining table.  These are increasingly popular where 24" barstools can be used and shared between a dining table and a kitchen island bar.  Some pedestal tables of this height offer space for a splash of color under the center of the table.  Some offer storage space in these pedestals.  

To recline or not to recline...

Preference is entirely individual: As a general rule, if a sitting room is used primarily for entertaining guests who might visit for 30 minutes or less, stationery furniture is preferred.  If you like the comfort of putting your feet up, and reclining back, and this sitting room doubles as your movie- and game-watching room, certainly don't let others' preferences sway you from getting the reclining furniture you want.  

You can get reclining and stationery furniture in chairs, loveseats, sofas, and sectionals.  Some sectionals are modular; that is each section is one seat or piece.  These offer terrific flexibility.  If you want power reclining - a terrific option - plan for a power outlet nearby.  

Bring your measurements, and let's plan your room together.  I will help you zero in on what you will love for years to come.

Keep Smilin'!