When you buy new furniture for your home, you probably want your room to feel balanced, attractive and spacious. It is a good idea to think about the size and layout of the room before you make your furniture selections.

Here are some common mistakes to avoid when you choose furniture for your home.

1. Forgetting About the Flow of Traffic

Before you choose your furniture, it is important to consider how people will navigate the space in the room. Make sure to have a clear path to entrances and exits and leave enough space so people can enter and leave a seating area without bumping into walls and doors.

2. Not Creating a Focal Point

Decorators know that an attractive room with a pleasing layout starts with a focal point. In the living room, you can use an architectural detail like an impressive fireplace or a bay window. If your room doesn’t have a natural focal point, you can create one with an electric fireplace or a distinctive accent piece like a cabinet or a media center.

3. Considering Inferior Furniture

Most of us would like to save money when we buy furniture, but the expression “penny wise, pound foolish” comes to mind when people choose furniture with inferior materials and construction. If you buy respected name brands, you can expect to enjoy your new furniture for years to come. Visit furniture showrooms that offer discounts on name brands so you have the advantage of high quality and low prices.

4. Ignoring Function

Understanding your needs when you purchase furniture is an important step. Think about your lifestyle and how you will be using the furniture. Do you have a young family and pets? You may want to consider durable furniture with performance fabrics. Do you work from home? Look at ergonomic desk chairs and stylish home office pieces that coordinate with the existing furniture in your home.

5. Disregarding Scale and Proportion

Many people use the terms “scale” and “proportion” interchangeably, but scale refers to how the furniture relates to the size of the room, while proportion refers to how the furniture relates to other objects. Too many large furniture pieces can easily overwhelm a room, especially if your space is limited. Keep in mind that the higher the ceiling, the more imposing the furniture can be. Make sure to leave space around your furniture and keep some of the surfaces uncovered.

6. Forgetting to Add Accents

Including accent furniture is a good way to add style as well as function. A gorgeous electric fireplace with flames dancing on a bed of crushed glass can be a game changer in an otherwise ordinary room. Personalise your room with an artistically designed coffee table, a stunning wine cabinet or a strategically placed console.