Triangulation and the division of rectangular space are two principles you need to understand when arranging furniture in your home. Mark McCauley, senior interior designer with Marshall Field, uses a model of a 20' by 30' room to explain techniques for arranging furniture to maximize space. Make the best use of space by dividing a large space according to function. A large rectangular room is naturally split into two smaller rectangles to provide separate areas for conversing and dining. An artist creates depth in a painting by establishing a foreground, a middle ground, a background and a vanishing point, which create interest and draw the viewer into the painting. The same painterly technique can be used to draw people into a room naturally, creating interest and making them feel comfortable. The foreground is the first thing you see when you enter a room: you naturally look down at the floor, then up to the rest of the room. A hardwood floor or attractive area rug creates an inviting foreground. The mid-ground is where the furniture begins. It must be open and welcoming, with a good traffic-flow pattern, in order to draw you into the room. Use of the technique of triangulation on the back wall draws the viewer further into the room. The background furnishings are arranged in the shape of a triangle, with small furnishings at the corners and a high cabinet, which draws attention, in the middle of the back wall. The vanishing point in a room, the point at which the eye can see no further, is often provided by the view through a picture window. A painting can provide a vanishing point in a room without a window. Restate colors and motifs from one area in another area to create flow. Red and green are used in both the dining and living areas, creating flow between the rooms. The green rug and red chair seats in the dining room are restated in the green plaid sofa and red carpet of the living area.
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