Often, people unwittingly place their furniture pieces too close together, making it difficult to maneuver through the room comfortably. Here are the ideal distances apart your furniture should be:

For the Living Room

The sofa and coffee table are the key elements in your living room. In general, it's a good idea to:

• Separate the sofa and coffee table by a distance of between 16 and 18 inches.
• Situate a sofa and chair grouping opposite another sofa and chair grouping by a distance of between 7 and 10 feet.
• Leave a walkway through a room of about 3 feet wide.
• Multiply the width of your TV by 3 to figure out how many feet it should sit from the sofa.

If you want to save space and do without a coffee table, place an end table on either side of the sofa instead.

For the Dining Room

The focal point of the dining room is the table, and you want to make sure everyone can sit comfortably around it while also being able to walk around it. For this reason, make sure to:

• Leave between 42 and 48 inches of space around the table on all sides.
• Leave 60 inches of space on the side of the table that abuts the walkway in and out of the room. This will allow enough room for someone to push their chair out while another person walks by.

Another space-saving option is to place the table off-center or put a bench seat against the wall to free up even more space.

For the Master Bedroom

Working with the furniture you already have in your bedroom, do your best to:

• Create at least 24 inches of space around the bed, however, 36 inches is ideal.
• Forsake a nightstand for a narrower, taller chest of drawers. What you give up in counter space you’ll make up in storage space.

For more tips on how to maximize space and function in your home, read these helpful articles:

• How to Create an Open Space that Flows Well
• Maximize Your Vanity Space and Use with These Genius Organization Tips
• Expand Your Bathroom Without Remodeling