Furniture clearances that make a room work

A sofa can match the length of a wall to the centimetre and still make the room harder to live in. The coffee table ends up too close to sit behind. The path to the balcony turns into a sidestep. A drawer opens into the bed.

The space between pieces matters as much as the pieces. That space is called clearance. Below are the figures that come up most often in planning references and retailer guides. Where sources differ, we give the range.

Walkways

Walkways are the paths you use every day: door to sofa, around the bed, past the table.

Main paths: at least 91 cm (36 in), according to the NKBA's planning guidelines. Drummond House Plans gives 91–107 cm (36–42 in) for a major traffic path.
Where two paths meet at a right angle: the NKBA suggests one of them be at least 107 cm (42 in) wide.
Secondary paths: 46–91 cm (18–36 in), per Drummond House Plans. The low end is a squeeze, not a stroll.

If a path is the only way to a door or a balcony, plan it as a main path.

Living room

Sofa to coffee table

Drummond House Plans: 36–46 cm (14–18 in) between the seat and the table.
Ashley HomeStore Canada: 30–46 cm (12–18 in), with 46 cm (18 in) as the most comfortable.

Closer than that and knees hit the table. Much farther and you have to lean to reach a cup.

Coffee table to everything else

Ashley HomeStore Canada suggests at least 76 cm (30 in) between the coffee table and other large furniture, or 61 cm (24 in) in a narrow room.
Between the coffee table and a TV stand, the same guide gives 61–76 cm (24–30 in).

Conversation distance

Drummond House Plans describes a seating group 2.4–3.0 m (8–10 ft) across as comfortable for conversation. Past that, people start to raise their voices.

TV viewing distance

Two figures are widely quoted. Neither is a building rule.

A 30-degree field of view, often called the SMPTE figure, puts the seat about 1.6 times the screen's diagonal away. Wikipedia notes there seems to be no direct SMPTE recommendation behind it.
THX recommends a 40-degree view angle, about 1.2 times the diagonal.

For a 165 cm (65 in) screen, that gives roughly 198–264 cm (78–104 in) from eyes to screen. The closer end is more immersive. The farther end suits a room used for more than watching.

Dining

The NKBA gives the clearest figures here. Measure from the table edge to the wall or the nearest obstruction behind the seats.

Situation	Clearance
No one passes behind a seated person	81 cm (32 in)
Someone edges past behind a seated person	91 cm (36 in)
Someone walks past behind a seated person	112 cm (44 in)
A person in a wheelchair passes behind (NKBA access standard)	152 cm (60 in)

Drummond House Plans gives 91 cm (36 in) as the minimum from table edge to wall, so people can use the chairs. Plan chair space on every side where someone sits, not only the side you see from the doorway.

Bedroom

Around the bed

Sources disagree more here.

Dimensions.com: a minimum of 76 cm (30 in) on each side not against a wall, and 91 cm (36 in) to feel comfortable.
Simba: at least 60 cm (24 in) on each side you get in and out of, with 75 cm (30 in) more comfortable.
Drummond House Plans: 46–61 cm (18–24 in) to get in, get out and make the bed.

At the foot

Simba suggests about 70 cm (28 in) at the foot if people walk through there. Dimensions.com applies its 76–91 cm (30–36 in) to the foot as well. If the foot of the bed is the route to a closet or an ensuite, treat it as a main walkway.

Drawers and doors

Furniture needs room to open, and you need room to stand in front of it.

Chest of drawers: Drummond House Plans gives 91 cm (36 in) in front. Simba gives 75–90 cm (30–35 in).
Wardrobe with hinged doors: Simba suggests 90 cm (35 in) in front, measured with the doors open.
Wardrobe with sliding doors: about 60 cm (24 in), per Simba.

Check the swing of the room door too. A door that hits a dresser is a clearance problem, not a furniture problem.

Accessibility

If anyone in the household uses a wheelchair or walker, the figures above are not enough.

ADA Standards (United States), section 304.3: a turning space is a circle at least 152.5 cm (60 in) across, or a T-shaped space within a square of the same size.
ADA Standards, section 305: a clear floor space for one wheelchair is at least 76 × 122 cm (30 × 48 in).

These come from a U.S. standard written for public and commercial buildings. They are a useful benchmark for a home, not a requirement for one. In Ontario, the Ontario Building Code sets its own barrier-free rules. Check the current edition, and the needs of the person who will use the room.

How to check your own room

You don't need special tools for a first check.

Tape the walkways. Run painter's tape along each path you use: door to sofa, around the bed, behind the dining chairs. Walk them carrying a laundry basket or a tray.
Mark the footprints. Use the product's listed width and depth (W×D×H), and tape its outline on the floor. Leave it down for a day or two and live around it.
Pull out what moves. Pull a chair back from the taped table. Open the real dresser drawers to full extension and mark how far they reach.
See the pieces together. Tape shows one footprint at a time. It is harder to judge scale, how the sofa, table and chairs sit together at their real height. Before ordering, try to see the whole room at true size.

Good Here builds a client's room in 3D, true to size, so a studio and client can see the walkways before anything is ordered. You can read more about us.

These are guidelines

Every figure here is a guideline from a planning reference or a retailer, not a rule. They disagree with each other in places, which is why we give ranges. Your own room and household decide what works: how tall people are, whether there are children or pets, who uses a mobility aid, how often you host. Measure your room, test the paths, and plan for the people who live there.

Questions about a project? Talk to us at hello@goodherestudio.com.