Discovering the ideal furniture placement for a particular room can be difficult, especially if you're missing that all-important interior designer gene. We all want our homes to look beautiful and feel comfortable, and properly placing furniture is a big part of creating a personal space we can be proud of. A well-designed room is warm and inviting, not just because of the paint on the walls and the chosen lighting, but also because of the way in which the furniture is placed around the room.

The placement of furniture in a room has a great influence on the overall mood of the space. Although there are some general rules you should follow when placing furniture, the first “rule” of thumb is to realize that, ultimately, there aren't any hard and fast rules. What is important is to create a room that is comfortable for everyone in the home. It is your home, after all, and you are going to be living with the arrangement, so make choices based on your own needs.

That said, if you keep a few guidelines in mind as you furnish your abode, things will fall into place more easily.

First, stop and observe the space. If you're rearranging a room that already contains furniture, ignore what's already there and try to make sense of the actual structure of the room. Does it contain interesting architecture; are there windows, a fireplace, or multiple doors? After taking note of such factors, decide how you want to use the room. How many people are going to be using the room and what are the potential traffic areas? For example, is the room located near the front door or is it hidden in a back corner of the house?

Secondly, decide what you want the focal point of the room to be. Maybe you want to focus attention on a fireplace or a large, attractive window? Or, perhaps you've just purchased a lovely piece of furniture such as an elegant armoire, or found attractive artwork you want to show off. It doesn't really matter what you choose – a focal point in the room will give you a starting point to help you define the space. When you begin arranging furniture, you will have to keep the focal point in your mind as you go along.

Place the most important furniture (the pieces you plan on using the most) before anything else. So, for example, in the bedroom position the bed is first. In the living room, you'll probably want to find a place for the sofa before anything else. You get the idea. One tip to keep in mind is to avoid placing many large pieces along the wall. Bigger pieces look better placed evenly throughout the room so that everything is balanced. In fact, balance is key to proper furniture placement.

Here's how you can achieve a sense of balance in a room:

Keep scale in mind. Place furniture of differing sizes and heights throughout the room to create visual interest. Although scale is important, you do need to be careful when placing something small next to something gigantic. A good way to keep things proportionate is to place several smaller pieces around a larger one to balance out its weight.

Grouping is always a good idea. For instance, don't place a sofa all by itself; instead, put a table and lamp beside or near it. Multiple pieces that go together bring a sense of uniformity to a room and add coziness.

To soften a room, place pieces on angles. This breaks up the hard lines and makes the room easy on the eyes. Another good tip is to use a medley of colors, patterns, and textures to bring the whole space together.

Create conversation areas. Achieve this by placing seats no more than 8 feet away from each other so that people can talk while comfortably seated. A television needs to sit a distance three times its size from the seating area.

It's amazing how powerful furniture placement really is – it can transform a room from a place that is dull, drab, and cold, into a retreat your whole family will want to enjoy as much as possible. Your home is meant to be full of comfortable spaces you can take pleasure in throughout the years – an oasis that can ease the stresses of daily life. If you take the time to create a dwelling that is warm and inviting, coming home will always be something to look forward to.