Arranging furniture, and styling shelves and mantels

01Comfort and flow

These are widely used guidelines; adjust for your room and how you live.

1. 1.Find the focal point (fireplace, window, art) and orient the main seating to it.
2. 2.Pull furniture off the walls where space allows; floating a sofa often makes a room feel more intimate.
3. 3.Mark big pieces on the floor with painter's tape before moving them, and walk the routes.
4. 4.Put a light source in each corner of use: a reading lamp by each chair, a lamp on a side table.

02Styling shelves

1. 1.Empty the shelf completely.
2. 2.Place the largest pieces first — tall books, a framed print leaned at the back — spread across different shelves in a loose zigzag.
3. 3.Mix vertical book stacks with horizontal stacks topped by a small object.
4. 4.Group small objects in odd numbers at varied heights.
5. 5.Repeat colors and materials across shelves so the eye travels.
6. 6.Leave some empty space on every shelf. Remove one thing at the end.

03Layering a mantel

1. 1.Lean or hang the largest piece (mirror or art) first, centered or slightly off center.
2. 2.Layer a smaller frame or object partly in front of it.
3. 3.Add height at one or both ends: candlesticks, a vase with branches.
4. 4.Finish with a few low objects. Step back and remove anything that crowds.

SafetyKeep candles, dried flowers and fabric well clear of an active fireplace. Never leave candles burning unattended.