How do you arrange furniture?

Arrangement of furniture depends upon the shape of the room and where your focal point is. In addition,symmetry and distance from the walls could be an important factor as could be circulation in deciding your furniture layout.

Focal point: This should be one of the first criteria after you have reviewed the shape of the room. A focal point can be a large window in your room or could be a TV placement point. Your furniture could be arranged in a way to complement the focal point. 

Distance from walls: Placement of furniture needs to be done keeping in mind enough distance from the wall to accommodate circulation as well as key items such as night stands or lamps. For example you could look at a bed being placed in the centre of one wall, so that it’s equidistant from the side walls and has enough room for night stands.

Circulation area: Furniture, particularly in the living room needs to be placed in a way that does not encumber free flow of circulation in the room. There should be circulation flows between different rooms as well.

Windows and Openings. Windows may sometimes be the focal point but they also pass light into the space. Your TV as well as computer desks should be placed in a way so that light does not reflect on the screens if possible. In tight spaces, you can overcome this by using blinds and curtains however the best outcome is to place furniture according to the window in the first place. 

Symmetry: You could form a complete rectangle in your family room or have an L shaped or circular sofa in the living room. You could also have unsymmetrically placed furniture however having symmetry gives a good and tested solution to the furniture arrangement. For example a bed placed in the centre of the wall with two nightstands on each side could look symmetrically pleasing. 

Relation to Lighting Fixtures: It is common for dining tables to be placed under the table lights hanging from the ceiling and this is something you could consider.