Nine Decorating Tips That Everyone Should Know
1. A 36-inch-wide rectangular table is perfect for conversation. A round table with a diameter of 48 inches seats 6: a 60 inch round table will handle eight standard dining chairs or 10 ballroom chairs.
2. How big should an overhead light fixture be? Just add the length and width of the room in feet and whatever number you come up with is, in inches, your guide for the fixture's diameter. So a 15 by 20 foot room would need a 35 inch wide chandelier.
3. One gallon of paint covers about 400 square feet of wall.
4. Mount curtains as high as possible to give the room more height, and let them break 1 1/2 inches on the floor.
5. A kitchen island should be about 38 inches high- a little taller than the countertops- to be comfortable for food prep.
6. Curtains should be 2 1/2 to 3 times the width of the window so that when open, they are not stretched flat. Buy a rod that's 20 inches wider than your window so it extends 10 inches on either side. Your window will seem wider than it really is and the curtains won't block any precious view!
7. The bottom of a dining-room chandelier should hang 36 inches above the table.
8. Install light switches 36 inches about the floor and 1 1/2 to 2 inches to the side of the door trim.
9. For a standard 84 inch sofa with exposed legs and a tight back, you'll need 14 yards of plain 54-inch wide fabric. Add two yards for a skirt.
(Originally published by House Beautiful)