← 1:20 · Room
The clearances that make a room work
Most rooms that feel cramped are not too small. They are planned without the gaps people need to move, sit and pull out a chair.
· 4 min read
Before we choose furniture, we draw the empty space around it. A sofa is 900 mm deep; the room it sits in also needs the 450 mm in front of it, and the path behind the dining chair, and the swing of the door.
The working numbers
| Main walkway | 900 mm clear |
|---|---|
| Secondary path (e.g. beside a bed) | 600 mm minimum, 750 mm comfortable |
| Sofa to coffee table | 400–450 mm |
| Table edge to wall, chair in use | 900 mm; 1,100 mm if people pass behind |
| Kitchen: counter to island | 1,000–1,200 mm |
| Desk depth for a laptop and papers | 700–800 mm |
These are starting points, not rules. A tight 750 mm path is fine in a reading corner; it is not fine between a kitchen and the dining table, where people carry hot things.
How we use them
- We draw clearances as shaded zones on the 1:50 plan before any furniture goes in.
- Where zones overlap, something is too big or in the wrong place — usually the coffee table.
- In offices, we plan the path to the door first, then fit desks around it.