Help settle a debate about furniture placement

[scrapquitler]

Okay DH and I are having a debate about where furniture belongs. I'd like to know what the DIS thinks, and I'm not going to tell you who is on which side. But I think I am right <G>

Where does furniture 'belong' in relationship to the walls of the room? I don't mean couches and tables, I'm talking specifically about things that generally go 'against the wall', like bookshelves, dressers, and headboards.

One person in our house says that the dressers and such should be placed about 6 to 8 inches away from the walls so that 'the walls don't get scratched up and damaged' by the furniture.

The other person in the house thinks that these types of furniture should be placed close to the wall, either right against he wall (or against the baseboard molding) or within an inch or two of the wall.

Who is right?

Amazing the things we debate for hours in my house.

 

[Green Tea]

Adjacent to the wall. A chest half a foot into the room would look bizarre. If you have your molding along the bottom, anything pushed against that won't touch the wall anyway.

 

[bballmom56]

In our house, those things go against the wall, as close as it can get. That way it maximizes the interior size of the room and things cannot fall behind it as easily.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I would never put furniture 6-8" away from a wall. That is weird.

 

[java]

I am a put the dresser up against the wall kind of person. I have 4 kids and having less space for something or someone to get behind is a concern. (although 6 inches wouldn't fit them)

But I do try to not line the furniture up like it's in a police lineup.

So I say- up against the wall.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Okay DH and I are having a debate about where furniture belongs. I'd like to know what the DIS thinks, and I'm not going to tell you who is on which side. But I think I am right <G>

Where does furniture 'belong' in relationship to the walls of the room? I don't mean couches and tables, I'm talking specifically about things that generally go 'against the wall', like bookshelves, dressers, and headboards.

One person in our house says that the dressers and such should be placed about 6 to 8 inches away from the walls so that 'the walls don't get scratched up and damaged' by the furniture.

The other person in the house thinks that these types of furniture should be placed close to the wall, either right against he wall (or against the baseboard molding) or within an inch or two of the wall.

Who is right?

Amazing the things we debate for hours in my house.

I say about an inch from the baseboards. Six to eight inches would look weird to me.

 

[BCDisneyFanatic]

I say about an inch from the baseboards. Six to eight inches would look weird to me.

 

[Northstar]

If you are lucky enough not to have baseboard heaters stretching along some walls and forcing you to move furniture 6 to 8 inches out so as not to trap the heat, then furniture goes against the wall.

 

[SleepyMom]

Okay DH and I are having a debate about where furniture belongs. I'd like to know what the DIS thinks, and I'm not going to tell you who is on which side. But I think I am right <G>

Where does furniture 'belong' in relationship to the walls of the room? I don't mean couches and tables, I'm talking specifically about things that generally go 'against the wall', like bookshelves, dressers, and headboards.

One person in our house says that the dressers and such should be placed about 6 to 8 inches away from the walls so that 'the walls don't get scratched up and damaged' by the furniture.

The other person in the house thinks that these types of furniture should be placed close to the wall, either right against he wall (or against the baseboard molding) or within an inch or two of the wall.

Who is right?

Amazing the things we debate for hours in my house.

I vote for against the wall, or very close to it. I buy those cushioned pads to put on the corners (on the back of the dresser) so they won't rub and scratch the wall, just in case they are too close. They come in different sizes and don't cost more than a couple dollars for a sheet of them.

 

[golfgal]

I vote for against the wall, or very close to it. I buy those cushioned pads to put on the corners (on the back of the dresser) so they won't rub and scratch the wall, just in case they are too close. They come in different sizes and don't cost more than a couple dollars for a sheet of them.

 

[tlbwriter]

One person in our house says that the dressers and such should be placed about 6 to 8 inches away from the walls so that 'the walls don't get scratched up and damaged' by the furniture.

My furniture always goes right against the wall and I've never had a wall scratched or damaged by furniture. It's not like you're going to slide your bookcase back and forth.

 

[bicker]

If it does not have a finished back, then it should be placed such that one cannot readily see the unfinished back (i.e., close to the wall). If it has a finished back, then the standards switch to what's better-off for the room (but not necessarily what's best for the wall ). You mentioned couches and tables as exceptions; these things generally have finished "backs" (per se) so there is no one right answer for how far away from the wall they should be placed. Most dressers do not have finished backs, so they should be close to the wall. Headboards and bookcases could go either way, depending (first) on whether their backs are finished and (then) on what is best for the room, overall.

Having said that, Northstar, above, made a very good point, though, about heating (and air conditioning for that matter). While there are diverters and such available (actually, I have found no diverters worthy of the name, within a reasonable price-range, that withstand two weeks worth of wear-and-tear in our home, but anyway), diverting heat and air conditioning is not as good as letting it flow normally, and so that would be a good reason to violate the standards I mentioned above.

 

[Meriweather]

I say about an inch from the baseboards. Six to eight inches would look weird to me.

 

[diznygirl]

Against the wall.

 

[Wishing on a star]

If the usual/natural placement of a piece of furniture is to be on a wall, then that means, ON THE WALL.....

Sorry, but half a foot out....

OP, I think I know, as a woman, which side of this the OP is on.....
My FIL did not want ANYTHING touching a wall... He wouldn't even hardly let MIL hang a picture because those precious darned-gum walls just had to be protected. ( Yes, I've mentioned that my inlaws are nuts and have major, major, passive aggressive control issues.... ) I think he was afraid that he might have to paint one day in 20 years...

 

[maelstrom]

I'm assuming it is the husband who wants the furniture to not even think about touching the wall. Men are like that for some reason.

Furniture like dressers, bookcases, etc look stupid if they're not right up against the wall (or maybe an inch or so out, if you need to run wires behind it).

The person who thinks the furniture should be against the wall is correct, and I am assuming that person is the wife.

 

[SaraJayne]

Next to the wall, or if you have baseboards, up against the baseboards.

Six to eight inches out would look totally bizarre.

 

[dis-happy]

Against the wall (in our house against the baseboard molding).

And with kids I'd be very concerned about a bookcase that didn't touch the wall---too easy for it to tip over and fall on someone!

What's up with the idea that a HEADBOARD shouldn't touch the wall? That's just strange.....unless you are doing a modern floating bed effect in the middle of your room.

 

[It'sWDW4me]

This thread made me laugh!

I'm another one for up against the wall/baseboard moldings.

It looks like you have your general consensus. Which camp are you in, OP?

 

[ilovepcot]

As close to the wall as possible.