Walls remain a quiet presence in our everyday lives. On the outside, we build cities around them, and on the inside, we design interiors in shapes they dictate. These structures are the bones of a room and are considered the guidelines for furniture layout. Even so, it can be challenging to build a space catered to our unique needs, so here are some general rules of thumb that may help:

In large spaces, place the sofa in the center of the room, away from the walls to keep the room from looking bare. Fill the edge of the space with side tables holding art, bookcases, a writing desk, or a chest of drawers.
In small spaces, align the sofa and seating furniture against the walls to make the room appear larger. However, although this may seem counter-intuitive, leave one or two inches of space between the wall and furniture or it will have the opposite effect and shrink the room instead.
In open spaces that lack walls, the furniture itself structures the room. Start by building the living room around the sofa and seating furniture, then build the rest of your home around the living area. Keep in mind that sofas, armchairs, stools, and poufs can serve to define space within the living area.
In unusually shaped spaces, long unadorned walls can make a room look incomplete. In such cases, push the sofa against the wall and decorate the surrounding space with accessories like framed art, mirrors, and the sort.

When furnishing a home, what seems most obvious is not always what is best for the space. It is the size of the room that dictates how far we can distance furniture from the walls. Following these general rules can put us on the right track to building beautiful homes, however, it is by trial and error, and constantly transforming our space according to our needs that we can build the homes that are best for our own unique lifestyles.