Sometimes as we live in a house we get so used to where the furniture has always been that we don't realize that we have been doing ourselves a disservice. The way a room is set up can help or hinder both movement through the room and conversation and fellowship in the room.
Often people believe that furniture should be set against the walls in a room. But this frequently causes too great a distance between people in the room for close comfortable conversation. It can also break up a good conversation as people have to walk between furniture to get to the next room. This also follows for family movie watching, game playing, etc. As a result the very placement of the furniture may encourage people to pull into themselves or their phone and ignore others.
So to create a fellowship friendly atmosphere step back into the doorway that is used to enter the room and look at the pathway across the room to the next. Could you move couches and chairs away from the wall forming an easy walkway behind and moving people close to each other in the room? A six to eight foot distance apart is the farthest for a feeling of connectivity and 4 feet is more friendly. So adjust distances of couches and chairs accordingly.
Sometimes a room is long and narrow and seems difficult to furnish. Try cutting the room in half and set up two areas for fellowship. You could put chairs, a small table for games and a floor lamp for light at one end and the couch or love seat and recliners stationed around a coffee table at the other end. The chairs at the game table can join the other end for a movie or party but then move back later. Directing traffic easily is especially helpful in a party. People enjoy small intimate grouping and an easy pathway to the bathroom.
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