10 Measurements to Use While Decorating Your Home

We have lived in many homes and some have been easier to live in than others. We’re building a home and we are taking many of these measurements into consideration right now. When I started decorating my current and previous homes I used a lot of these measurements to have my homes function and look the way I wanted them to. So I’m sharing with you 10 Measurements to Use While Decorating Your Home for comfort and visual appeal.

10 Measurements to Use While Decorating Your Home

Kitchen Counter Tops– The standard counter top height is 36 inches, also allow for 15-18 inches of space between the counter top and the bottom of the upper cabinets. I personally would allow for as much space between the bottom of the cabinets and the counter top as possible. It may sometimes have to be used as a prep area and also a serving area so I like a good 18 inches of vertical space.

Kitchen Island– The island should be about 38 inches high (a little higher than the counter tops) to be comfortable for standing food prep. It also makes it easier to find bar stools that fit the island comfortably. Have the island counter extend beyond the island to make space for a few bar stools.

Light Fixtures– The bottom of a dining room chandelier should hang about 34 inches above the table. To find out how big an overhead light fixture should be just add the length and width of the room in feet, whatever number you come up with, convert it to inches for the light fixture’s diameter. So a 16 by 20 foot room would need a 36 inch wide chandelier. Of course this is personal preference but I like to use it as a guide. 

Light Switches– Install light switches 36 inches from the floor and about 2 inches to the side of the door trim. The house we are in right now has the light switches about 10 inches in from the door trim and it is a pain hunting for the switches in the dark. Having the light switches closer to the door trim also means they won’t be hidden by furniture. 

Paint– One gallon of paint will cover about 400 square feet of wall. Make sure to take in doorways and windows when measuring an area for paint. Unless, of course, you want some extra paint for future touch-ups. Which is always a good idea.

Curtain Width– Curtains should be 2 1/2 to 3 times the width of the window. If you’re using two panels, each should be about 1 1/2 times the window width. Use a rod that’s 20 inches wider than your window so it extends 10 inches on each side. Your window will seem much larger than it really is. You can also balance out a window on a wall by extending the curtains on one side of the window like I did here. 

Curtain Height– Mount curtains as high as possible to give the room more height. The curtains should also go all the way to the floor and puddle an inch or two. Curtains that are mounted just above the window can make the room seem smaller.

Rugs– Rugs have a lot of rules, so here’s just a few I follow. Rugs under a table should be 24 to 30 inches wider and longer than the table, so the back legs of the chairs stay on the rug when moved out. Another popular idea in the living room is to have the front legs of all the furniture on the rug and the back legs off. In the bedroom an area rug should extend about 18 to 24 inches around the bed. That’s just a few suggestions. Maybe I’ll do a whole post on rug placement and size later.

Artwork– Artwork should be hung close to eye level which of course varies from person to person, so a good rule is that the bottom of the frame should be about 60 inches from the ground. If you have multiple frames consider the grouping as one piece. Also with multiple frames the frames should be about 2 inches from each other. I like to arrange my grouping on the floor take measurements then move it to the wall.

Walk Ways– Walk ways should be at least 36 inches wide. Think about this when deciding on furniture placement, especially if you have an open floor plan and you need to get from area to area.

10 Measurements to use while Decorating your Home. I hope these measurements are helpful to you as plan the decorating and placement of things in your home.

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