Kelly Hoppen’s genius tape trick makes furniture placement and proportions so simple – ensuring a perfect layout in any room

Struggling to envision your new furniture in a room? Try out this nifty trick from the interior design expert

picture of living room with sofa and coffee tables and cut out of kelly hoppen over top
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Buying new furniture for your home can be daunting, especially when it comes to higher-priced items like sofas. It can be difficult to picture what the pieces will look like in your room and whether they'll fit.

And with so many common mistakes to make when buying a sofa, being properly prepared and 100% sure of the piece you're buying is key. It's all well and good spotting something you love in this year's sofa trends, but will the size, fit and design actually work in your room alongside your other pieces?

To make the whole process easier and stress-free, interior design expert Kelly Hoppen CBE has shared her genius trick for measuring your space and ensuring your proportions are perfectly right. As one of the things she's asked about most frequently, Kelly is very aware of this common problem.

Kelly Hoppen's furniture placement trick

Whether you're constrained by a small living room layout or have an abundance of space that you're unsure what to do with, getting the right sofa isn't as easy as it first seems.

"Questions I'm asked every day, hundreds of times on my Instagram, 'How do I put my sofas in a room?' The answer to your question is, I can't answer that question if I'm not in your room," starts Kelly.

"But one great way, an easy tip to do it, is to get some masking tape. If you don't know how to draw it, do it to scale and lay them out in your room and walk in and see which is the best way to lay your sofas out, your coffee table, and an armchair," she continues.

picture of man using masking tape on floors to plan out furniture placement

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Avoiding living room design mistakes will ensure your space looks its best and also functions properly for you and your family. Pre-planning the layout with this masking tape trick allows you to try out different options, too.

"Because you will be able to physically see the mass that it will take up. Try it, easy, inexpensive, and you'll get an instant answer," Kelly adds.

If you're trying to make your small living room look bigger, play around with sofa shapes and find what works best for your room.


Want some more of Kelly's professional tips? She shared her top interior dos and don'ts with us, and some of them might surprise you.

Emily Smith
Digital lifestyle writer

Emily joined woman&home as a staff writer after finishing her MA in Magazine Journalism from City University in 2023. After writing various health and news content, she now specialises in lifestyle, covering unique cleaning hacks, gardening how-tos, and everything to help your houseplants thrive.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.