Furnishing a New-Build: Room Size Data From 1,000 UK Developments
New build rooms are not smaller than people expect, they are shaped differently, and that is what defeats furniture bought for a previous home, according to a new layout analysis from Furniture in Fashion. The report notes that the Nationally Described Space Standard sets minimum internal areas and minimum bedroom widths for new homes in England, and argues that building close to those minimums produces rooms with adequate floor area but only one wall long enough to take a bed with bedside cabinets. It sets out the clear wall runs required for double and king beds, wardrobes and sofas, and explains why hinged wardrobe doors needing 60cm of swing space are poorly suited to narrow rooms. In open plan kitchen diners the analysis identifies the loss of usable wall as the central furnishing problem, recommending that sofas, sideboards and shelving be used to define zones and that dining tables be kept clear of routes to external doors. No development level measurements are claimed....
