Residential Design Guidelines
Rules of thumb for decisions residential designers make in almost every project: paint sheen and quantity, sofa size and style, lamp heights, kitchen island clearances and wallpaper. Each section links to a calculator that works out the numbers for a specific room.
Paint
| Sheen | Gloss at 60° | Where to use it | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat | Under 5 GU (MPI G1) | Ceilings, low-traffic and textured walls | Hides flaws and touches up well, but marks easily |
| Matte | Up to 10 GU (G2) | Living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms | A soft finish with a little more washability |
| Eggshell | 10–25 GU (G3) | Living areas and busier walls | Wipes clean, and shows some flaws |
| Satin | 20–35 GU (G4) | Kitchens, bathrooms, halls, kids’ rooms | Scrubbable, but shows roller marks and patches |
| Semi-gloss | 35–70 GU (G5) | Trim, doors, cabinets, bathrooms | Very washable, and shows every flaw |
| Gloss | Over 70 GU (G6, G7) | Cabinets, furniture, accent trim | The toughest finish, but needs perfect prep |
Gloss levels from the Master Painters Institute (MPI); room suggestions after Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams, which differ on kitchens and bathrooms: Sherwin-Williams suggests semi-gloss there, Benjamin Moore keeps it for trim and cabinets. Brand sheen names vary, so check the gloss units on the data sheet.
| Estimating | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Coverage | About 350 sq ft per US gallon (8.6 m² per litre) per coat on smooth walls; brands quote 250–450 sq ft |
| Textured walls | Up to 50% more paint |
| Doors and windows | Subtract about 20 sq ft (1.9 m²) per door and 15 sq ft (1.4 m²) per window |
| Coats | Two is standard; one only for a similar colour over sound paint; three for deep colours and big colour changes |
| Primer | For new drywall, bare wood, stains and dramatic colour changes; 200–300 sq ft per gallon |
| Can sizes | A gallon is 3.78 L and a quart 946 mL, in both the US and Canada |
Coverage from PaintCare, Sherwin-Williams and Behr; deductions from Behr.
Light reflectance value (LRV) runs from 0 for black to 100 for white, and is roughly the share of light a colour reflects. Whites start at about 82 and off-whites at about 73; mid-tones sit between 20 and 55. In a dim or north-facing room, a colour above about 70 keeps the space brighter. For visibility, the UK accessibility standard BS 8300 asks for a difference of 30 LRV points between adjacent surfaces such as walls, floors and doors, which is good practice anywhere. Try our paint calculator.
Sofas
| Size | Length | Seats |
|---|---|---|
| Loveseat | 52–72" (132–183 cm) | 2 |
| Apartment sofa | 68–80" (173–203 cm) | 2–3 |
| Standard sofa | 72–96" (183–244 cm) | 3 |
| Large sofa | 90–110" (229–279 cm) | 4 |
| Dimension | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Seat depth | 21–22" (53–56 cm) for upright sitting and shorter people; 23–24" (58–61 cm) relaxed; 25" (64 cm) or more for lounging and taller people |
| Seat height | 17–19" (43–48 cm); 18–19" (46–48 cm) suits taller people |
| Overall depth | About 30–40" (76–102 cm); deep-seat sofas run over 40" |
| Width per person | 20–24" (51–61 cm) of seat |
| Length on a wall | About two-thirds of the wall |
| Coffee table | About two-thirds of the sofa’s length, 14–18" (36–46 cm) away, level with the seat or up to 4" (10 cm) lower |
| Side tables | Within 2" (5 cm) of the arm height |
| Walkway behind a floating sofa | 30–36" (76–91 cm) |
Dimensions from Raymour & Flanigan and Bassett; table rules from Wayfair and Ballard Designs.
Will it fit through the door? Measure each door inside the frame with the door open, plus hallway turns, stairs and elevators. A sofa passes a door if its depth or height is less than the door’s clear width, or if its diagonal depth is (the sofa is tipped back through the opening). Retailers such as Crate & Barrel and Article publish measuring guides, and a margin of an inch or two helps. Try our sofa size calculator.
Lamps
| Rule | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Beside a sofa or chair | Table plus lamp 58–64" (147–163 cm) from the floor; the table within 2" (5 cm) of the arm height |
| Bottom of the shade | At or just below seated eye level, so the bulb stays hidden |
| Shade width | About the visible height of the base (Lamps Plus) or two-thirds of it (Lightopia); never wider than the table |
| Shade height | About a third of the lamp’s height, up to half for tall modern lamps |
| Bedside | Nightstand level with the mattress, within about 2"; bottom of the shade about 20" (51 cm) above the mattress; lamps usually 24–28" (61–71 cm) |
| Floor lamp for reading | Usually 58–64" (147–163 cm) tall, beside and slightly behind the shoulder, shade at seated eye level |
| Brightness | 400–800 lumens per lamp for ambient light; about 800–1,000 for reading, up to 1,600 for detailed work |
| Colour | Warm white, 2700–3000 K, for living rooms and bedrooms |
From Lamps Plus, Lightopia and Lighting New York; brightness equivalents from ENERGY STAR (800 lumens replaces a 60-watt bulb). Try our lamp size calculator, and see our lighting reference for light levels by room.
Kitchen islands
| Clearance | NKBA guideline |
|---|---|
| Work aisle | 42" (107 cm) for one cook; 48" (122 cm) for more than one |
| Walkway | 36" (91 cm) |
| Behind seated diners | 32" (81 cm) if no one passes; 36" (91 cm) to edge past; 44" (112 cm) to walk past |
| Seating at a 30" (76 cm) table | 24" (61 cm) wide and 18" (46 cm) of knee space per diner |
| Seating at a 36" (91 cm) counter | 24" (61 cm) wide and 15" (38 cm) of knee space |
| Seating at a 42" (107 cm) bar | 24" (61 cm) wide and 12" (30 cm) of knee space |
| Stools | About 10–12" (25–30 cm) below the top: 24–26" (61–66 cm) at a counter, 30–32" (76–81 cm) at a bar; 26–30" (66–76 cm) centre to centre |
NKBA Kitchen Planning Guidelines 6–9, which set no minimum island size. Its access standard asks for more, such as 36" (91 cm) behind seated diners with no traffic and 60" (152 cm) where a wheelchair passes. Stool spacing from AllModern. Try our kitchen island calculator.
Wallpaper
| Roll | Size | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| American double roll | 20.5" × 33 ft (52 cm × 10 m) | About 56 sq ft (5.2 m²); often priced per single roll but sold in pairs |
| European roll | 53 cm × 10.05 m (21" × 33 ft) | About 5.3 m² (57 sq ft) |
| Grasscloth | Commonly 36" × 24 ft (91 cm × 7.3 m) | About 72 sq ft (6.7 m²) |
| Commercial vinyl (Type II) | 54" (137 cm) wide | Sold by the linear yard |
- Cut length: the wall height plus about 4" (10 cm) for trimming, rounded up to whole pattern repeats. A half-drop match adds about half a repeat per strip.
- Strips per roll: the roll length divided by the cut length, rounded down.
- Strips needed: the total wall width divided by the roll width, rounded up. Don’t subtract doors or windows.
- Rolls: strips needed divided by strips per roll, plus 10%, or 15–20% for repeats over 26 cm (10").
- Order every roll at once, from the same batch.
Method from James Dunlop and Graham & Brown; roll sizes from York and Boråstapeter. Try our wallpaper calculator.
