5. The Higher the Curtains, the Better
"Go as high as you can possibly go, " Surmelis says. Sassaman agrees: "In most situations, it's best to hang drapes from the ceilings to the floors—it makes the ceilings seem a lot higher and expands the room." If you go too small—either the curtains are too short or hung too low—they seem like an afterthought, Surmelis explains. You should also hang curtains 1 to 2 feet beyond where the casement ends to make the window looks wider.

6. Dining Room Tables Go Under Overhead Lights
Though it depends on the architecture of your home, for dining tables, Surmelis always suggests the classic placement in the center of the room under a light fixture. If your dining room chandelier is slightly off-center, you can try looping the excess chain it hangs from onto a hook that is positioned so the grouping will work. But, in most cases, Surmelis explains, if the light is off-center or your room is too small for the traditional arrangement, you shouldn't try to force it. "Do something fun, like placing it against the wall and creating bench seating."

7. Coffee Tables Should Be Large
"Go as big as you can, " Surmelis says. "If you can't go too big because you have a narrow living room, then go skinny but long." Like rugs, a large coffee table can help expand and connect a room. An oversize table contributes more to a room in terms of both function and aesthetics, Valencich adds, and all experts agree that coffee tables should be placed anywhere from 12 to 24 inches away from your couch.

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8. Dressers Are Not Stand-Alone Pieces
Dressers belong—and look best—up against a wall. All experts agree angling a dresser in the corner not only looks bad, but wastes space. "Placing a dresser in a corner creates a weird, dead space behind it—like a black hole, " Valencich says. She suggests centering a dresser on a wall. If placing it off-center, put another piece of furniture next to it to achieve balance, she adds.