Free preview · Human dimension
Interior design begins with the body, not the mood board. Every decision about a room is eventually judged by whether a person can sit, reach, pass, see and hear comfortably in it, and those are measurable things. Learn the dimensions you will use daily. A seated dining person occupies about 600mm of table edge and needs 900mm behind the chair to rise. A sofa seat is comfortable at 500 to 550mm deep for upright sitting and 600mm or more for lounging; a coffee table sits 350 to 450mm away. Kitchen counters land at 850 to 900mm for most adults, with the work aisle at 1050 to 1200mm and a 1500mm turning circle wherever a wheelchair must rotate. Wardrobe hanging rails need 1050mm for shirts and 1500mm for long garments, with 600mm of depth so a hanger does not foul the door. Then check reach and sight. Switches at 1200mm, sockets at 300mm above finished floor except in kitchens where they follow the counter, a mirror centred on the eye level of the shortest regular user, shelving above 1800mm reserved for things used twice a year. These figures are starting points, not laws. Measure your actual clients when you can — a family of tall adults or an elderly grandparent will shift counter heights, seat heights and grab-rail positions. Comfort is specific, and the specificity is the work.