Planning a room layout that works
Most rooms that feel "off" are not badly furnished — they are badly arranged. Drawing the layout to scale first lets you fix that before you move anything heavy, and a handful of principles do most of the work.
Paths and focal points
First, protect the traffic paths: people need a clear route through the room, roughly 60–90 cm wide, without weaving around a coffee table. Sketch the main walk from door to door and keep furniture off it. Second, give the room a focal point — a fireplace, a TV, a window with a view — and orient the main seating toward it; a sofa facing nothing feels aimless. On a scaled plan you can see both at a glance, which is exactly what the floor plan tool is for.
Breathing room
The most common mistake is pushing everything against the walls and filling the middle. Leave gaps: a little space between a sofa and the wall, room to pull a chair out from a table (about 75 cm behind it), a clear swing for every door. Float larger pieces slightly off the wall if the room allows — it reads as more considered, not less spacious. Because your plan is to scale, you can check these clearances with the actual dimensions instead of guessing, then rearrange freely on screen until the paths are clear and the room breathes. Only then do you touch the real furniture.