Adding, moving, and arranging furniture
Drop a piece in, drag it where you want it, point it the right way, and decide what sits on top of what — the core moves of arranging a room.
Once your room is drawn, furnishing it is just a handful of moves repeated: add a piece, position it, point it the right way, and decide what stacks on top of what. This guide covers all of them.
Catalog pieces come at their real-world size — if you need a different size, add it as custom furniture instead (see Creating custom furniture). Everything else here is live and reversible: try a layout, undo it, try another. Smart Flow Check keeps an eye on clearances while you do (see What is Smart Flow Check?).
What you'll need
- •A room drawn in Room Sketch 3D
- •A few minutes to experiment — nothing here is permanent
Step by step
- 1
Add a piece from the catalog
Open the furniture panel and pick a common item, or open the full catalog to browse 460+ real-world pieces. Select one and it drops into your room. Every piece is its true real-world size — for a size that isn't in the catalog, create it as custom furniture.
Pick a piece from the panel, or open the full catalog for all 460+ items. - 2
Drag to move it
Click and drag the piece to position it. It snaps to the grid as you go for clean alignment, and collision detection stops it from overlapping other furniture — rugs are the exception, since other pieces can sit on top of them.
- 3
Rotate it to face the right way
Use the rotate control on the selected piece to turn it in steps so its front faces where it should — a sofa toward the TV, a chair toward the room. For an exact angle, type the rotation in the inspector.
Rotate so the front of the piece faces where it should. - 4
Need a different size? Use custom furniture
Catalog furniture can't be stretched or shrunk — its dimensions are fixed and accurate. If your actual piece is a non-standard size (a longer sofa, a built-in, an odd table), add it as custom furniture with your own width, depth, and height. It then behaves like any other piece — and Smart Flow Check accounts for its real footprint.
Add custom furniture with your own width, depth, and height. - 5
Layer overlapping pieces with z-index
When pieces overlap on purpose — a lamp on a side table, furniture on a rug — the inspector's z-index controls what renders on top. Rugs sit at the bottom; seating, tables, and accessories stack upward.
- 6
Fine-tune in the inspector
Select any piece and the inspector shows its exact position, rotation, and layer — type values straight in when you want pixel-perfect placement instead of dragging.
Tips
Point seating at the focal point
Sofas and chairs read as 'right' when their fronts face the TV, fireplace, or the centre of the conversation area. Rotate first, position second.
Use the inspector for tight spots
When a piece needs to land within an inch of a wall or another item, stop dragging and type the position and rotation in the inspector — it's faster and exact.
Bring your own dimensions
If your real furniture isn't a standard size, don't try to force a catalog piece — add it as custom furniture with your exact width, depth, and height so the layout, and Smart Flow Check, reflect reality.
Common mistakes
Leaving furniture facing a wall
A sofa with its back to the room or its front to a blank wall is almost always a rotation that never got set. Check that every seat faces something.
Forcing pieces to overlap
If a piece won't sit where you want, that's collision detection telling you the space is too tight — that's a real problem to solve, not a setting to fight. (Rugs are the one thing other furniture can overlap.)
Approximating a size that matters
If a piece needs to be a specific size — your actual sofa, a built-in cabinet — don't eyeball it with the nearest catalog item. Add it as custom furniture so the fit you see is the fit you'll get.
Frequently asked questions
How do I rotate furniture to an exact angle?
Select the piece and type the rotation value in the inspector. The on-canvas rotate control turns it in steps; the inspector lets you set any angle.
Why can't I drag one piece on top of another?
Collision detection prevents furniture from overlapping so your layout stays physically possible. The exception is rugs — other pieces can sit on top of them.
Can I change the size of a catalog piece?
No — catalog furniture comes at its real-world size and can't be resized. If you need a different size, add it as custom furniture with your own width, depth, and height; it then works exactly like a catalog piece.
How do I control which item shows on top when two overlap?
Use the z-index field in the inspector. Rugs render at the bottom; seating, tables, and accessories layer upward — raise a piece's z-index to bring it forward.
Will rearranging furniture mess up anything else?
No — moving, rotating, and layering furniture never changes your room's walls or dimensions, and every change auto-saves. Experiment freely.
Start designing your room
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