Planning lounge furniture with fixed armrests armrests and wood bases
Begin with the way visitors enter the lounge. A fixed armrest creates a permanent side boundary, so the direction of approach matters when placing seating beside a doorway or circulation route. Position the furniture so its intended entry point is apparent and people do not need to negotiate an awkward corner.
Consider the whole group from the entrance as well as from within it. The arms define the seating above, while the wood bases establish a separate visual rhythm below. Check whether those elements help the group read clearly, especially where several seats face one another across an open central area.
Give the seat ends a clear role
Seat ends can face a route, frame a conversation area, or sit beside another furnishing. Decide which relationship matters before arranging the furniture. Fixed arms remain part of that boundary in every arrangement, so avoid treating the space immediately beside them as an interchangeable extension of the seat.
For a reception setting, examine how someone carrying personal belongings would approach an available place. For an informal meeting area, consider whether participants can enter and leave without interrupting the group. These observations provide a more useful basis for selection than judging the front view of the furniture alone.
