Christmas Decor
How Many Lights Go on a Christmas Tree?
A light count for every tree height, how to adjust it for a slim or full tree, and…
Daniel Cole
Daniel Cole writes Room Almanac's practical guides to sizing, layout, small spaces, and organization. He focuses on the measurements and everyday constraints behind decisions such as sofa size, furniture spacing, storage capacity, and making limited floor space work harder.
Latest from Daniel
Christmas Decor
Bathrooms
Plan Towel Bars and Hooks Before the Tile Goes Up
Typical heights for towel bars, hooks, and the toilet paper holder, and the blocking to add behind them…
Lighting
Chandelier Size and Height Over a Dining Table
Size a dining light from the table's width and hang it from the tabletop, then adjust for tall…
Furniture
Why Pulling Furniture Off the Wall Usually Works
Furniture ends up against the wall for the same reason most defaults happen: nobody decided otherwise. It looks…
Kitchens
How High Should a Kitchen Backsplash Go?
Backsplash height rarely gets decided on purpose. Most kitchens end up with whatever height the tile order defaulted…
Home Offices
How Much Room a Home Office Desk Needs
A desk can be pushed into almost any wall in almost any room. That part is rarely the…
Entryways
How to Size a Console Table for a Narrow Entryway
Most console table advice leads with height and length, since those are the numbers a retailer lists first.…
Dining Rooms
How to Size a Sideboard for a Dining Room
By the time a dining table’s shape and the chairs around it are settled, most of a room’s…
Kitchens
Counter Stool Height for a Kitchen Island
Buy a set of stools before measuring the counter they’re meant to sit at, and they can land…
Bathrooms
How High to Hang a Bathroom Vanity Light
A bathroom vanity light almost always goes in after the mirror, which means its height is really the…
Rugs
Where to Put a Rug in a Living Room
A bedroom rug only has to work with a bed and two nightstands. A living room rug has…
Rugs
Where to Put a Rug in a Bedroom
A bedroom rug does one job before it does anything else: it marks out the floor around the…