Done right, a simple re-arrangement of furniture can bring new life to any room. While there are no absolutes about where to put the couch or place the easy chair, there are some ways to enhance the look and comfort of your home in a way that reflects your own style and personality.

• Don't just line the walls with furniture. Find a room's focal point and arrange the furniture accordingly. Whether it's a fireplace, grandfather clock or the view from the picture window, find something you want to emphasize in the room.
• Consider comfort and function. How will the room be used? If you plan to do your TV watching in a room, arrange furniture so that it can be done comfortably.
• Balance the size of the furniture to the size of the room -- smaller pieces in smaller rooms, larger pieces in larger rooms. Consider, too, the distribution of furniture in the room. Don t have all the heavy pieces on one side of the room.
• Balance color and fabric pattern. Size isn't the only quality that can make a piece of furniture appear hefty.
• Determine the traffic pattern in a room and keep it free of clutter. Some experts suggest allowing at least 30 inches for traffic lanes, three feet at doorways and in front of drawers.
• Experiment with lighting. It can create ambience or highlight focal points. Color and lighting can make a room appear larger or smaller.
• Break things up a bit. Long or large rooms can be divided with area rugs and furniture groupings. A sofa can divide the space. For an added touch, place a table behind the sofa to display family treasures.
• Add some visual variety with different heights. Choose chairs of various heights. Add a floor lamp here, a ficus plant there.

Experts also have specific advice for certain rooms in your home:

• The foyer. Your home's entrance is the first impression people will get of your home. You can convey your personality with a piece of artwork, an arrangement of fresh flowers or seasonal decorations. But don't forget to make the foyer comfortable and functional for the people who use the area every day your family. A little bench offers a place to sit to put on their boots; a mirror provides the chance to take a last-minute glance before heading out or greeting guests.
• Living room or family room. Make it friendly to conversation. This can be done by grouping sofas and chairs together, no more than 8 feet apart, some experts say. If the room is very large, you may need several groupings.
• The bedroom. Start by positioning the bed first. Keep it away from drafts and allow enough space around the bed to change the bedding. Keep the room relaxed.

Make A Blueprint Before You Shuffle. Arranging a room not only takes some creativity, but a little muscle. Moving a couch from here to there can be rough on your back. But you can avoid all that with a little planning ... on paper. Draw the room to scale on graph paper. Include any windows, doors, fireplaces and permanent fixtures. You might want to note electrical outlets and varying ceiling heights. Make paper cut-outs of your furniture so you can move them around the graph paper. Be sure your furniture is drawn to scale, too. This article was adapted from a story by Times Staff Writer Lisa Welsh Becker in the March 1997 Home & Outdoor Living guide.