Here’s a big word for you to spend 30 seconds trying to pronounce: Anthropometrics. 28, 29, 30. OK, now what does it mean? It is the study of human dimensions.
Who cares? Well, furniture manufacturers and interior designers, to mention some. If you’ve ever wondered how much space is needed between the sofa and the cocktail table, you have touched upon an anthropometric question. I’m sure you’ve run across a dining table base that hits your knees because it was not "anthropocentrically" proportioned.
How long has this study been going on? For a long, long time. In the first century B.C., a Roman by the name of Vitruvius wrote about proportions of man and, later, Leonardo Da Vinci created his famous drawing of the human figure, based on the Vitruvian norm-man. Here are some interesting Vitruvian statistics.
• The measure of the open hand from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger is one-tenth the size of the height of the body.
• The length of one foot is one-sixth the height of the body.
• The distance from the sole of the feet to the top of the head is the same measure as the breadth of the body when measuring fingertip to fingertip when the arms are stretched out.
Paradoxically, a chair that is anthropometrically correct may not necessarily be comfortable as well. So, you ask, much ado about nothing? The answer is an emphatic no! All the fuss is worthwhile. We know that when sitting, about 75 percent of the total body weight is supported on only four square inches. That’s a heavy load distributed over a relatively small area. We also know that the center of gravity of the upright-seated body is located outside the body — about one inch in front of the navel.
With this knowledge, we create thick, supportive cushions for the tush. We also design chairs that make you sit back or sit upright, depending on where you want the center of gravity to be located. For lounging, you will want the gravity to pull you back, so the seat is slightly inclined in that direction, and for dining or working at your desk you will want gravity to work with you in a slightly forward motion.
If the seating surface is too high, the underside of the thigh becomes compressed. Further discomfort appears if the soles of the feet do not touch the floor as body stability is weakened. If the seat is too low, the legs may extend forward which is fine for lounging but not for dining.
Here are some figures that should help you when choosing furniture:
• Seat height for dining chairs should be at least 18 inches.
• Seat height for lounge chairs and sofa should be at least 16 inches, though some European styles are 15 inches high.
• Knee space under a dining table should be a minimum of 12 inches, though 14 inches is better.
When arranging furniture in your home, you should be aware of these minimum spacing requirements:
• Allow at least 24 inches between the side of the bed and the wall so you can get in to make the bed and change the sheets.
• A dresser and the foot of the bed should be at least 42 inches apart so you can open the drawers easily.
• 16 inches to 18 inches between the sofa and the cocktail table will give you enough space to get around the table as well as be able to reach it for access.
• A hallway created by a wall and the back of a sofa should be 30 to 36 inches wide.
• Give yourself 36 inches from the edge of the dining table to the wall for easy access in and out of the chair.
All right, now go "anthropomize" your home.
Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, a Naples interior designer, is the author of "Mystery of Color," available at www.amazon.com and at www.barnesandnoble.com. For design inquiries, write to Rosemary at DsgnQuest@aol.com.
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