Every room has its assets and its challenges. The shape and size of the room have a big impact on the way it can be decorated.
The bedrooms are usually kept low-profile to allow a good night’s rest. The master bathroom tends to have some lavish details such as a modern pedestal sinks. But the living room? The living room is where most families go to relax, entertain, or have family time.
Let us give you some tips on how to make the most from your living room.
Trends
Fireplace
A fireplace in the living room is the most desired feature on the market. Electric or ethanol fireplace is safe as they do not emit harmful gases or chemicals into the air. They can be installed in smaller rooms and even in the corner of an oddly shaped room easily.
Furniture
The past few years have been the years of big furniture. Substantial sectional couches, oversized chairs and recliners, large square coffee tables and large televisions are all captivating pieces. But trying to fit these things in a moderately sized room is not always possible. Further, even if the room is large enough to accommodate the large pieces, it can leave a room looking cramped and cluttered.
Tiny places
Ironically, as the furniture industry has been pushing larger pieces, housing experts have been leaning toward tiny houses. These have been a reality for parts of Asia for a long time. As American cities grow, and housing markets shrink, people are making the most out of the smaller square footage.
The fact is, there are some homes with very large living rooms and some houses with very small living rooms, but most homes fall somewhere in the middle. We will focus on the average living room for our design purpose.
Make a design plan
It is hard to imagine a room empty when it is full of furniture. To make a room clutter free, remove the furniture piece by piece to avoid damage. If not, consider a room design program online. If you are getting married and trying to create your look, go with a nontraditional wedding registry that is designed to help you determine your furnishings.
Determine your focal point or points
Most of us want the focal point to be the fireplace. But the reality is, the focal point is the television. With that said, having a dual focal point works beautifully.
If there is space above the fireplace, and the mantle is not too high to watch tv with comfort, place the tv over the fireplace. However, if that is not possible, place the television next to the fireplace. However, to balance that set-up, you will need the television to set on a credenza, or shelving which has doors, drawers, or bookshelves. You want the eye to follow the flow seamlessly.
Placing Furniture
There are two ways you can accomplish this. First, you can arrange the furniture so that all pieces are facing the fireplace/television section. Alternatively, you can arrange the room with two distinct view. This would be allowing the sofa to face the fireplace and placing tables and accessories around it as if it were one smaller room with less furniture.
Then you would place recliners or chairs turned away from the first section and facing the television. With this duplex design, the room is pulled together in a pattern but functions beautifully as individual rooms. To improve the versatility of the room, use chairs that swivel. Use place rugs that complement each other but draw invisible lines to compliment the separation.
Your room must be user-friendly
Your room may look picture perfect by design, but if the furnishings make it difficult to move around, it is not a functional. Do not be afraid to leave open spaces.Instead of placing a sofa where the back creates a path from the door, put it against a wall or position it in front of a corner. This method leaves open space from the door and gives the illusion of a much larger room.
Once you get these basic principles down, you will find creating your unique space is not that difficult. Enjoy, experiment, and relax. At the end of the day, you’ll have a space that you can proudly call your own.
