Living Room Decorating

Living Room Decorating - In Western architecture, a living room, also called a lounge room, lounge or sitting room, is a room in a residential house or apartment for relaxing and socializing. Such a room is sometimes called a front room when it is near the main entrance at the front of the house. In large formal homes, a sitting room is often a small private living area adjacent to a bedroom, such as the Queen's Sitting Room and the Lincoln Sitting Room of the White House. The term living room was coined in the late 19th or early 20th century.

In homes that lack a parlour or drawing room, the living room may also function as a reception room.

A typical Western living room may contain furnishings such as a sofa, chairs, occasional tables, coffee tables, bookshelves, electric lamps, rugs, or other furniture. Traditionally, a sitting room in the United Kingdom and New Zealand has a fireplace, dating from when this was necessary for heating. In a Japanese sitting room, called a washitsu, the floor is covered with tatami, sectioned mats, on which people can sit comfortably.

How to Design a Living Room

There are a lot of things to consider when designing your living room. The best place to start is to determine what you plan on using the living room for, and moving from there. Depending on what you plan to do in the living room will influence the choices you make when deciding on a layout. Make the most out of your living room by following a few furniture guidelines and keeping the room properly lit. Add some artwork and a few decorative plants to tie the room together.

1. Determine the function of the living room. Take some time to think about the main function of the living room. Do you have kids that need space to play? Do you plan on hosting a lot of parties? Does your living room have a large window with a great view? The function of the room should be the main influence in how you design it.

- If your living room has a natural focal point, such as a fireplace or a view, consider designing around it. Face the seating towards the focal point so that everyone in the room has a clear view. Add rotating armchairs so you can easily adapt the room to a space for entertaining.

- Some living rooms are large enough to split into two or more areas. If you have a large living room, and you need a space for kids to play, consider devoting a part of the room to a play area. Use a coffee table or sofa to create a natural divide between areas.

2. Keep the entryways clear. Avoid putting furniture too close to an entryway. Guests entering the room should have plenty of clearance.

- Keep plants and other room accents away from the entryways as well. You don't want your guests to have to fight past anything to enter the room. Leaving clearance around the entryway also makes the room more inviting.

3. Make sure you can walk around the room. Arrange your furniture so that guests can walk around the conversation rather than through it. When designing the living room, you have complete control over how guests will move through the room.

- Pay attention to any doorways in the living room. If you have one doorway along a wall, then group your furniture in the area along the opposite wall.

- Two doors across from each other create a natural divide in the room, allowing you to split the room into two distinct areas.

- If you have several doorways to work with, you can split the room into multiple areas, each with a specific emphasis.

4. Design to fit the size of the room. If you have a small living room, try not to cram too much into it. If you have a large living room, you may be struggling with how to use so much space.