Friday, February 5th, 2010
Whether your dream home is a rambling suburban home or a luxury apartment, a lodge in the mountains or a cottage on the sea shore, your living room says a lot about you. Living room creates an enduring impression for your guests. Your living room welcomes all who enter your home. It says whether you prefer formal and elegant atmosphere or you are a laid-back and fun loving person. The decoration of the living room sets the mood for a home. Besides it reflects the personal taste of the home owner.
You can use your living room in a number of ways. For some people this is the place where the whole family gathers and exchanges talk over a cup of coffee while others prefer to use it as a formal space only to be used when the guests arrive. It also serves as a common room for watching TV, doing home work, playing cards, video games or online sweepstakes or a cozy place to enjoy a drink and curl up with a story book.
If your living room décor is very formal and you use this room only to entertain your guests then this room should display the finest possessions you have. A touch of traditional décor can make this room look beautiful. Place a sofa in the center of the room. Hang some classical paintings on the wall. The end tables topped by lamps will enhance the charm of your room. Don’t forget the carpet which can ad an extra dimension to your classy living room. Get some luxurious fabrics for formal window treatment. An occasional pair of wooden tables and chairs at one corner will give your living room the perfect look.
However these days it has become difficult for people to afford such an ideal living room. Don’t loose heart if you have smaller space. Various home decorating styles have evolved to suit your needs. You can choose decorating styles that are less formal. You can try mix and match. Combine lush fabrics with lighter window treatments to create a more casual atmosphere. Instead of heavy wooden furniture you can select comfortable and stylish furniture. Add splash of color on the walls. Softer lines and fewer rules will help to set up a pleasant and relaxing ambience.
Casual living rooms have a character of nonchalance. Stylish wrought iron or steel or leather furniture are combined with fashionable velvet or satin fabrics. However while decorating a living room people are governed by practicality. Since they can’t afford enough spare space in the living room, furniture should be chosen and placed in a manner to make the room look bigger and spacious.
Modern living rooms are less structured. A center table is needed for eating. Sofa or chairs should be placed in a manner so that your family members or guests can seat around the TV. You can also place an arm chair at one corner of the room where one can enjoy reading books.
Whatever purpose your living room serves it should exhibit your style. The furniture, fabric, color everything should be what you love. Whether the room looks classy or casual home decorating is all about reflecting the home owners taste.
Tags: Basics, Decorating, Home, Ideas, Living, Room
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Friday, February 5th, 2010
There are many ways to decorate your living room. As this is usually the room where a family entertains guests and spends time together, much thought usually goes into the design. Sometimes, however, inspiration is hard to come by. Here are a few living room decorating ideas to help get your creative juices flowing.
1. Determine your design style. Look through home decorating magazines and see what you like. You may have thought that you were a country gal, but find yourself drawn to the clean lines of a modern design. Even if you like both styles, you can mix them to create a style that is your own. You can choose country items that have a more modern edge, and modern design pieces with country flair. This way you can achieve a look that you love without settling on one style.
2. One living room decorating idea that is sure to spice up your space is to choose a bold wall color. Many people shy away from saturated colors, but these are the very hues that can make a dramatic statement about your personality. If you do not want to paint all of the walls in your living room a bold color, you can paint an accent wall. These walls are great to make an impression without overwhelming the room. You can then use accessories to tie the color into the rest of the room.
3. Updating your window treatments will also go a long way towards improving the atmosphere. Choose drapes or curtains that compliment the design style you have chosen for the rest of your room. Using rich looking fabrics on the windows will add a feeling of luxury to your room, and help to bring all of your living room decorating ideas together.
4. Another key element in living room decorating ideas is lighting. Make sure your lighting is adequate, but not overpowering. Don’t use florescent lights as they are very harsh, and a living room is all about mood. Use an updated overhead fixture to provide general light, and a few lamps around the room for task lighting. Another lighting aspect that is often overlooked is the use of candles. Not only are they decorative, but they provide mood lighting as well. You can get candles and holders in all different colors and sizes to help achieve your living room decorating ideas.
5. On thing not to neglect is putting art on your walls. This helps to bring the room together and adds a personal touch. You can choose painted canvases that can look great all on their own, or a framed print in shades that compliment your color scheme. Another great wall art idea is photographs. These can be family pictures or perhaps a black and white landscape or city sky line. The key here is not to overdo it. Keep it simple and uncrowded. If your walls are too busy, it will detract from the overall atmosphere you are working to create.
Once you get started, your living room decorating ideas will flow. Begin by determining your style, and then go on a hunt for the perfect things with which to fill your home. It will be fun and the end result will be something you can regard with pride.
Tags: Beautiful, Decorating, Ideas, Living, Room, Steps
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Friday, February 5th, 2010
After my move, I began to notice that several pieces of my furniture were just “too big” for my living room. My over sized overstuffed sofa, chair, and ottoman are comfortable but a bit large in scale for my new space. While I love my entertainment center, it takes up too much room. I also have a tall, open bookcase that I refer to as the “storage unit!” It holds an odd assortment of items including shoes, magazines, books, receipts, and cat toys! It is somewhat functional but very unsightly!
1. Shop for Furniture and Accessories that are a Reflection of You: From Feng Shui I know that physically moving in to a new living space generally reflects an inner shift and desire for other changes in one’s life. With that in mind, I decided to “window shop” on Trend Funnel for furniture and accessories that I really love; that express who I am now and who I’m becoming. (Click here view pictures of/comment on the selections that I discuss in this post).
On a recent visit to the Baker Furniture showroom in High Point, NC – during the Fall International Home Furnishings Market – I fell in love with several Hollywood Glam living room displays. I loved all of the luxurious textures, somewhat contemporary but timeless and elegant lines of the furniture, and the unexpected glitz from a mirrored piece or shiny, baubled chandelier. In particular, I was drawn to a mostly gray, very luxurious living room vignette with delightful touches of yellow – very elegant, soothing, and unique!
So that is what I ran with on Trend Funnel! I chose the “Timeless Glamour” trend – inspired by the late 1920s, 1930s, and early 1940s Art Deco, French Art Deco, Art Moderne, and other classic vintage home decor styles. I fell in love with the Park Avenue Sofa Set and the Hoffman Leather Tub Chair. I really like the classy neutral tones, clean lines, nail head trim on the sofa and love seat – and these pieces expose more floor space, visually making my living room look larger!
2. Select a Color Palette that Makes the Room Feel More Expansive: By staying in a neutral (but not boring!) color palette and layering in textures, the space appears to be visually expanded. I selected the Sherwin Williams Cocoa and Cream color palette for my living room – along with Oyster Silk Italian Drapes. Depending on the mood I am going for, I would choose the Dots-Brown area rug for a more contemporary style or the Symphony-Brown rug for a luxurious, more traditional look.
3. Create the illusion of higher ceilings: Paint ceilings the same color as the walls – or a slightly lighter tone. This provides a more seamless, less defined visual transition from the walls to the ceiling. Hang draperies very close to the ceiling and this magically gives the effect of higher ceilings as well.
4. Think Carefully About the Location of the TV: The Plasma TV Stand with Mount – Serenade – really caught my eye as a great alternative to the bulky, boxy TV armoire that is now taking up too much floor space. Ideally, TVs and computers need to be behind closed doors – or at least out of sight when not in use – so they do not command too much attention. Therefore, it would be best if the new Plasma TV and cabinet could be placed in a position such that it is not the first thing you see when you walk in the room – for example, place it on the same wall as the main door or entry into the room.
5. For Multipurpose Spaces, Select Furnishings that Coordinate with the Rest of the Room: Instead of a separate room for my home office, my office space is now a corner in my living room! The Tribeca Loft Office – Writing Table would provide a great workspace for my laptop, but wont take away overall from the visual aesthetics of the living room.
6. Have Fun with Accessories: Because I “laid a good foundation” with some neutral colors and properly proportioned furniture, I can now have some fun and be creative in selecting accents. Some accessory items that would add a finishing touch of panache to my all new “dream” living room include: Black Majesty Bowl filled with Granite Decorative Glass Balls, Palento Table Lamp and “Traditions I” Giclee Print.
Voila!! I feel totally energized and inspired by having created an all new look for my living room – via easy and convenient shopping on Trend Funnel! I especially love the design board feature on the site – which enables you to experiment with out-of-your-comfort-zone choices and to see everything together! If you want to share your selections with friends and family, you can post them to our blog in one easy step by clicking the “blog” icon on the top right side of the page of your design board. Please feel free to comment on what I have written about my own recent downsizing experience – and I encourage you to offer your own tips and thoughts about this current trend. I would love to hear from you!
Tags: Decorating, Living, Room, Small, Tips
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Wednesday, May 27th, 2009
Sometimes you need a table and you don’t even realize it. But the right accent table can truly be the finishing touch you are searching for to make your room complete. Whether you want to create a beckoning entrance with a stunning foyer table or just need a pedestal to perch your palm plant on it is easy to find what you need in the eclectic genre that is accent tables.
An accent table is defined as a table that complements a decorative style or makes the features in a room stand out. They are available in many sizes, shapes and colors and are crafted from many materials. The best way to find one that makes your room stand out is by doing some comparison shopping online. You’ll be amazed at the styles that are out there from actual tables to pedestals to serving carts. Wherever you need or don’t need a table you’ll find one that fits perfectly in your space and décor. Dress up a corner with a pot of posies on a striking pedestal of twisting metal or a small round table with a rich inlay design. Need a spot to put a glass of water and a reading light by your bed but don’t want to be boxed in with a chest of drawers? Try a more feminine pedestal table that will give your room a lighter look. The more you look around your home the easier it is to find spots or things that could be bright and beautiful with the help of an accent table.
But to find one that is just right you have to narrow the field with a few decisions. First you will have to figure out the look you’re trying to achieve or complement. Is your décor more traditional or maybe even vintage? Then go with a table made of wood with a dark stain and carved details. Try a table made with glass or metal for a more contemporary look.
Second you need to decide what you need the table to do. Do you need a table alongside an armchair, perhaps you need something to showcase a plant, or maybe you want an easier way to serve tea to your guests. You might even need some small tables to use when you are entertaining that can easily be stored. Once you decide on your table’s use there is just one more step to finding perfection.
Third you have to look at the color and design, this is the fun part. Make a room pop with an emerald green chest; try a white pedestal table with hand painted flowers for some shabby chic appeal or go for a modern edge with a silver and black oval table. Add a touch of fantasy with a table supported by three griffin-like creatures. Once you find a table that speaks to you, your search is over.
So slide that last puzzle piece into place and take a deep breath of satisfaction. Your decorating days are over. Your rooms are refreshed, rejuvenated and finally complete with the addition of a few select accent tables.
Tags: Accent, Decorating, Final, Piece, Puzzle, Tables
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Saturday, January 31st, 2009
A living room is the most essential part of a household. It depicts the personalities of the people staying in the house as well as their tastes for life. From colors, textures and accessories that one adds up in their living room can either make a small living room look stunning or damp like the monsoons.
Do you ever remember stepping into a room with grey cushions, larger couch, dusky table and the ever dimming lamp? Well this living room seems to have space for all the furniture, but not more than ten people can stand and breathe in this mounted area. Let me help you out with some pocket saver tips.
Soft and Light Hues
Walls are the key feature for making a room look smooth and happening. A small living room can look larger, if you try painting the walls or even ceilings with “cool” colors like green or blue. Make sure the shades are darker as they appeal to wholeness of the entire room. These colors have the ability to make your ceilings look larger in height.
Working with Window Treatments
For instance, if you have window treatments, you can give them an impression of extra height to the room. To give this effect, let your window treatments move up towards the ceiling. Looks great! Trust Me.
Use Of Over Scaled Objects
Over scaled objects could be categorized into screens, large paintings, picture frames and patterns. These objects definitely behold the charm of making a room look larger and appeal a larger space to your living room.
Keep What You Need
Make sure you do not stack up your living room with souvenirs. The more you leave space, the more your living room will show freedom and clarity. Leaving space does not mean you empty the whole living room keeping nothing at all. Large leather couches are out of fashion and slender yet portable furniture will not only give you space to move about in your living room, but also add a crisp feeling of comfort and modern outlook.
Flowing Curtains
Curtains need to be long and light in colors. White curtains sound like a little hard to maintain, but they add a charismatic effect on your living room. The basic benefit of white curtains is that they permit the natural light to enter your room and add a smooth and cooling effect to your living room. The more your living room has natural light and air flowing in, the less your room will smell of sweat. Heavy drapes are a big NO NO!
Color Coordination
The most important tip one must keep in mind while decorating their living room is to coordinate the color of your furniture with the hues on your walls. You need to add a little creative effort decide what will look good with which color. For example, the lighter hues of green go very well with white. This turns out to be a bright and soothing combination.
Magical Reflective Surfaces
Reflective surfaces work miracles in making a small living room grow into a larger space. If in case you have a large plain wall, you can very well add up a large mirror with some artificial light effects. This will give the most rich and spacious layout for your living room.
Lighter the Fabrics, Larger the Room
Since ages, lighter fabrics are labeled for the rich and the famous. But with a little effort, one can afford them too. Lighter fabrics have the power to make your room look larger in size but at the same time, a lot more clean and crisp. Who doesn’t want a clean room anyways?
Tags: Decorating, Living, Room, Small
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