Shopping for the Living Room
The living room, or as also referred to as the family room is the place where you spend quality time with your loved ones. Needless to say it is one of the most important rooms in your home, which is why it deserves proper interior design choices.
Short History of the Living Room
Nowadays, when you enter a living room where do you look first? Before the TV, people used to gather around the fireplace, or near the piano. Now usually the focal point of any living room is probably a 50 inch plasma. Research shows that almost always people turn their heads in the direction of the TV. And that is absolutely normal. In fact, all the furniture is arranged so that “it looks” at the TV.
In addition, living rooms are nowadays adjacent to the kitchen to allow the person cooking (usually “mum”) to be involved in all the action and cast an eye at the activities of children, pets or why not the TV. I remember when I was little and lived with my parents and grandparents we had a dining room with a fancy cupboard filled with dishes and tea cups. I remember spending more time in the dining room, rather than the living room, which was somewhat reserved for guests.
Nowadays this is not the case and here are a few things you need to consider when you plan the layout. First and most importantly make sure there is enough seating space for everyone. If you are a family of 4, make sure you don’t just have a sofa for three (mum is not going to spend all her time in the kitchen, you know…). Think about guests visiting and have a few comfy chairs or bean bags you can pop out when more people arrive. The second most important thing is lighting. The living room is the place we get together, but not always we do the same things together. While you are watching the TV, your kids may want to play, colour their books, or engage in some other activity. That only means one thing - you should have lighting arrangements for all sorts of activities. You can have ceiling lamps, a table lamp and a floor lamp. If you have pieces of art make sure you highlight them with lights as well. Some DIY lighting could include these truly ravishing candle holders.
When choosing upholstery for your living room make sure you buy convenient sofas or upholstered chairs and consult upholstery professionals which fabrics are easier to care for. Choosing leather is one of the best choices you can make. Leather, even though more expensive, is very durable and perfect for high-traffic areas and heavy use. This ‘shopping for upholstery guide’ should be able to help guide you. Consider adding round elements as well - this will make it a lot more inviting. This gallery should be able to convince you: Living Room With Round Elements
In conclusion don’t make your living room stiff and pretentious. You wouldn’t want it to look as if it is a static display in a museum. Use colours confidently and show off your good taste and bold nature. Here are a few colourful ideas to consider.
By the way, did you know that colour has a great power to influence our behaviour and mood? Passing through a red corridor makes us speed up. Green is natural and very relaxing colour and blue increases read willingness in children. Here is an idea for a sunny living room that will brighten up the whole room and your mood too!