Home furnishing & interior design ideas

Often the living room is considered to be the center of the daily life. It’s there that you take a rest after a busy day at work watching television, inviting guests or entertaining the children. It may be the case that you’re not able to notice but all of these activities depend on the lighting. Bright and warm living rooms attract more attention than the rest of the room. To create the effect more than a fixture or a simple lamp will be needed.

Regardless, the living room of your choice needn’t be expensive for the effect to be achieved. The room should be lightened using its elements to achieve the effect and simply employing more light. Such elements are the rugs and furniture, walls and in some occasions – accessories. These several ideas are easily employed.

More sunlight should be used as it is the best light for a room. Having larger windows allows you to use them as the only source of light throughout the day. Combined with yellow or cream area rugs they help you enjoy a room that is brighter and doesn’t depend on a non-natural light source.

It should be noted that there are two types of lighting that can be combined for an effect- ambient and task lighting. Sconces that are mounted provide ambient light that can replace a lamp. Task lights are used to light areas for reading books, where someone plays or the family watches television. Ensure you consider all the areas. Color can be brought into the room by the use of oriental rugs that easily become a focal point.

Don’t consider fixtures that hang high. It has been a trend for some time for the designers to move lights far from the ceiling. To achieve a better effect lights should be stationed along walls and you shouldn’t rely only on a single chandelier. Controlling lighting on a wall is achieved easier and is calming for the eye. When talking about lighting a particular area (or task lighting), think about using a floor lamp, regardless of the fact that it uses more area. It can be easily moved to a place of your interest. For a narrower premise recess lighting is a good choice that is able to create atmosphere.

Let your items be lightened. Are there any sculptures, antique collections or paintings you aim to present to your visitors? Having spotlights in your living room is a way this can be accomplished. Sconces can light up wall accessories when stationed on either side and the same is achievable with movable lights that can be stationed on different walls. A focal point can be created when rugs and spot lighting are combined. When rugs are braided they are pleasing for the eye and are a great addition to the wooden furniture in your home.

Having to rely on non-natural light is a choice you have to make sometimes. Be sure to go for fabrics that are bright and avoid dark ones. Such fabrics that are both bright and soft will do well for rugs, carpets, upholstery and curtains. Heavier colors should be limited so that the room accents are preserved and you’re sure that the latter dominate. Earth colors in your scheme can be brought to life with rugs having red color or blue pillows that are bright.

Ever wonder about the way a small living room should be decorated? Such a room can attract your attention the way a large room can. It can look one of a kind and also have features that are occasionally not present in a room that is larger.

Do you have ideas for the decoration of your small living room? Perhaps you should consider the purchase of a mirror that is large and will become the object that attracts the most attention in the room.

Another way the decoration of such a room should be approached is by altering the arrangement of the furniture. For example it can be distanced from the walls, which is what is recommended for rooms that are small. Using slanted furniture may add some uniqueness to the room as well.

Let us now examine the accessories that are present in your small room. Having too many accessories for home decoration will divide the space, so having fewer is advisable. Use such that you love for their qualities and you’re willing to display them. To make the room less encumbered try grouping the accessories instead of leaving them scattered through the room.

Consider using crown molding for the small living room. Such a decorative molding will create an illusion for space and height thus making the room an attractive one. An eye looking at the ceiling is tricked in thinking it is higher. You can make your choice between using the same color for painting the molding as the one used for the decor or instead going for grain molding that uses wood and represents a great addition to the room.

You must aim at bringing more light to the small living room and a feeling of open space too. The addition of light fixtures will reflect the light from the ceiling. The room in this way radiates a more hospitable feeling, as when the eye looks up, the room looks tall and the atmosphere is wonderful.

Floor carpets having different textures, colors and patters may bring uniqueness to the small living room. They make the room look more spacious in dept but don’t take away the space needed for accessories and furniture.

We often overlook the fact that a small living room is made look spacious simply by washing the windows. They should be kept clean and shiny and the same is true also for the rest of the surfaces, such as TV screens, tables with glass tops and mirrors. A simple idea like this one makes your home a more hospitable and inviting place.

Charming furniture set for the living room

The living room is not only the place where all family get together but where guests are received. Therefore this room should be furnished in way to be not only functional and with pleasant, predisposing atmosphere but also to be representative.

The most important element in a living-room is making environment, conducive to communication. To do this, the upholstered furniture should be arranged in way to ensure visual contact between sat people. Most frequently this is achieved with U or L-shaped sofas or couches. Further more the upholstered furniture should be chosen so as to fit the measures in the room. It is not necessary small spaces to be crammed with furniture i.e. small rooms could be furnished only with sofas and armchairs, wide couches are not obligatory. Transforming furniture is in general currency – sofa-bed, extending table. They are very practical because they could have different function according to your needs.

In view of the fact that the living-room is place mostly for repose it is necessary that the furniture will be comfortable and ergonomic. Not only has the upholstered furniture to meet your preferences, but also the rest part of the furniture should not be neglected.

If you have TV in your living-room, you should consider carefully the level position to put it, because watching TV should not be burdening pursuit but relaxing. Besides, the sunlight from the window should not hinder its picture.

Living space with plasma pop up (photo by Signa One)

The type of flooring – marble, terracotta, parquet, moquette or carpet – should be chosen in way not only to be easy for maintenance but also to respond the house environment and to have good aesthetic look. It is very often that people chose combination of two types of flooring. Despite all, “old-fashioned” carpets in different shapes and colours, give the room more domesticity.

Wallpapers and renderings should be conformed to rest of rooms. If you want to lend a jolly atmosphere in the living-room, experiment with colours and contrasts.

Living room wall renderings

Aggressive or calming colours – this is personal choice, conformed to occupants’ character.

For the right finish state to the living-room, you should pay attention to the small details too. These could be bookcases, small tables, pictures, bowls of flowers, souvenirs. The small table is frequently main accent in the living-room design and its most widespread variants are made by glass or wood materials.

In accordance with Feng Shui decrees some fundamental rules should be taken into consideration in the living-room furniture:

• It should not have isolated places in the living-room, in each corner should be placed something as a work of art, plant or souvenir;
• Big walls shouldn’t be empty – decorate them with mirrors or pictures;
• Do not clutter the living-room with furniture and objects;
• Do not place the TV in central position;
• Arrange the furniture in semicircular shapes; do not put it against the wall, place it faced to the door;
• Arrange cushiony pillows and fresh-cut flowers;
• The living-room should be sufficiently spacious and light;