Choosing the Right Colors

Q: What's the most important role color plays in a room?

A: It sets the mood for a room. The color you choose is really about what you want the room to feel like.

Q: Do you tend to use one color scheme throughout the entire interior, or mix it up room to room?

A: In general, I feel it's important to have continuity throughout the entire house. I'll use one or two colors throughout the house, and then mix in other accent colors. That gives continuity, but at the same time allows the various rooms to have different personalities.

Q: What kind of classic color combinations do you think work best?

A: Blue and white, yellow and green for a kitchen, red and black for a very formal dining room. For a library, I would suggest chocolate brown and camel or dark green and navy blue. I like burgundy and khaki, navy and khaki, or dark green and khaki. And grays and blues look really great together.

Q: What kind of guidelines would you suggest if someone wants to use bold colors?

A: You need to be aware that you will likely get tired of bold colors very quickly. If you really want to incorporate a strong, bold color, use it as an accent. Bold colors are often attractive because they are the color of the moment; this can quickly date a room.

Q: How should the homeowner account for different lighting in choosing colors?

A: Select three shades of the color you want: where you think you want to be, and one shade lighter and one shade darker. Do this with paint, wallpaper, or fabric swatches. Put the samples in two places: next to the window and in a darker corner. Look at them at different times during the day and at night. Then make your decision.

Q: Is a neutral color scheme always appropriate?

A: No. It totally depends on the house, the location, the architecture, and the personality of the homeowner. It's about trying to keep a balance. An entire neutral house can be boring.

Q: How do you use color to affect relationship and the relationship with other decorative elements?

A: Color is key to how the decor is perceived. If it's a big room, paint it a brighter, warmer color to bring the walls in. Paint a smaller room a cooler color to push the walls out. Color also establishes visual weight and balance. If you put a bold primary-based piece of art in a pastel room, it's probably not going to seem right. The colors of the art should balance the colors of the space.

Q: What are the challenges homeowners face in choosing colors and color schemes?

A: Sometimes people are scared of color, especially dark colors. Ultimately, people should really follow their heart: If they love a color, test it, and like it in place, they should not be afraid to choose it.

Living Room Lighting

Sitting, talking, entertaining, listening to music, reading, writing, and watching television are normal accepted activities in most living rooms, and therefore the best kind of light is a good measure of general or diffuse light with a play of light and shade. There should be adequate working light where necessary, and well controlled highlighting for the more interesting display of art, plants, objects, and arrangements.

Most lighting designers agree that the best sort of general light is the reflected variety – light bounces off a wall – because it gives the least glare. This is obtained either from indirect sources like more or less concealed uplights, or from light concealed behind coves, or from wallwashers of one kind or another: or from direct lighting like table or floor lamps.

Whatever happens, do not let general light be all at one level of brightness. Our eyes see by means of contrasts, and nothing makes a room so flat, even boring, as bland light. Dimmers are a great help here with their easy going control of intensity. And dramatic light can be provided by a mixture of judiciously placed downlights and uplights, with highlights from spots.

Reading lights should be at a reasonable distance behind anyone reading, or if the light is a downlight, about a foot in front of the book or work; otherwise, the light on the page will be too bright. For writing, light should fall over the left shoulder of a right-handed person and vice versa. Alternatively, a portable desk lamp or adjustable wall mounted light should throw light onto the work.

Looking at television in an otherwise dark room is a strain. As a light near the viewer will reflect in the screen, a dimmed light behind the set is best if the set is on a shelf. If the set is free standing, use downlight or a floor lamp shining at the wall or down to the floor.

Dramatic lighting can be provided in storage units and on shelves or in alcoves. Collections of glass and ceramics look their best in front of translucent wall of light (made by fixing vertical strips lights to the wall behind the shelves and concealing them with panels of pearly Plexiglas, acrylic, or glass), or with a spot shining down on them from an angle. Single precious objects like a piece of sculpture, or even a plant or arrangement of flowers, are best served by a single downlight set above them, and other shelves can be lit up by the sides by baffled vertical strips. Objects on shelves can be picked out with tiny portable spots, and deeply recessed sections of wall units can be similarly treated.

Conventionally, paintings are lit from above by so-called picture lights, but they are better lit by spots fixed to the ceiling or walls, and better still by specific spots for the purpose, such as the parabolic variety with inbuilt transformers, or framing spots which can be specially adjusted to the size of the picture. These particular spots also make a dramatic job of lighting foliage, plants, or objects. An entire wall of paintings can be beautifully lit by plug-mold or a wash of light from recessed strips. This has the advantage of staying beautiful however much the paintings are juggled out.

Living Room Accessories & Design

Accessorizing and designing a living room is to set up a showcase and yet most relaxed space of your house. It sets up the mood of your home and may range from a casual friendly place for your friends to gossip to a most sophisticated and luxurious setting to make a statement to your style and lavishness. Here are some living room design and modern décor ideas that you can use:

Throw pillows are important accents for living room décor and can add splashes of bold colors to an otherwise muted color scheme. It also adds warmth and comfort to the living room.

Area rugs can be used to cover up unattractive areas of carpet and floors and define seating areas of the room. For a large living room, they are a great asset for defining more than one seating areas of the room.

Painting your living room walls with a neutral color such as white or beige, leaves us more choices for creating the character of the room while buying furniture and furnishings for the room.

Layered lighting plan is best for living rooms so that you can spotlight the reading area or the entertainment area, uniform lighting for a casual family gathering and disco lights or accent lighting for party time.

Media space is fast gaining attention in the modern living room décor and design ideas. Specialty rooms or areas can be created using painted decorative screens in a large room.

Media spaces are generally painted in deeper shades for intimacy while versatile and multi-purpose areas are generally painted in pale and muted colors.

Modern living room décor incorporated features such as bookcases with wide shelves for DVDs and collectibles.

Furnishings, curtains, valances, blinds, cushions and padded seating can add color, style and pattern to the décor of the room.

Casual Living Room Design Tips

When creating a design for your living room, keep in mind how the living room will be used. A living room with surround sound, for example, will require a particular design in order to get the full effect of that sound. Whether there is surround sound or no sound, a living room should be a room that creates a relaxing atmosphere in which one can read quietly, visit with friends, or any number of things in a comfortable manner.

Consideration of furniture is important. A casual living room will not have stiff furniture that provides no comfort when sitting. That type of furniture should be reserved for waiting rooms at a doctor's office or school rooms. A comfortable living room's couches and chairs will be made out of soft, perhaps plush fabrics that invite a person to relax on them. Their comfort will be further enhanced by soft, plush pillows of the same fabric. Some will even add pillows that contrast with the colors of the couches or chairs. This furniture is something that can be relaxed and socialized on in complete comfort.

Flooring is another important consideration for this room. Hardwood floors are very popular right now, yet they do not have to be the only choice. Hardwood is pretty and easy to clean, yet it's cold. If your home is often cold and you're looking for economical ways to keep it warmer, carpeting is one way to do that. Carpeting will hold the heat in the room better than hardwood flooring which will make the room warmer longer. This will in turn use your furnace less and your money will be saved. However, if you have allergies to dust or other airborne particles, carpeting may not be a good choice. No matter how often you vacuum, it can be very difficult to get those allergens out of the air. For this type of person, a hardwood floor would probably be the better choice because there will be less fibers in the room to hold in those allergens.

Television and sound system would also be a consideration into your design. If your television is large, it will take a large portion of area in the living room. Alternately, if it is small it won't take up as much room. Either way, the seating and sound should be surrounding the viewing area at a reasonable distance for both sight and sound. If you have surround sound, you have the advantage of bringing the sound to the seating area. Otherwise, the seating should surround the television at a distance that makes listening happen easily.

Living rooms should be places of comfort. They should be conducive to visiting and mingling with guests as well as watching television. With the listed tips above, your living room will bring comfort and joy to all of its inhabitants.

Interior Design: Living & Dining Area Tips

● In interior design, a focal point is important in every room. It could be a large window or painting or an interesting art piece. In your living room, arrange your furniture around a focal point. Put your biggest piece of furniture first (like the sofa) then continue with the smaller pieces of furniture down to your accent pieces.

● Consider the size of your living room when you buy the furniture. Don't buy oversized pieces if your room is not that big. It will make your room smaller and cramped. And also don't buy tall furniture if your ceiling is low, they will make the ceiling appear lower.

● Many of us Filipinos tend to buy living room furniture "sets" with a sofa, two matching side chairs, with matching coffee and side tables. Be different, don't match the couch with the side chairs. In fact, in interior design, it is more fashionable to have different styled pieces put together like a modern sofa with classic or antique side chairs and different styled tables.

● If you plan to put several picture frames on the walls. it is a good idea to group them together by theme and arrange them inside an imaginary frame. They can be the focal point of the room.

● Before you buy you dining room set, take a good look at your space. Be sure that there is ample room to walk around the dining set even if all the seats are occupied. Interior design has a lot to do with ergonometrics, not just appearance. We Filipinos have the tendency to buy bigger dining sets than our space can accommodate and push one side of the table against the wall.

● If your living and dining area is on the same room, you may use a different flooring material on the dining area to delineate the space from the living area. Or you may put an area rug on your dining area for definition. A free standing screen is another good option.

● Avoid using fluorescent (white) lighting in the living and dining areas. Food looks more inviting under incandescent (yellow) light and people's complexion too look better under yellow light. But if you really like to use fluorescent light, combine both white & yellow light at the same time.

● If you plan to put a chandelier above your dinning table, don't put it up so high. Lower it 3 to 4 feet from the table top.

● Aside from your direct light source above the dining table (a chandelier for example), add some pin lights around the room and a dimmer switch to make your surroundings more pleasing to the eye. Do the same with your living room.

● It is ok to put family pictures on the living room but don't put so many, specially school diplomas and trophies. They are better put in the den or your bedroom.

Convenience of Ready-to-Assemble Furniture

Ready-to-assemble furniture is a viable alternative for the frequent movers. The convenience and budget-friendliness of the ready-to-assemble furniture makes them a hot item in the furniture market. Read on to learn more.


We live in a day and age where time is available only at a premium. People suddenly don’t find enough time to spend with the vital aspects of their existence. For instance, parents find themselves at odds with their children due to the lack of quality time spent with them. But the adults are not the only ones at fault. The problem lies with the fast-moving world where technology developments mean increasing workloads and constant movements from one place to another. Relocation means not only bodily relocation but peripheral relocation also. Your favorite furniture also needs to be constantly shifted. Here lies the problem because it may not be entirely feasible to move your exquisite every time the work demands relocation. The solution lies with ready-to-assemble furniture.

The instant furniture, as it can be so easily called, is the solution to your cup of relocation woes. The ready-to-assemble furniture generally comes in three pieces. Its main USP is the ease of transportation. Usually fastened with modified screws, the instant furniture is easy to assemble, dismantle and handle. Your life becomes more simplified by the do-it-yourself pieces, which when joined, transforms into a unique furniture article.

Ready-to-assemble furniture brings along other benefits in your life too.

Quality: Contrary to earlier beliefs, the quality of ready-to-assemble furniture is improving with several new players emerging in the market. Quality varies from wooden to metal pieces. Not so long ago, Amish furniture was not the toast of frequent movers but with changing times you can enjoy the luxury of compact Amish handcrafted furniture.

Variety: Ready-to-assemble furniture comes in a vast range to choose from. From office furniture to home furniture to outdoor furniture, this genre of furniture won’t disappoint you. The stylish ready-to-assemble desks, chairs, hutches, tables, conference tables, credenzas, bookcases, file cabinets, mobile carts etc. would leave you craving for more.

Price: What more? The easier to handle furniture items won’t make a very big hole in your pocket. Of course, the more you spend, the better will be the quality.

While ready-to-assemble furniture seems an easy option, yet there are certain cautions that must be followed to make your experience with your furniture a happier one. If the furniture seems too heavy, ask for the help of someone who can share the burden and place the furniture at the desired place. Generally, the dismembered pieces are not too burdensome to handle but still, in case of inconvenience, never shy away from seeking your partner’s help. The dimensions of any furniture are extremely important so that they can be easily shifted from one room to another without scratches and dents. If you can’t find the furniture of your requirements in the market, try to custom-made by placing an order with the desired dimensions. Always assemble the furniture in the room, which is the final destination, for the time being, of the furniture. Always read the instructions before assembly or dismantling.

Making The Right Decision While Buying Home Furniture

The market offers a large variety of materials to choose from when you are planning to buy furniture. Your decision should be based on research, taste, and the overall decor of your house.


While you would have spent hours, perhaps days, in making the decision on buying the right furniture for your home, there is bound to be some confusion in your mind in view of the large variety of choices available to choose from. While you are not to be blamed for the perplexity troubling your mind, it does help to make an informed decision based on good research and basic knowledge of furniture types.

Much depends on your outlook towards the various materials available that are vying for your attention. If you prefer wood that has been the choice of several generations and is known for its durability and class, you are amongst millions of people who want to own a piece of nature molded specifically to your personal needs. More so if you plan to own a piece of specially made wooden , it is bound to bring a class to your home that is otherwise hard to come by.

Wooden furniture is well known to last long, really long. For how many years have you been seeing that special rocking chair your grandfather used to spend his mornings on? Or the old, but still sturdy closet that you have been storing your clothes in since you were a toddler? So if you are the types who prefer that your children and their offspring as well remember their young days spent cradling in the comfort of the classic setting of your ancestral home, wooden furniture is definitely the way to be.

As far as wooden furniture goes, offers a class that cannot be ignored by any serious buyer. Whatever be your choice of wood, good definitely warrants a close look before making your decision. Known for its exclusivity and long lasting, sturdy designs, you will never regret having made your decision in its favor.

Now coming to the next choice – what if you are living in a rented apartment that you are going to move out from in a year or two at most, and would not like to lug your stuff along thereafter. In such a case, you would be better off investing in furniture that would last about as long as you desire it to- which in your case is just a couple of years. You could go in for decent wood laminates which offer the same functionality, while not being nearly as expensive as wood. It will save you the trouble of having to worry what to do with your furniture when you are moving as it would have lived its minimum life. The lower cost and life does not mean, however, that you have to compromise on design, as any good dealer will offer you a large variety of design to suit your tastes and needs. From modern to traditional, all types are available in this versatile material that also fits comfortably into any pocket.

If you are looking at pure smart prototypes to go with the latest designs, glass offers varieties that are hard to ignore. From simple glass tops to total glass molded furniture, you can choose depending on your individual taste. Colored, etched or smoked glass furniture is bound to add an elegance that reflects your panache and taste. A word of caution, however, for those with small children. Glass furniture may cause injuries as it is prone to breakage due to rough handling. Also do be careful that your purchase does not have any sharp or rough edges that have the potential to cause injury, besides the furniture looking ungainly and short of good taste.

More about some other alternatives in my next article. Be sure to sign in next fortnight to look up some other interesting options before making your decision.

Choosing The Right Furniture For Your Living Room

The living room is the place seen first and foremost by all guests – it is an important reflection of your taste and creates an everlasting impression on their minds. Spare some time and make it a true reflection of your graceful personality.

You have been thinking hard recently about how to refurbish your house to spruce it up and make it more smart and modern, but don’t know where to start? Worry not, for after going through this article you will have a fairly good idea of how and where to do the needful for giving that new look you to your house you so desire.

You can hire a good interior designer to suggest you themes and a layout for your house. The professionals usually have a good knowledge of what is available in the market to suit each budget and taste, and would be able to advise you on this aspect as well. They would probably be able to suggest a theme to suit your personal preferences and help you make your decisions accordingly.

Alternatively, you could use your own ingenuity and knowledge to save on costs, as hiring a professional can be prohibitively expensive. You would have to gain knowledge, though, and it would require some amount of time and effort to study the market and decide what you want.

Let us start with the room your guests are likely to see and appreciate first when they come to visit after you have re-decorated your pad – the living room.

Start with a theme – you can decide on a traditional or a modern look. While hand crafted stuff like bamboo furniture is more suited to the traditional look, the modern look and feel is accentuated by the use of smart wooden or leather furniture. A set of leather sofas adds a touch of class to any living room, and is associated with aristocracy and elegance. You can choose from a variety of colors such as black, brown, red etc to go with the overall look of your room. Choose black or dark brown for a touch of sophistication that gels with your overall image. Brighter shades like red or green would look good if you have overall designer settings. Even if the color of your set is a sober black or brown, you can add red leather recliners to add a dash of color to the settings.

Look at the placement of your sectional sofas next. Preferably, the largest piece; i.e. the three or five-seater, should be placed along the longest wall. If your settings are in a large hall, place your five-seater so that it does not constrict the entry and the exit spaces. Place the single pieces evenly in comparison to the three/five-seater. They can either be placed along one side of your living room, or placed one each on either side of the main sofa. The latter is better if you have another sofa set to place, or have a five-piece set that needs more space, and would balance out the settings. If you have a stand-alone leather recliner, it is best placed in a corner where it will go well with the sitting pattern. Children generally love recliners, as it offers them a degree of comfort exceeding the normal sofas.

Look for a smart center table to go with the overall settings. Glass tops are mostly preferred for their elegant looks and large variety in which they are available. A combination of a glass top and chrome-plated frame is the latest ‘in’ thing, and will definitely give that extra special look to your room.

So don’t just procrastinate. Go ahead and make a start, and I am sure you will soon end up with a living room you will be happy to invite your guests to

Lighting Up Your Living Room

Living room lighting is not just about lighting up your room, it's also about creating a mood for relaxation, or entertaining or just watching TV.

Your living room can take on many different roles, it can be used for watching television, reading, listening to music, relaxing and chatting to friends and family as well as being used for hobbies and various pastimes such as playing chess or knitting.

Therefore the lighting in this room needs to be sufficient in order to accommodate such a wide variety of different uses. This is easily achieved by using lighting that is both flexible in quantity and quality. And, instead of having just one mediocre light bulb hanging from the centre of the room - you can go wild and give your imagination a run for its money by incorporating downlighters, recessed lighting, decorative table lamps, reading lamps, wall lights, maybe picture lights as well to highlight an interesting object, and of course your pendant lighting or chandeliers.

Living room lighting lends itself to being open to many different lighting sources and your mix of indoor light fixtures and fittings should accommodate a wide spectrum of moods and activities.

Generally, many households tend to have an insufficient number of light fittings to completely satisfy the lighting requirements of the room. A pendant and a few lamps, floor and table lamps, for example, are generally not enough to do justice to living rooms which also tend to be quite large in comparison to other rooms in the house.

As a rough guide, having a couple of table lamps, four to six recessed downlighters, a picture light to highlight an ornamental object or painting, some sort of concealed lighting inside a bookshelf or other unit, as well as a floor lamp - are considered a good quantity of light fittings which can be used to properly light up your living room. As you can see, you do not need to have all these different types of lighting and lamps all on at the same time. Rather, for effect, you would have a few lights on depending on what sort of mood you wanted to create and what activities were taking place.

Remember also that when it comes to lighting, the different types of light fixtures are quite versatile and can adapt to suit different lighting requirements. For instance, using adjustable lights means that you can highlight different objects by simply repositioning the light source from the lamp. Similarly, decorative table lamps can be used not only as an ornamental object but can provide background lighting for performing tasks as well as being a light source for other objects displayed on the table.

Living room lighting is not just about lighting up your room, it's also about creating a mood for relaxation, or entertaining or just watching TV.

Lighting room lighting can include decorative table lamps, all types of Tiffany style lighting as well as sconces and floor lamps. By using all of these you give the room depth and character.

Arranging Living Room Furniture for Maximum Effect

The living room is today's most 'lived in' room, so it is important to make the most of the space you have. Get some simple expert tips...


For many years, the living room was the formal room in the home – a room that was only used for special guests. Families either gathered in the den or gathered in the kitchen. As times have changed, the living room has become just that – the living room. This has now become the room in most homes where the family gathers – relaxing together over a good book or watching favorite TV shows together, and even entertaining friends. We now tend to invite our guests and friends into the comfort of the room in which we actually perform the art of living, in a less-formal, more inviting atmosphere.

The arrangement of your furniture can have an affect on how the room is viewed by family and guests. Does the room seem open and inviting? Does the room seem small and crowded? You want to convey a feeling of welcome and comfort to your family and guests – allowing them to feel that they are free to actually "live" in the room. The first step is to determine what the focal point of the room will be – will it be an entertainment center or perhaps a warm, cozy fireplace?

One of the most important aspects of furniture placement in the living room is allowing for traffic to move through the room comfortably. You don’t want guests having to worry about bumping in to knick-knacks and other things as they move around the room. You want them to be able to move from place to place within the room easily. Depending on the size of your room, you may want to have one grouping of comfortable seats – close enough for conversation, yet far enough apart for individual privacy as well. For a larger room, you may want to have several groupings of comfortable seats, with a central focal point on the entertainment center or fireplace.

Large furniture should be placed along the walls whenever possible. This leaves more space for traffic in the center of the room. If your living room is used often – as is usually the case when the room is used both for entertaining and for family, there will be a lot of traffic – and by leaving maneuverable space, you are letting your family and friends know that it is okay to use this room for living, without them having to worry about breaking things or knocking things over.

For living rooms that are used for entertainment and family rooms, you can use furniture to your advantage. Many tables and entertainment centers have shelves and storage spaces that can be used to keep the room cleared of clutter. Games, movies, CD’s, and books can all be stored within easy reach without cluttering the room and creating a sense of less space. A great idea if you have small children is to use an area rug in an open space in the room, giving them a "play area" that can be utilized even when adults are entertaining friends.

When deciding on the arrangement of your furniture, you need to keep in mind the comfort of your guests, the amount of space needed for traffic, and the atmosphere that you are trying to create. Using small tables beside chairs offers a person a feeling of personal privacy within a room of people by giving them somewhere to put things such as their drink glass or a favorite book they may be reading. Use corners for things such as lamps and large decorative pieces, allowing them to add to the décor of the room without taking away space and making the room feel crowded. Whether your focal point is a fireplace or an entertainment center, you should arrange furniture that invites each person in the room to be a part of the group as a whole, and also allows them the privacy to take a break from the conversation when needed. The point is to make your family and guests feel that they are welcome in your living room and that this is the room for "living" – together.

Three Very Short Steps to a New Living Room

Three simple suggestions that will help you revolutionize your living room.

So I was at a friend’s house the other month, a cute, turn-of-the-century bi-level in a southwestern college-town. You know the type: wood floors, an outside color scheme of olive and orange, pleasant backyard, etc. He opened the front door—wood, its plate-glass window with beveled edges—and let me in. And I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Did he actually live here? Could he? We stood in the entry foyer, which was completely empty of furniture, and I looked into the living room to my left. It was almost as though an alien had watched several films set in the 1970s United States, and had taken careful notes about the types of furniture humans have. TV: check. Couch: check. Coffee table, Barcalounger, second easy chair: check, check, check. But the furniture was just sort of strewn around the room (as much as a couch can be strewn, anyway), arranged haphazardly in a way that suggested the alien’s homemaking duties had been fulfilled as soon as everything had been purchased and delivered.

The friend I was visiting is an intelligent, dedicated individual, well-respected in his field and also not without a certain personal style. He’s a well-rounded person, and reasonably fir, psychologically (well, as much as anyone interesting ever is). So, why was his home in such disarray (if anything, things got worse in the other rooms)? And, more importantly, what could be done about it?

Since I don’t intend to use the Web as a forum for psychoanalyzing my friends, and given that I’ve talked since then with a number of people who feel similar degrees of disinterest in their physical environments, I think the latter question is the one to take up here. Specifically, I want to offer three thoughts about arranging living spaces with minimal extra effort.

Sure, there are about a hundred shows on TV dedicated to just this topic, but we all know that Trading Spaces costs a bundle; and the work they do there certainly requires a ton of time and effort. Following are three short tips for those who want to (or who think I might want them to) rearrange their homes a little, but who don’t want to think about it all too much.

1. Craigslist. Seriously, especially if you live in a big city or a city with a lot of students, there’s no need to buy furniture new ever again. Do you know your living room really needs a lamp behind the sofa, but don’t want to be overwhelmed by a billion glittering lights at the mall or at your local designer lamp boutique? Check out craigslist.org (or an equivalent service; there are several, many of them locally oriented) in your town or city. Just get online and browse the ads every now and then until you see something that appeals. This takes all the stress out of buying "home stuff," by the way. Instead of the whole "I’m on a mission; get out of my way, lady" mentality that’s hard to avoid if you’re seriously shopping for something, you can just check in from time to time to see if anything good has popped up.

2. Living spaces are for living in. Even if you have no friends, spend about three minutes imagining a lively conversation taking place in your living room. Then rearrange the chairs and sofas so that everybody (imaginary friends, if need be) can participate in that conversation at the same time.

3. If you make the TV the centerpiece of the room, the TV will be the centerpiece of the room! Nothing against television, but if you want people to actually talk to each other, it’s important to set up the space so that it makes talking easy. Most people’s default is to set up living spaces as little altars to the television, allowing everyone to see the TV at all times. If that’s what’s most important to you, of course, then I guess that’s okay . . . whatever. But if you want a little more human interaction, keep in mind that it’s your job to redirect people’s attention from the default position. So, don’t arrange the room around the TV. Arrange the room, and then figure out a place for the TV that will be more or less convenient.

Take these three suggestions, and they could revolutionize your living room. Most importantly, perhaps, they could revolutionize your living room with almost no real effort on your part. Happy minimalist rearranging!

5 Quick and Easy Ways to Make Small Rooms Feel Bigger!

Decorating small rooms can be quite a challenge, but there are some simple things you can do in a weekend to make the space seem to expand before your eyes!

1. Go buy the largest mirror you can afford, and place it in a focal area of the room, such as over a mantel, or over a sofa. Hang it a little higher than eye level to avoid reflecting clutter if necessary. If you can't afford a large mirror, drop by your discount store and dollar shop and pick up a few smaller ones to create a grouping of mirrors to accomplish the same purpose. I have decorative mirrors in almost every room of my modestly sized home, and when I take them down to paint or clean, I am shocked at how much more closed in the room feels. One mirror adds several visual feet to any room!

2. Don't leave your walls white! I know, that's not what you've always heard. White walls can be difficult to pull off in an interesting way, and they don't expand a room any more than light colors do, so add some personality! Paint your walls a light cool color, such as blue or green. Cool colors fool the eye into thinking the walls are farther away than they really are, while warm colors make walls seem closer. (Most whites used in homes are warm whites.) So bring in that pale blue or green!

3. Change your furniture arrangement. I don't believe there is any one formula that works for every room...some rooms will seem larger with the furniture against the walls, and some will seem large if you float the furniture out into the room. Experiment! If you don't want to spend a whole afternoon rearranging furniture (I know a good chiropractor!) then use graph paper to do it. Assign each square of the paper to 1 square foot. Draw in walls, traffic patterns, and other obstacle such as doors. Then cut out small pieces the size of each piece of furniture. Now you can use your furniture templates to move your furniture around on paper, to find the perfect fit for you, before you move a stick! Keep in mind, you still may want to make a change or two after you get it all into actual place. That's ok, us decorators change our minds too!

4. Remove all accessories that break up the space. This is the case where less is more. If two patterned pillows add the pizzazz you need, then don't add four. Use larger scale accessories instead of many smaller ones. And get rid of clutter! We tend to stop seeing the pile of magazines because we are used to them, try to look at the room with an objective eye. If your kitchen is small, don't store things on the counter, put them behind cupboard doors. Kids toys? Find inexpensive bins that can slide under the end tables, then cover with table cloths. If you don't love it or need it, get rid of it! (Don't keep an accessory out just because it fills space!)

5. This is the most underutilized tip for small rooms of all, but also one of the easiest! Keep all your windows and reflective surfaces sparkling clean! Don't believe me? Try it now, go clean that sliding glass door, then stand back. Looks bigger, doesn't it! Now do the same for the rest of the windows, tv screens, dishwasher fronts, glass over artwork and glass tabletops. The shiny clean surfaces both reflect light (which always brightens and enlarges a room) and creates a smooth surface for your eye to glide over, creating the illusion of more space! It works!

Five easy ways to enlarge the look of any room, and you can do it in an afternoon or a weekend!

Tips For Decorating Your Living Room on a Budget

In most homes, the living room is the place where most of the action happens. This is where you spend time together as a family and entertain your friends. Apart from the bed room, your living room is where you spend the maximum time in your house. It is no wonder then, that all of us want our living rooms to look good and be comfortable. However, with constant wear and tear, our living room starts looking drab, old fashioned and mostly in need of a change for the better. Unfortunately, redecorating even a single room in the house can prove to be extremely costly, and a situation involving redecorating your living room is no different. However, with our tips on redoing your living room, you can easily and quickly freshen up your living room’s decor without spending a huge packet.

Bring Out The Colors: Changing the color scheme of a room is an easy and inexpensive method of redecorating it. Choose a color scheme that is different from what your living room was sporting earlier. In order to give your living room paint a professional feel, mix and match two or three colors, paint one wall a different color or use dark colors for accenting certain portions of the room.

Go Green: Bringing in plants into your living room adds both color and life to the room. Adding greens to a room always makes it look classy and cool. Buy a couple of potted plants and arrange them in a corner of the living room where there is some light. You can also keep your plants in a dark corner and hang a lamp on top. This will not only make sure that your plants live; it will also result in a beautiful corner arrangement.

Add Space: If you wish your living room was larger than what it currently is, but can do nothing much about it, then putting up a couple of mirrors on the wall is the next best thing to breaking down walls. Mirrors add an illusion of added space, and if you do it correctly, you might just end fooling yourself about the actual size of your living room.

Cover Your Floors: Changing your dull or drab floor tiles or carpeting is an extremely expensive move. If you are fed up with your old floor, then buying carpets and multi colored rugs and placing them strategically across your living room will give your living room floor a new lease of life and color at a minimal cost. You can choose from a wide range of floor coverings depending on your budget and the theme of your living room.

Create Your Own Art: One of the cheapest methods of decorating your room is by using art work and decorative pieces that you have created yourself. Even if you are not very artistic, you can easily put together a collage of pictures, leaves or dry flowers that will look appealing once it is framed. You can also frame interesting pieces of fabrics or cushion covers to create a tapestry like wall hanging.

Add To Your Upholstery: While changing all the furniture in your living room, sofas, settees and chairs can be very costly, you can easily get the upholstery changed for a fraction of the price, and your sofas will once again start looking new. If you cannot find someone to do this for you, then you can shop around for throws, shawls and new cushion covers to give your seating space a new look for less.

How to Contemporize Your Living Room

If you’re looking to redecorate your living room by adding a contemporary and timeless look, consider adding new pieces of furniture. Easier than looking for new housing, redecorating can be a fun and worthwhile project that gives you a chance to change the look of your home. I’m not going to lie, shopping for the perfect furniture pieces can be a time consuming task, but it can be a lot of fun. There are plenty of furnishing options out there that will give your home a refreshing, contemporary feel without you having to go toward the modern sterilization route. In this three-part series, I’ll introduce you to the beauty that is contemporary furniture for your living room, dining room and bedroom.

Let’s start with the main room of your home, the living room. Living room furniture is supposed to illustrate a welcoming look for both you and your guests. Since we’re looking to add a modern dash of style to your home, it’s best to opt for something comfortable, simple, and a bit of color wouldn’t hurt. Couches like the ones from the Shelby Collection found on Eco-Furniture.com offer wide, soft box cushions and defining style that easily fits well in any home. And if you can afford it, it’s not a bad idea to purchase matching love seats and ottomans. Unless you’re an advanced level interior decorator who knows how to mix and match furniture pieces for an eclectic look, it’s probably best for you to stick with matching pieces and case goods.

Living room accessories like coffee tables, end tables and consoles will add to the new look of your home. If it’s a clean look that you desire, you simply can’t go wrong with dark wood. Dark wood or stained wood furniture has been a popular trend in the furniture market over the past few years. TheSoho Black Ash Living Room Collection, which can also be found on Eco-Furniture.com, is an excellent example of this beautiful trend. Creating an avant-garde look that won’t go out of style anytime soon, dark wood can be tricky but sophisticated feature for your home. Best kept for a few key furniture pieces like coffee tables, dining tables and dining chairs, too much dark wood can give your home a darkened appearance. With that said, it’s a good idea to limit just how much dark wood you want in your home.

Another solution you may want to consider when investing in a deep hue furniture item is finding one that’s been paired with glass. Glass adds an elegant aesthetic to just about anything, and pairing it with wood gives it an ethereal look, considering that wood is a very solid element.

Remember, just because it’s contemporary doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be minimal in style. Modern furniture doesn’t have to be intimidating; it can be just as welcoming as your mom’s old matronly, yet comfy couch. In our next installment, we’ll go ahead and talk about creating a contemporary flair to your dining room.

Design Tips For Decorating A Small Living Room

See how easy it is to get big style in small spaces with these decorating tips for small living rooms.


For gathering and entertaining, your living room is important, so you want to be sure it has a great interior design. But what should you do if the space is very small? Fortunately,decorating a small living room can be easy with the interesting room design ideas practiced today.

First, you must stick to an which you like but which will also suit a cozy area. One significant feature to avoid with small living rooms is clutter because it has a proclivity to make the room look significantly smaller.

Maximizing the area in your living room is key so take this into account when thinking about your design theme. A modernized design could be ideal, as this tends to enhance space and living area, instead of many items battling to occupy the same space. Take care to pick an interior decorating scheme you love since this is going to be where you spend the majority of your time.

One key piece of making your living room feel bigger is the color palette. Usuallu people are under the impression that that you ought to just use light paint colores in small rooms, but usually there is actually more to it than that. If you prefer bright or deep colors in your living room you can have it without making the room look small if you decorate with a monochromatic decorating theme, or one where the colors are of an equal brightness. For a scheme that is more colorful try blues and greens that all reflect an equal intensity or to achieve a calm and peaceful style pick a monochromatic color scheme of moss greens. If you'd like to allow for the illusion of depth paint the wall opposite the entry a deep, intense color. For wall paint colors, pale tones like gray-blue will create an overall larger look as they make the walls appear to recede. If you fancy something a lot of interesting, cool colors including blue, purple and green will have the same effect.

Don't forget when you are decorating a small living room to research where you are putting the furniture and accessories. While lots of people dismiss the qualities of Feng Shui, the ideas behind it could still be practiced when arranging the accessories and furniture in your living room. Be positive your furniture is not set close to the doors since this can truly open up the space. This should also help set off a larger piece of furniture such as an entertainment which can help the room look bigger.

When it comes to filling the room with furniture, stick to small or medium sized pieces. Using a love seat, in lieu of a large sofa, can make a lot of difference in space, but still allow guests to be comfortably seated. It makes sense to add appealing charm to your living room by mixing in a bit of larger scaled items, so why not use the small sofa but also use a large mirror or art piece, it is able to also add atmosphere to the room.

These philosophies could help you in your interior design adventure while decorating a small living room. Purely because your living room is less spacious doesn't mean it can't have the same top notch design style you see in big designer homes - it basically takes a bit of unique creativity.

Up Your Homes Appeal!

Living Room.

• The living room is the first room that people see when they enter your home , so it's important to give it a bright feel & keep it uncluttered.If you have the budget , better flooring like marble & timber stripped flooring will help.
• Increase the feel of airiness , amount of light & illusion of space in the living area.You can consider installing mirrors & full height windows.
• Lot's of light is essential.Also , avoid having too many textures , colours & object,which might make the living room feel cluttered-people wouldn't be able to enjoy the space or see the potential it can have for them.

Bathroom.

• Keep the bathroom practical by choosing non slips tiles to enhance safety.Use brands that people know for fixtures like taps,toilet bowl &others built in appliances as they are perceived to be of better quality.
• A nice functional bathroom will always enhance the appeal of home - but fitting of a moderate quality will do.You could spend a lots of money purchasing lacquered cabinets , designer fittings or expensive long bath , but not many would appreciate those.
• The bathroom should be a place to relax.Make it well-lit and airy & add something different.For example , create an outdoor shower or sunken bath tub , or try placing in garden!!!

Kitchen.

• It's is important to functional kitchen.So invest in well-make kitchen cabinet.They don't need to be branded but they should be of good quality.
• A functional & beautiful kitchen will always help to sell a house.Don't forget the laundry area too.Proper storage & hanging spaces may help enhance value.Since we all have to laundry.
• The kitchen is the heart of the house in many household.So it should be a pleasant space.Create a homely feel & keep it well ventilated so family members will want to gather there.

Bedroom.

• The bedroom should have a rest full fell , so try to keep it cosy by using wood flooring & warm furnishings.Avoid overly bright colours as they may prevent you from tailing asleep.
• A coordinated colour scheme will help create a much more interesting feel for bedroom & make it significantly more appealing.
• Keep the bedroom open & uncluttered & avoid filling it with too much furniture.Place some flower & plant inside the bedroom or in a planter box outside the window.