The Right Living Room For Your Home

For many homes, the living rooms is the most public and most used area of the house. Whether it is used to entertain guests, spend time with the family, or lounge while watching television or reading a good book, living rooms tend to be a natural place for us to gravitate towards. Your use of the living room and the style you decorate it in can vary greatly. Here are a few simple decorating guidelines that can help make your living room become the room you want it to be.

Seat positioning -

When using armchairs and sofas, be mindful of how near or far they are from each other. The living room is a natural place to have relaxed conversations, and as such, it should accommodate this. When placing sofas and chairs, try to make sure that they are always within 8 feet of each other. This will make it easier for people to talk with each other. Place the seats so that they face the room's focal point so people can see and hear everybody else.

Make it cozy, but not too cramped-

While you want the seating close enough to easily communicate, its important that there is enough space for everybody to feel comfortable and not feel stuffy and cramped. Make sure that there are open paths to walk between the pieces of furniture. Walkways of about 2.5 feet (30 inches) can give a nice aisle without making the room feel too spaced out. If you have a coffee table or other furniture in front of the sofa or chairs, you should leave 14-18 inches to allow for comfortable knee space.

Anchoring the furniture -

A great way to give the room a centered feel is by placing a rug in the center of the room. Make sure that it is either large enough for all of the furniture to fit onto it, or small enough that the edges touch the furniture pieces surrounding it. Facing furniture around a focal point, such as a window, television, or fireplace, also helps to achieve this.

Other useful ideas -

• If space is limited, use nesting tables to save room.

• Install in-floor electrical outlets to make plug-in access easier and to make the room more flexible when rearranging furniture.

• If you are not placing a piece of furniture against a wall, make sure that the back is presentable and does not need repair or to be upholstered.
•  Longer sofas are great for creating more seating space without more furniture.

• Ottomans make great additional seating and can be moved near a cabinet or table when not being used. Upholstered ottomans can also serve multiple purposes, such as a footstool or extra table.

Use these tips to get started in making a living room that is comfortable and meets your needs, whatever they may be. For other useful decorating tips and methods, visit our website at www.howtodecoratemyhome.net.

Creating Your Perfect Family Room

Since families come in all shapes and sizes, family rooms should too . Whether yours is designed for an exciting night watching the ball game, playing cards with a group of guests, or letting the kids wear themselves out, you can make the perfect family room for your situation. Here are a few ideas that will help you create the room you want and need.

Many family rooms are in the basement, where space is more readily available. Because basements typically lack a lot of natural lighting, it is usually important to have adequate alternatives. Floor lamps are portable and easy to change so they can be a great lighting option. Using colors in your color scheme that reflect light is also a good idea, and can also help to give the family room a lively, energetic look.

Family rooms often are one of the biggest rooms in the house. You might consider breaking the family room into different activity areas. While you might have one area for watching television, another section could include a table for eating that doubles as a great surface to play games or for children to do artwork. Ping pong and pool tables are also a nice addition to a family room. Make sure that if you have an entertainment section you remember to position activity sections in a way that allows traffic to flow behind and around it - this will keep television watchers and gamers from being frequently interrupted.

Because family rooms are typically a very busy room, you need it to be easily cleaned. Slips and covers on couches and sofas are a great way to keep food and drink spills from causing any permanent damage. Options of hardwood or tile floors are a way to make sure floors can be kept neat with little effort. If you choose carpet, select an option that can be easily and quickly cleaned. Use drawers, tubs, bins, and baskets to make sure you have plenty of room for your favorite movies, games, gaming consoles, remotes, blankets, toys, and whatever else you choose to keep in your family room.

You will want to easily accommodate a crowd. Use large couches and sectionals to provide seating for the largest number of people without requiring many pieces of fixed seating.  Bean bags and ottomans are also a great and easy way to provide additional seating that is easy to store, and having a few folding chairs in the closet can be handy as well.

These simple tips will help you create a family room that is capable of serving all the different capacities that you will need it to. Making the “perfect room” can be hard, but by following some of these guidelines, you will have the right room on hand, whatever the occasion is. For more tips and tricks on how to decorate your home, visit our website at www.howtodecoratemyhome.net.