Living Room FurnitureLivable living rooms interior design trends have swept into the twenty-first century. The art museum feel of living spaces has begun to give way to a more practical yet still stylish arrangement of space. Designers have begun to realize living room furniture, while making a statement is well and good, certain rooms have to serve their function as livable spaces for the people inhabiting them. This is a principle that any homeowner about to lay out their den or living room ought to keep in mind. First, make sure the room is conductive to the activities you intend to pursue there. If you read often, include a comfortable chair and stand light. If your kids prefer video games, consider brightly colored bean bags or other seats close enough to the television to ensure access to controllers, but not so close as to damage their eyes. And if the space, as most will, must serve multiple purposes, think about mutli-use furniture such as storage ottomans, chests, comfortable couches, and entertainment centers which hold books or close to hide the television. In planning living room furniture, try to avoid unusable furniture the simply occupies space. When considering the space in general, keep it simple and open. Include the pieces you need or love, but do not stack things on top of each other or crowd the area. Also, in areas such as the living room, avoid breakable or unwieldy art sculptures; instead, opt for hanging pictures or small touches on the mantle. On this note, creating a livable space does not mean consigning yourself to a dull beige box. Fun and functional can coexist. For example, a couch can be comfy and bright red at the same time. And clear glass tables are a neat and practical touch if you do not have small children. You might even add some life by setting a houseplant by the window (a nice organic feeling comes with this) or even set up a fish take in one corner. There are even tables with fish inside them count as living room furniture. Small touches like this, as well as personal paintings, framed art work of your children, or bookends that you adore, can make the space unique. However, one word of warning, do not overdo it. Decide where your points of interest will be, and stick with just that. For example, if you intend to have a bright blue accent wall, then you will probably want mellower, neutral furniture in brown tones. Or, if you are in love with a marble table, let it be the center of attention by surrounding it with clean, black, modern furniture that will not compete for attention. When too many items compete, the impacts of your favorite pieces are lost in the clutter. Avoid clutter in every aspect when laying out living room furniture. Include lots of hidden storage to disguise necessary items (books, games, movies, and so forth). And keep furniture to a minimum as long as there are sufficient seats for everyone (including guests). Also, keep color-clutter down by selecting a theme with one accent color and sever more subtle tones to choose from. By doing so, you will end up with a striking, yet infinitely livable, space. The living room is often the center, as well as the heart, of the home. It is where family and friends come together to talk, play or enjoy entertainment. The furniture in a living room can set the tone for what kind of space it is and how it is used. For example, if there is a large screen television in the space and all furnishings are directed toward it, it is likely that viewing television and/or movies are important activities. On the other hand, if there is no television, one might guess that the activity in that space would be more interactive or perhaps the space is used for lounging, reading or entertaining guests. The actual furnishings also make a statement. Big overstuffed chairs and couches suggest casual comfort, whereas antiques, austere, or "hard" furnishings suggest a greater emphasis on style or formality than comfort. How tables are or are not arranged in the room also suggest how it is used. If there are tables near seating, one could assume that those using the space could have food or beverages in the living room. A coffee table placed in front of a couch might invite books and magazines, as well as the occassional propped foot or two (sans shoes, of course!). A lack of tables suggests that the space is not heavily used and might be more for show. Living room furniture are important elements in making a house a home. They also make a statement about what the people living there value and how they choose to relax. |