Ideas for Living Room Decor Custom Search "Create a unique expression of your decor style"
Creating a living room decor that expresses your unique lifestyle, design preferences and personality can be a fun, inspiring and adventurous learning experience, if you know the basics. So...here they are! What mood do you want to create? Most of us have some idea in our mind of what we want the living room decor to look like when it is completed. Write down your thoughts, using descriptive words and phrases such as 'fun and colorful', 'elegant and formal', casual, rustic, calm, bold and exciting, soft and feminine, etc. There is no right or wrong answer and for this exercise don't be concerned about your budget. The more descriptive you can be with this list, the more helpful you will find it as you create your room design. Along with the mood you are creating, there is probably a style that correlates to it. For example, if the mood is casual and rustic, the design may be 'Lodge Style'; if you are after the soft and feminine look, your design style might be 'Shabby Chic'. It isn't absolutely necessary to give a name to the style, but it sure is helpful to have a direction, such as 'contemporary, traditional, cottage, and the like. If you don't know what name to give your style, spend a little time and look through some home decorating magazines, pulling out the pictures that have 'the look' you are seeking. Put these notes/pictures with the list you made regarding the mood for the room. Better yet, take a few minutes and complete my Interior Decorating Style quiz! What is the size and shape of the room? It's important to create your living room decor plan within the framework of the overall size and shape of the room. Small living rooms should be furnished with pieces of a similar scale, and, depending on the style you are after, with lighter colors on the walls, as this will help to create a larger feel to the space. If you are decorating a very large room, the furniture and accessories can be of a similar scale. Bay windows, curved/angles walls, multi-purpose rooms such as Great Rooms, all play a role in your living room decor planning. So, make note of these two important factors and add them to your list. (You are writing all this down, right?) What elements are already in the room? What are you working around as you develop your living room decor plan? Is there carpet in the room? What type/color is it? Tile? Wood floors? Walls painted a particular color? Any other elements that are existing, make note of them. Also note if these elements will be remaining as is, or you will be changing them. For example, if you are planning on removing the carpet and installing a wood floor, that will change the overall look and feel of the room. But you already knew that!
If you are starting with an empty room that has white walls, you are able to create your living room decorating from square one. Some people find that situation a little overwhelming, but if you have given some thought to the first two questions, they usually lead into some type of color scheme. Refer back to the file of magazine pictures you set aside and see if there are some recurring colors...you probably favor those! If you are working with any existing furniture in this room, and/or there are other rooms in your home that have been decorated previously, you'll want to take into consideration the colors used in those rooms. Ideally, you want to tie the rooms in your home together using color, and also style to a point. In any event, select two or three colors that will be your main color palette, and then one or two accent colors. If you can find a piece of fabric that has these colors, perhaps paint chips, or anything to give you a visual, by all means use them. It makes your living room decorating decisions so much easier when you have this reference. Put your 'color cheaters' with your list. You probably have put everything in a folder by now (hint).
What is the focal point?Just about every room has a focal point. That is the area of the room that has the maximum visual impact. It may be a beautiful view out a window, a magnificent fireplace, a dramatic wall, an entertainment unit that includes the TV, etc. Look around your living room and identify the focal point(s). There may be more than one, which is fine. You will put this bit of decorating wisdom into play when you arrange the furniture in this room. If you have a traditional living room configuration with sofa and chairs, place them so that people sitting on them can see the focal point(s). This may mean placing these pieces at an angle and not against the wall. That's a good thing, as it helps to create warmth and interest in the space. Here are couple of other points to consider as you are developing your living room decor plan. First, pay attention to the natural light that you do, or don't, have in the room. If there is a lot of natural light you can safely use bold colors on the walls if you choose, and they will look great. Rooms with less natural light may ultimately look their best with light to medium-light shades on the walls. Second, as you are developing your design plan for the room, note where the entry and exit points are as well as large openings into other areas of the home. Some beautiful and unique rooms have almost no wall space, because there are either windows, door walls or doorways on every wall. It is not a negative, but you have to plan accordingly with furniture placement. For example, you wouldn't purchase an eight foot wide entertainment unit if you don't have a wall that would comfortably accommodate the piece. Enjoy your living room decor project by planning and budgeting before spending, follow the home decorating ideas, tips and tools mentioned above, and you'll create a beautiful space. Return from Living Room Decor to 'Living Room Ideas' Back to Great Home Decorating home page
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What is the color scheme?
