Your Living Room should be a refuge when you’re alone, and a welcoming place to gather with family and friends. Here are our top Living Room design ideas for every home.
10 Key Living Room Design Ideas:
- LAYOUT: Gather furniture so that it inspires gathering and conversation. Furniture that looks as if the pieces are engaged in conversation will actually be engaging and inviting.
- ENGAGE WITH FEATURES: Use existing features – fireplaces, windows etc – to set up furniture arrangements. This will help avoid the impression of a miscellany of haphazardly-arranged pieces.
- FLEXIBILITY: A main sofa and a number of comfortable armchairs will be more flexible than a number of sofas of similar size. The main sofa should “anchor” the space and give a sense of order to the room.
- TV vs FIREPLACE: The TV and fireplace will compete for attention! Perhaps have 2 furniture arrangements, one for TV viewing and a second for conversation/entertaining mode? Or combine the two on one wall, with the TV over the fireplace? This will, of course, only be possible where the fireplace is relatively low.
- RUG: A large rug will provide a focal point and unify the elements of the room, especially where you have wooden or tiled floors. A rug will assist also in softening the acoustics, again a potential issue with hard floors.
- ACOUSTICS: Be aware that leather furniture in combination with a timber or tiled floor may make the space noisy. Minimise this effect by combining leather and fabric seating, by providing lots of cushions and throws as well as a large rug as above.
- LIGHTING: Plan a comprehensive lighting strategy, with strong background lighting coupled with useful task lighting (for reading etc) with floor and table lamps. Provide dimmer switches to your main light, for maximum flexibility. Floor and table lamps can provide a sculptural presence in the room.
- ANCHOR: A large, low coffee table will accommodate magazines and books currently being read and occupy nicely – and usefully -the space in the middle of the room.
- BOOKS: A large quantity of books on shelves may be overwhelming in this space. Consider keeping some of the lower shelves clear for photographs and beloved objects to avoid this.
- ACCESSORIES: Use cushions and throws to vary the colour scheme seasonally or according to your mood.
6 Living Room Design Ideas in Our House
- FACTS: Faces South, occupies a space 4.5m wide x 5m deep approximately. It’s part of a open plan area, so the 5m dimension includes space for passing by and for the piano, leaving 4.5 x 3.6m for the actual furniture.
- FLOORING: Has a white terrazzo floor and a large central rug measuring 260 x 170cm.
- FURNITURE: Furniture includes a 3 seater sofa (washable covers), 2 leather armchairs, large coffee table (84 x 84cm), piano, stool, side table, miscellaneous chairs, floor lamps.
- TV: The TV is generally located elsewhere so we’re free to arrange furniture as we please, not as the screen dictates!
- FLEXIBILITY: There are multiple arrangements possible depending on the season and occasion. Furniture is frequently on the move here, depending on the season and events. In the current arrangement, the windows are kept free of large pieces of furniture.
- LIGHTING: Primary lighting is provided by a ceiling mounted track with adjustable fittings. Floor and table lamps provide background and mood lighting.
Read houseology’s Living Room Ideas on Houzz & The Sunday Independent…
- Houzz: Key Elements for a great Living Room Layout
- Houzz: 9 Easy Steps to Finding the Perfect Living Room Arrangement
- Houzz: 10 Ideas for Brightening a Dark Living Room
- The Sunday Independent: The Problem Room.
