Designing Your Living Room

Even if you don't have the Martha Stewart touch, you can still design a living room that will make any interior designer proud. It just takes a little thought and some creativity; moreover, you don't have to dish out a fortune to make your living space look amazing.

The first thing you want to consider when it comes to designing your living room is the amount of space you have available. Thinking about space will guide how you go about arranging your living room furniture; it will also give you a good idea of how much creative license you can take-whether you can add more flair in the form of knick knacks, bibelot, plants, vases and other such flourishes.

Next, think about the activities you do in your living room. Make a list. You don't want to make your living room to formal or too delicate, otherwise no one will dare enter for fear of breaking something or putting something out of its place. Your living room should be an inviting place where you can gather with friends and family.

Next consider the furniture you already have and think about whether you really need all of it. A lot of times, people have simply too much stuff cluttering up their space. It's unnecessary. Usually you can delegate certain pieces of furniture to other parts of the house where they will serve much better. Only keep the essential pieces that you will need for entertaining guests and for relaxing with the family.

A good idea is to draw out a sketch of your room to scale and to cut out furniture replicas; this way you can play around with different design ideas and furniture arrangements without having to actually move around furniture.

When you begin, consider the focal point of your room. Usually, in a living room, this centers around your TV and TV furniture. Your TV furniture consists of your TV stand or cabinet and any accompanying furniture used for storing your DVDs and audio equipment for example. Other typical focal points include windows or even pianos.

Once you've identified your main focal point, work around it. Think about what kind of style and mood you want to achieve. Using your model or imagining the situation in your head, think about different options. Consider the layout and how you can work with it by moving the furniture around to create completely different styles.

When you are arranging the furniture, remember to keep things simple and clean. Avoid clutter.

Avoid blocking any arterials or walkways. If you have a larger living room, you may want to break it down, by splitting into two different sections, for example, one part could be dedicated to entertainment, with all your TV furniture, while the other half could be dedicated to conversation and relaxation.

Remember you do not have to place all large pieces of furniture flush against the wall. Consider different angles and corners for stylized effects. Make sure to place chairs close together, but leave space for traffic.

Try to make your room flow. Use your model and experiment with different arrangements. Remember there is no wrong way to decorate; be creative.