There's no reason to have a "cookie cutter" living room.
The interior decor of our homes is as individual as each of us. What appeals to one person may not appeal to another. While there are no hard and fast rules concerning decorate a living room, there are general guidelines that will assist even the novice decorator.
Utilize Color
Nothing has quite as much impact on a room as color. We associate color with everything from the mood we're in to how hungry we are. Choose a color for your walls that coordinates well with the furniture and accessories you plan to use in the room. If you're decorating a large living space, you may be able to get away with a dark, dramatic color, as dark colors tend to make spaces look cozier. If, however, your living room is small, opt for a lighter shade in a light-reflecting finish. If you're in a rental or can't change the hue of the walls for some reason, introduce color through furnishings.
Find Balance
Interior designers use what they called the 60-30-10 rule. That means the shade of your walls will make up approximately 60 percent of the color palette in your living room. 30 percent will come from a secondary color source such as furniture and drapes. Finally, 10 percent of the color in the room will be found in accessories like throw pillows, flower arrangements, art and rugs. If you use a bold color in one area of the living room, make sure to balance it by using a more neutral tone in other areas.
Scale The Room
Make sure that the scale of your furniture and other furnishings fits the size of the room. A small room can be overwhelmed and look cluttered by using oversized furniture or art. Conversely, a large room can look unfinished if the furniture is too small for the space. Finding the right balance in a room may begin with color, but it quickly depends upon furnishings being to scale.
Traffic Pattern
One of the most challenging things about putting a living room together is the placement of furniture. One basic rule of furniture placement in any room is to remember how that room is going to be used and to place furniture accordingly. Guests to your home should never have to walk around obstructions such as ottomans, coffee tables or a piano. There should always be a free path for traffic for a living room to look neat and well-planned. There are free furniture placement templates online that can help you determine where everything should go before you begin moving heavy pieces.
Light The Room
Use plenty of light. Lights, in the form of lamps or natural light pouring through the windows, will make your living room feel more spacious. It's a simple, often inexpensive, decorating tool.
Layer Accessories
The rule "less is more" absolutely applies to decorating a living room. Bring one accessory in at a time until you're satisfied that you have just enough to look finished. Too many things will not only give you more to dust, but will also make the space feel tight and messy. Don't be afraid to take items out of the room if you realize you have too much packed in.
Tags: living room, your living, your living room, furniture placement, percent color, , room small