Formal living rooms are typically designed for entertaining and conversation. To create a design for your formal living room, identify your focal points, arrange your furniture to maximize the views and accessorize based on the scale of your . Lay out the design before you shop for furniture so you can better size the individual pieces. Add elements like stained glass windows or a crystal chandelier to set an elegant tone for your formal .
Instructions
1. Identify the focal points in your room before creating your design. In a formal living room, you may have a picture window or a fireplace, both of which are focal points. You may have built-in shelving or a bar area along one wall; these are also focal points. Measure the walls and room space around the focal points so you can lay out a design for furniture placement. Outline the layout, including measurements for windows, doorways and focal points. You can sketch your layout on paper or create a 3-D image on your computer with the help of free software.
2. Arrange your furniture to accentuate the focal points in your room. Formal living room designs may include a piano, which is definitely a focal point and will dictate the arrangement of your room, especially if it is a grand or baby grand. Place the piano first, and then layer in the other large furniture pieces so that they face one or more of the focal points. For example, if your formal living room has a bay or picture window on one wall and a fireplace on another, place your sofa facing the fireplace with the window to the side or back, depending on whether or not the fireplace is opposite the window or on the wall adjacent to it. Add two chairs and a table opposite from or to enclose the sofa. If your living room has an oversized doorway taking up much of one wall, use the space in either corner to place your piano or to create a seating nook with a chair and side table. You can place furniture to the side of an oversized doorway without limiting your access.
3. Accessorize the walls and table tops with mirrors, art or family photos. A formal living room is the perfect place to showcase a large-scale family portrait. Hang the portrait over the mantle on the fireplace or on the wall behind the sofa. You can place a large mirror opposite the windows to bring more light into the room. Design the layout for any artwork, sculptures or wall hangings based on size and scale of the available wall space. You can group small works of art together to create the illusion of a larger piece, or add sconces on either side of a medium-sized piece if you need to fill a large space. Add a rug to connect furniture groupings and decorate the table tops with candles, glassware or collectibles.
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