Design A Living Room In A Large Apartment

Turn your empty living room into a place to call home.

Figuring out design your living room in a large apartment is a problem many home designers would love to have. Use your windows as part of your room decor; if your living room has large windows, use curtains to create breaks in the expanse so your windows don't dominate the room and overpower other elements of carefully chosen decor. If your windows are too small, create the illusion of height and width by hanging your curtain rod close to the ceiling and overextending the rod past your window's boundaries on both sides.

Instructions

1. Create various zones within your living room to be used for specific purposes. If you don't have a separate dining room, set aside a portion of your living room for eating. Depending on the size of your living room, also designate specific areas for entertainment, such as watching television, viewing movies and playing video games; also set aside a part of the room for quiet conversation, solitary reflection and reading.

2. Use area rugs to create islands within your living room. Set up each furniture group on its own area rug; leave measured floor or carpet space between each island to make the separation clear.

3. Choose wall color and design accents based on your specific intentions for the space. If your living room is large and you want to make it feel more intimate and cozy, choose warm shades such as orange, yellow and red to create the illusion that the walls are approaching. Paint the ceiling a darker shade than the walls, and use wooden furniture and bronze accents to complete the theme. If your living room is small and you want to create the illusion of increased space, paint the wall cool shades that appear to recede, such as violet, light green and light blue. Paint the ceiling a lighter color than the walls to inspire a feeling of height and space; where possible, install glass-topped furniture with metal accents.

4. Gather each furniture zone around a specific focal point, to balance the furniture arrangement in the space. The television is the natural focal point for your living room's entertainment area; a large wall painting, peaceful window or orderly bookcase can be the focal point for your eating space or conversation zone. In each zone, place the largest or most significant piece of furniture directly across from the focal point, and flank or oppose the largest piece with supporting pieces for balance and flow.

5. Use furniture and accessory placement to divide the space. Use a console table placed along the back of your couch to separate your entertainment area from your eating area; use an ottoman as versatile seating for your entertainment area or your eating zone. Use china cabinets, secretary desks, bookcases, wall hangings, pieces of art and large wall mirrors to mark the boundaries for other zones. If the living room feels huge and cavernous, use Chinese screens or floor-to-ceiling room dividers to create mini rooms within your larger space.

6. Use several sources of lighting to illuminate each zone specifically and the entire room collectively. Suggestions include tall floor lamps in corners, wall sconces, low lamps on end tables and overhead lighting to hang directly over the dining area.

7. Keep the overall design consistent to maintain flow. Although each zone might have its own motif and specific accents, repeat key colors to make the space appear cohesive and unified.

Tags: your living, your living room, living room, focal point, create illusion, each zone