The living room is an important place in the house. It is the place where the family spends a lot of their time together and it also where the guests spend most of their time. This means that you should carefully choose its furniture to meet your needs and to match your decorating style. The tips below will help you choose the right furniture for your living room.
Decide on the theme and the use of the furniture
The design theme you will use to decorate your home will determine the kind of furniture to use. Some of the themes are contemporary, modern, casual, old world and traditional.
For a contemporary or modern theme, the furniture is sleek with clean lines and with neutral colors such as beige and white. There is more use of metal, shiny black lacquer and glass materials on the furniture. A casual theme has the furniture decorated in small prints, plaid and with other patterns. It is cozy and friendly. Old world theme has furniture in Italian, Spanish and French designs combined. You can use antique furniture in earthy colors that are deep.The traditional theme has elegant furniture, which looks formal. You will find the furniture with skirted bottoms and rolled arms and in colors ranging from ivory to red among other colors. Having a theme will ensure that you choose furniture that fits your theme.
Aside from the theme, how you use the room will determine the kind of furniture to have. If it is for regular family use, choose stain resistant and strong furniture. For occasional use, you can go for fragile furniture with delicate fabrics. If the room has inbuilt architecture, you may have to choose the furniture that will complement the look. For instance, a rustic fireplace may require the use of cabin décor instead of modern furniture.
Take measurements
Measure your living room using a tape measure and consider the measurements for alcoves and recessed spaces. Use a grid or a plain paper to create the floor plan and to know the space you have for the furniture. Sketch various ways that the furniture can fit in the room and make sure you leave at least one-meter space between furniture. Also, note the width of the doorway to ensure the furniture can fit in. After you have decided on where to place the furniture, mark the floor spaces with a painter’s tape. This will give you an actual feel of how the room will look like.
Get the furniture
Start by getting the basic furniture, which consist of a sofa, a coffee table, an armchair and a side table before adding the other pieces. Look for quality furniture that is strong to ensure it lasts longer. You can test the furniture’s frame strength by lifting one of its legs for six inches from the floor. The adjacent leg should rise as well. The fabrics should also be of high quality and stain resistant so that it can stay with you for a long time in addition to being comfortable. Get cushions made of foam because they are durable and comfortable unlike the ones filled with down.
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