Picture this: You just moved into your new home. Your living room is completely empty; a blank canvas for design opportunities.
Some have a natural eye for interior design. The idea of a living room theater, and some living room curtains come naturally. But what if you need a little more help to design your dream living room?
If you have ideas but are struggling to put them together, this is completely normal. Sometimes all it takes is a little more help and some tips on how to design a living room to spark the inner interior designer in you!
Today we are going to walk through the best tips and tricks for designing a living room. Let’s bring the vision of your dream living room to real life!
In this article…
- How to Design a Living Room (First Steps)
- Best Living Room Decorating Ideas
- Choose a Focal Point
- Bring In Layers & Accessories
- Understanding Form & Function
- Use Artwork
- Use Proper Lighting
- What’s Next When Designing a Living Room?
How to Design a Living Room (First Steps)
Sometimes the most overwhelming part of designing a living room can be if you try to move too fast and skip key steps. Before you start deciding on which nesting coffee table to get and where to put it, it’s a good idea to create a plan first.
Let’s walk through some of the most important first steps we must take before diving right into the intricacies of designing a living room.
Create a Vision Board
If you are somebody who has living room ideas constantly going through your head, creating a vision board is the best thing you can do!
A vision board can help you jot down ideas of your own and make them tangible so you can see if it is really how you want it.
For example, if you have an Italian interior design vision, it will be a good idea to start turning that vision into reality by going on Pinterest and starting designing, or even with old-fashioned scissors, glue, and your favorite design magazine.
If you do not already have a vision, it can be very helpful to begin looking on Pinterest, magazines, blogs, and furniture stores. Sometimes just seeing an interior design style or the perfect white accent chair in a magazine can spark the imagination and let your interior design inspiration run.
Determine Your Style
Now that your interior design inspiration is flowing with the help of a vision board, it becomes a lot easier to determine which style is your favorite.
There are so many interior design styles it can feel a little overwhelming. From minimalist to contemporary to modern, the options are seemingly endless.
If you are stuck between a few of your favorite styles, thinking about furniture type can help you decide which style is right for you.
For example, if you are shopping at furniture stores in San Antonio TX, there will certainly be some great furniture options for a modern Spanish style interior design. Getting a look online or in a furniture store can help narrow down your search and get you that much closer to turning your living room vision into reality.
If you'd like to take a look around in a furniture store to find your style, feel free to come to your nearest La-Z-Boy South Texas store.
Functionality
Determining the functionality of your living room is another very important step in putting your vision into reality. Before deciding to buy that narrow end table or that white sectional sofa, ask yourself the following questions:
- How will my living room be used?
- Who is this living room for?
- Who will be using this living room?
- How many people will be using the living room?
Consider Traffic Flow
A well-designed living room is not only aesthetically pleasing, but it also doesn’t hinder good traffic flow in the room.
Good traffic flow in your living room allows the room to be used and accessed easily, making the room more inviting to be in. Determining who and how many people will be using the room will help you in determining the design of your living room.
It will also help determine the furniture and accessories you ultimately put in your living room. Deciding between a 12 inch wide end table and an 8 inch wide end table will become a lot easier if you think the more narrow option will be better for traffic flow.
Best Living Room Decorating Ideas
Now that you have an understanding of the first steps to designing a living room, we can start getting into the finer details of living room decoration.
Choose a Focal Point
Choosing a focal point in your living room will determine where your guest’s eyes land when they enter the room. This can be considered the “show stopper” of your living room.
Whether it’s a leather brown sofa, a green sectional sofa, or even the whitewash brick fireplace that’s already there, the focal point should be complemented by interesting lighting, built-in cabinetry, or an entertainment unit.
Bring In Layers & Accessories
The layers and accessories can be considered the jewelry of your living room. The jewelry shouldn’t be the show stopper, but it should perfectly complement the showstopper in your living room.
The focal point and other furniture can be complemented by many different layers and accessories. This can be done with a living room rug, a throw blanket, decorative pillows, and window coverings.
Understanding Form & Function
Understanding form and function before designing a living room is often a common misunderstanding.
The best example of this is choosing the wrong-sized table in proportion to the other elements in the room.
For example, placing a small end table next to a big sofa, or a large coffee table next to a small accent chair will make the living room look disproportionate. Instead, coordinating the size of the furniture and tables beforehand will make your room more proportionate.
Use Artwork
Even with a focal point and multiple layers and accessories, creating more visual interest in your living room is never a bad idea!
One way to do this is to use artwork. Depending on the size of your room and what else is in there, you can use one big painting or even create a collage of art on a wall.
You can also use sculptural art to attract guest’s attention to a different part of your living room. The artwork should be considered the icing on the cake in your living room.
Use Proper Lighting
After creating the beautiful design of your living room, highlight the beauty of your living room with proper lighting!
In most homes, ambient lighting is already installed through ceiling lights or pot lights. Utilizing task lighting through a table lamp can highlight features of your living room as well.
Finally, you can complete your living room by utilizing accent lighting with a decorative floor lamp. You will want to balance the height of the lamp with the height of your sofa, sectional, or other furniture it will be close to.
What’s Next When Designing a Living Room?
Now that we have walked through the best tips and tricks for designing a living room, it may feel less overwhelming and more fun!
While there are multiple ways to design a living room and different factors to think about, it is important to remember that this should be an enjoyable process. As much as we hope you enjoyed getting a vision of your living room with this article, we at La-Z-Boy South Texas want to remind you that how you design your living room is ultimately up to you.
If you are ready to start designing your living room but would like a professional second opinion, feel free to schedule a meeting with one of our designers. Our designer’s job is to ensure that you have considered all options and are comfortable with your decision.
If you would like to see some more furniture options before deciding what’s best for your living room, this article on the best 5 living room furniture options at La-Z-Boy San Antonio will help you get a much better idea.
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