Living Room Tips
Lots of Cool Living Room Tips
Tip #1 for ALL rooms in your home
(not just your living room)…Calm, functional, family friendly, spare = less to
clean
If
you don’t use your living room…
·
Change it into a dining room and make dining room a
homework station near the kitchen – now your dining room most likely has a
fireplace!
If
you do use your living room…
·
Nail molding strips to the walls over the fireplace
for a paneled look above the mantel – paint it all out with white semi-gloss paint
to unify the drywall and the wood – or cover chimney wall above the mantle with
grass cloth for texture
·
Add a TV, stereo and reading lamps
·
Keep your room measurements and swatches in your purse
so if you come across something you like you have all your critical info at
hand
·
Cocktail table – how big? 2/3 the length of the sofa so that everyone
seated can put down a drink
·
Art over sofa - how high? Between 1/2 and 2/3 the
sofa length – and centered horizontally over your sofa - 6” b/w top of sofa and
bottom of art in general
·
All other art – how high? Eye level – 5 feet up from
floor
·
Shop local for art and use painted canvas stretchers
– forget the picture frames – a very chic look at a very low cost
·
Start with a small piece of art and build the wall
up over time
·
Lighting – your reading lamp should direct light
over your shoulder and onto the reading material – shade should be wider than
its base and low enough to conceal the socket – 150 watts is ideal for reading
– check lamp specifications before you buy – it may look pretty but not work
for its intended purpose
·
Bottom of shade should be below eye level and lamp should
be in proportion to the table – small table, small lamp and so on
·
An A-line shade is for perfect for reading while drum
shades are for ambience – floor lamps provide a good glow without taking up
much floor space
·
Wall paint – if you have kids living in the living
room, paint with eggshell or satin finish – it will show some slight
imperfections in the walls due to its reflective qualities but is also
cleanable without leaving a mark – if you don’t want to commit, highlight an
architectural feature only (like a paneled insert or the inside of a built in)
·
Before you paint, watch the paint sample at all
times of the day – paint a big poster board with 2 full coverage coats and move
it around the room for a few days so that you can make sure you like your color
– instead of painting color patches all over the walls –
·
Frame wallpaper in tall frames rather than gluing onto
the walls - style without commitment
·
Make pillows reversible so you can easily flip them
when you get bored – add a zipper to make them washable
·
Add more “no commitment” color with accessories and
throw pillows
·
Rug – it will make a warm footpath and provide color
and pattern – leave 8-10 inches of space between the rug and the walls of room
or get one large enough to place at least 2 legs of each piece of furniture on – if you leave too much uncovered space, the
room will appear to shrink
·
If you can’t find a big enough rug or want to save
some money, buy two smaller rugs for a big look
·
Indoor outdoor rugs are readily available, can be
soft on the feet and are now even fashionable for indoor use – you can simply hose
them off when they get dirty!
·
Consider modular rugs – these are 19.5 inch pre cut squares that you
can mix and match, customize to your mood – if one gets dirty or you get bored,
you throw it out and replace just the one tile – change tiles up over time –
see Flor.com
·
Hang drapery rods high enough that the top of the
drapery panel covers the top of the window casing and the bottom just touches
floor – a slight puddle is ok – if you need to, buy longer panels and hem rather
than installing the rod too low
·
To make window seem larger, position one ring
outside of the bracket
·
Floor outlets are great if you want to pull
furniture into the room without having cords running across floor
·
Use 2 storage cube ottomans as coffee tables and
then they will do double duty as extra seating, foot propping or toy storage
·
Armless chairs are always good
·
If one coffee table is too small, buy two and push
then together
·
Buy a tall cabinet to set the TV on and store your
bar down low behind closed doors
·
Instead of a console table behind a sofa, use a
writing table so you can actually work at the spot and tuck a chair underneath
·
Add some shelves to your living room to create a
library or make it into a game room
·
Ceiling fan – if you have a ho hum globe shade on
your fan, replace it with a drum style shade
·
Keep existing curtain rods but update the drapery panels
with more streamlined ring and clip style or install matchstick blinds readymade
– or if you don’t need the privacy, take everything down and save big bucks
·
Paint some of your furniture black and change the
hardware – this provides a huge impact, especially against newly painted
neutral walls
·
…or slap on a coat of white semi gloss paint for chic
casual style
·
Dark leather sofas can get heavy – pump them up with
light colored, low cost pillows
·
Have an old camel back sofa? Reupholster it in a fun
color and add a long bolster across the back in a great fabric for an almost
instant update – paint the legs to match the upholstery for a unified silhouette
·
Paint pine 50s paneling or cover it with a brick
veneer for a loft style room
·
Look for furniture that can transition from room to
room
·
Go to Costco, Home Depot, Macys, Home Goods, Pier 1
for furniture – no need to spend a lot on non essential pieces and rugs – for
key pieces, but the best quality you can afford – they will take a beating
·
Fabrics for upholstery – leather – a good quality
can last 15 years – easy to clean with vacuum or damp cloth – if pets, know if
not properly cared for, it can scratch and discolor
·
Cotton – treat with stain guard – twill or denim –
darker color will best camouflage stains, but bleachable white can move in and
out of almost any room and any décor, regardless of style
·
Micro suede – mimics suede but is synthetic –
durable, essentially stain resistant, easy to clean and affordable – comes in
variety of textures and patterns
·
Indoor outdoor – totally durable – stain and fade
resistant – a smart choice for kids and pets – variety of styles available including
chenille – it is washable and spills bead on it
·
Pick a palette, stick to a style, stick to a budget,
don’t forget the art – even a big framed corkboard holding a postcard
collection can be art until you can upgrade again
·
Have fun! If you get stuck, call me! 610-389-5231