LISA'S BLOG

Thursday, November 29, 2012

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