How To Create The Perfect Living Room Experience For Your Family

Your living room often happens to be the most popular room in the house. Here family and friends gather to celebrate special events. It’s the place for family gatherings, celebrations, and big holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas. Sure, kitchens and dining rooms get a share fair of attention. They can be wonderful places to have intimate discussions. Still, generally speaking, living rooms are where everyone feels most comfortable. So even if you are thinking of doing a complete home makeover, begin with the living room. See it as the central hub, with all the other rooms supporting the theme established in the living room.

Choose Your Theme

The best way to figure out your theme is to reflect on what your family and friends like to do most often in the living room. Certainly, they do a lot of things, but what is their favorite activity?

• Do they like to watch television?
• Do they like to play with their laptops to work or surf the net?
• Do they like to read and discuss books?
• Do they like to snack and see the living room as a more informal extension of the dining room?
• Do they like to chat, enjoying either cozy conversations or lively discussions?

Your theme should try to enhance the comfort and convenience of these activities.

Pick Your Decor

Once you’ve picked your theme, then build your decor around it. Here are three examples to make this a little more clear:

1. A Sports Family

Think of using sports memorabilia. If they are favorite teams, then memorabilia from those teams. If they are active athletes, then  think of trophies, awards, ribbons. You could even have framed photographs or framed magazine covers.

2. A Travel Family

Think of things that remind the family of favorite trips. Travel souvenirs. Framed photographs. Brochures and maps.

3. An Art Family

Think of things that remind the family of art shows and exhibitions. Paintings. Sculpture. Crafts. Photographs of events.

The whole idea behind picking a theme is to make the whole family feel ” at home.” Most living rooms are somewhat generic. They are a collection of things considered to be in good taste. There is no organizing principle behind them.

Ambiance

When it comes to creating ambiance in a living room, think of ways you can appeal to the five senses. The ambiance should be congruent with the theme.

Here are some suggestions:

• Choose a soothing color. It could be blue, green, or pastel.
• Choose a comforting scent. Study aromatherapy. You may like the smell of vanilla or lemon, for example. This should be subtle; something in the background; something barely discernible.
• Choose the right music. Usually, relaxing music is best.
• Choose the right temperature setting.
• Choose the right furniture for the theme.

Entertainment

What about entertainment? Well, there is no shortage of choices. If you’re a sports fan, you could try something like the Direct TV Genie. What is the Direct TV Genie? Basically, it’s a sophisticated DVR. Instead of trying to fit your favorite games around your busy schedule, you can do the opposite. You can record your favorite games so that you can watch them when you have some downtime. This way, you will enjoy your game when you are in a relaxed, cheerful mood.

7 Designer Tips

Here is a list of 7 designer tips for living rooms that you might find useful. Pick and choose what works for you theme and decor.

1. Build your living room around your favorite artwork.
2. Stay clear of stark white walls. They often make a room appear cold and sterile.
3. There is a lot you could do beside pushing all the furniture against the walls. Try placing the furniture at different angles to get the right look and feel.
4. Use creative shelving to enhance the space.
5. Consider different types of lamps, as well as other forms of lighting.
6. Complete your theme with finishing touches. Think of different ways to enhance space. You could, for example, frame windows with drapery. You could stimulate conversational pieces with framed arts or maps. You could make the space seem lighter with vases, candles, and mirrors. Finally, you could make the place look more comfortable with pillows, blankets, throws, poufs, or rugs.
7. When it comes to framed art, you could use framed prints and maps, photography. You could also use a drapery collection or drapery hardware.

Gathering Ideas

When gathering ideas, you should visit showrooms, go through design ideas in magazines, and talk to designers. First gather up all the information you can, then, over time, sift through what works for your theme. Avoid doing everything too quickly. It only too easy to get enthused over ideas you’ll later regret. Alternatively, treat your living room makeover as a project with constraints and deadlines. This will prevent you from dawdling too long in a state of restless indecision.

Becky Wilcox is a freelance writer who enjoys writing about beauty, fashion, technology and more.  She writes for Life with Lisa as well as several other blogs and websites.  Check back soon for more from Becky.