Living Room Ideas
That Say Sit and Stay Without Breaking The Bank!

Finding the right living room ideas can sometimes be frustrating. I think the living room is one of the more difficult rooms to decorate. Placing your living room furniture correctly, choosing the right accessories, window treatment ideas, and lighting are the main components in living room design ideas.

Implementing good living room ideas should be near the top of your decorating list. It is where a lot of time is spent with friends and family. It should reflect your style, while being comfortable and inviting.

Before and After

There were several things not working in this living room. The red draperies were the first thing that needed to go. They were too dark, and instead of adding softness to the room, they just stood out because of their strong contrasting color.

The tall china cabinet full of dolls was not a good choice for living room furniture. The cabinet looked too crowded in the corner, and competed with the beauty of the window.

The fireplace was bland an boring, and the little accessories on the mantel were totally out of place.

One of the main problems with this room is the color combinations. You have the soft blues of the chairs paired with the dark red draperies, and dark red rug. When decorating your living room, you want all of your colors to flow together and complement one another.

We decided to decorate with a more Beach House style. I replaced the red draperies with a softer pastel drapery fabric. We removed the china cabinet, and the rug. A love seat and coffee table were purchased, both in lighter colors.

For accessories, a large clock was just the right touch. Two striped pillows placed in the blue chairs made them look more inviting. Large candle urns flanking the new oil painting made all the difference for the fireplace mantel! Don't be afraid to choose large wall art. In this case, it made the room look even larger and the fireplace more predominant. Can you tell the difference?

EASY TIP ON SELECTING DRAPERY FABRIC:

If you have solid colored furniture, then don't choose solid colored fabric. Choose drapery fabric that has a pattern. This adds so much interest to your room! If your furniture has a floral print, then choose a drapery fabric with stripes.

Living Room Paint Ideas

If painting is one of the first living room ideas you need to decided on, make sure that the color is complimentary to your existing furniture. Always get a sample of your paint color and paint a small area on a piece of cardboard. Tape your paint sample on your wall; step back and see how it looks. Then repeat this process on your other walls. Color changes with different lighting.

For some ideas on paint colors take a look at this page.

Furniture Placement

This can be one of the most difficult parts of the decorating process. Many designers do a great job of planning it out on paper. I simply have to move the furniture around and see what I think.

Make sure your furniture is close enough to promote conversation, and that there are plenty of places for guests and family to set their drinks.

Flooring

Flooring really makes or breaks a room's look. Whether you choose carpet or hardwood flooring, you want to stay within the style and theme of your home.

We recently removed our carpet and installed hard wood flooring. Talk about making an incredible difference!

I was very careful to choose a wood that went with the style of our home. Our home is about 25 years old, and the style is what I would term "casual French Country". So, I didn't want to choose flooring that was too formal, or too country.

The photo above is the flooring that I chose for our living room. If you look closely, it has a look of worn wood. I felt that this floor fit our active family, which also includes two dogs! There are many things to consider when coming up with your list of living room ideas. I try to marry both design and livability.

For more information on flooring tips, types of flooring, and overall hardwood flooring questions, please visit Chicago Hardwood Flooring

Living Room Wall Decor

One of the biggest mistakes people make when choosing living room wall decor is choosing things that are under-scale for the wall.

Add a mirror to your room; it reflects light and gives the illusion of a larger room.
One larger picture above this black chest is just the right size. It fills in the space without overcrowding.

Living Room Curtains

I really love long drapes in a living room, nothing stuffy or formal. There are a lot of living room curtain ideas to choose from, but I always tend to lean toward simple.

This green drapery above was fun to design. Instead of one long drapery pole across the 72" window, I cut the pole down to 18". The brown pom-pom balls gave the simple panel a little drama and whimsy!

This photo shows how beautiful the bamboo window coverings look with the long drapes.

Accessorizing Your Living Room

Again, a common mistake is under-scaling accessories, and using too many small items. Keep it simple, don't over complicate accessorizing. Use the “decorating in three’s” rule, and choose your accessories wisely. Use photos, but spend a little extra money and purchase elegant frames.

Pillows are usually always something my clients need for their furniture! Either the ones they have are flat and worn out, or they don't have any at all. It is difficult finding just the right pillows for furniture you already own. I have found a fabulous company that will customize your pillows!

It is amazing what fresh new pillows will do to a room!
Little money, big results!

You can put a really narrow coffee table BEHIND your couch that is up against a wall, and add accessories! For living room ideas, this is one of my favorites! Especially, if you need some extra lighting!

I hope these living room ideas were helpful. Remember, you can always ask me questions! Include photos to show what you are needing the most help with!

Remember: The living room is a place for relaxation, conversation, and entertaining. Keep it simple. Keep it uncluttered. But most of all, the heart of living room ideas is creating a room where all who enter take a load off, relax, and enjoy the ones they love.

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