Basic Living Room Design

Living rooms are no longer perceived as traditional drawing rooms. Instead we now have rooms that are truly lived in.  They are places that combine family rest and play, together with entertaining guests. As in all rooms, your first choice when decorating  will be to choose formal or casual. In most cases, casual is the norm.  A formal living area in today's American society is almost taboo. Most want to treat their living room as a cozy space for conversation, gracious entertaining, and comfortable interaction with the family. Whether your design style is formal, casual, spare, or a funky mix, take a thoughtful look at the design elements and furniture arrangement in your living room. 

Seating is a priority, and do make sure that you buy comfortable upholstery, with good-quality cushions that will last.  Use fabric creatively. Linen fabric is a good choice for an eclectic room that is sleek yet casual. Other casual choices might be denims, plaids or cottons. In a formal room, silk damask and chintz are most often used.  Windows play a major role in a living room. For a minimal look, stick to unadorned shades, blinds, or shutters. Even if you choose to use blinds or shutters, use the best. For example, Hunter Douglas blinds carry a lifetime guarantee not to yellow or bow.  Even when using blinds or shutters, you can soften the edges with loosely draped curtains.  Charles Curtains has 100% silk curtains that we sell on our site that add a lot of elegance to a room. These silk curtains have been featured on many of episodes of the "Home And Garden" show.

Mix the old with the new.  Although one can be patterned and the other plain, make sure there is a common color to link the two together. Combine a large painting on one wall with four small paintings arranged to look like one large picture hung on the opposite walls in a room with lots of wall space. Pictures of a similar size but of various subjects can be reframed with matching or tonal picture mounts to create an interesting collection of eye-catching art.

Personal interest can always add spice to a living room. A tapestry, painting or drawing that a member of the family has produced can look wonderful when framed. These items are always great pieces for conversation when entertaining.