Thursday, February 17, 2011

Liven Up Your Living Room

Living room is the first part of your house that people see, and form an impression about you and your lifestyle. That is why, this room needs to be decorated in a way that is stylish and also expresses openness and the aura of friendliness and acceptance.

Living room is a gathering area for family members as well as guests, and it needs to be comfortable as well as inviting. Also it must set the tone for the décor of the rest of your house. Keeping all these factors in mind, decorating the living room is not an easy task and requires planning. Here are the basic things to consider while doing a living room.

Painting

The first thing that should be carefully decided is the color of the living room. To get the living room of your choice-

* You can use bold color for the wall which appears to be the point of focus of the room. Painting the other walls with contrasting color will make the room look vibrant.
* While coloring small rooms, dark color should be avoided as this will make the room look much smaller.
* Painting the walls with soft shades can create a peaceful atmosphere within the room.
* Ceiling should always be painted in white to maximize the light.

Flooring

A good solid floor will generate an impressive image of the owner of the house. These days you can use different types of flooring available:

* Carpet Flooring - This type of flooring has been there since forever and is still preferred by many. Carpets are available in various designs and they can be machine-made or handmade.
* Hardwood Flooring - This type of flooring is preferred to carpet flooring as it can be easily cleaned of dust, liquid or other stuff. Moreover they can be polished which gives a classy look to the room.
* Laminate Flooring - Laminates are less expensive as compared to hardwood flooring. Hence, you can easily change them every six to seven years to give a new look to your room.
* Tile Flooring - This type of flooring is becoming popular these days due to the efficiency of the tiles to keep the room cool. Moreover they comes in various shapes and exquisite designs.

Lighting

Making lighting arrangements is also a creative task as this can give contrasting looks to the different corners of the living room. Moreover an efficient choice of lighting can also make the room look bigger or smaller. Some factors which should be kept in mind while deciding on the lighting part;

* Energy efficient lamps should be used as they are environment friendly and emit the same amount of light like other sources.
* Use lights to highlight portraits, pictures and other articles in the living room.
* Use a table lamp beside the furniture if you want to use the room for reading books, newspapers or other things.
* To ensure smooth distribution of light, combine general light with halogen lighting.

Furniture

Though furniture comes last in the decoration category, it is essential to choose it wisely. An ill-fitting furniture can destroy the look of the room. The recent trend is to use contemporary furniture which is not heavily ornamented like the vintage wooden furniture. This is the reason contemporary furniture is finding prominence in most living rooms. Some of the other characteristics of this modern day furniture are:

* This type of furniture is made of metal which gives it a lustrous and glistening look which blends with any kind of décor.
* Modern furniture is sleek hence fits in any place.
* Contemporary living room furniture follows simple designs comprising plain geometric structures and soft colors.
* Materials used to build this furniture make it lighter, therefore portable.

Therefore, to make this room lively and to create the perfect ambiance, paint, flooring, lighting and furniture should be chosen carefully. You can also hire an interior decorator, who with their expertise can make your living room look even better. To locate these experts, you are advised to run a quick search online.

The author of this article is currently associated with LaContempo, a leading supplier of modern furniture for official as well as residential use.