Design the Living Room of Your Dreams

Most families spend the majority of their time in the living room.  The kids plop down on the sofas to watch television or do their homework.  Your husband relaxes in his recliner at the end of a long, hard day at work.  You love to curl up under your favorite afghan and read a good book or the newspaper.  Even your family's dog loves to curl up and fall asleep on the soft shag rug.  Since your family spends such a large amount of time in the living room, consider giving it a little makeover to update the design.  If you want to take your living room design to the next level, you don't have to have a ton of money or a lot of time.  You only need to remember a few simple tips and you can design the living room of your dreams.

First, incorporate the "Three Times" rule into your space.  Make sure you add pieces to your room in groups of three.  For instance, hang three smaller pieces of artwork on the wall rather than one large one.  You can hand them vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.  They don't have to be identical pieces, but they should share the same color palate to keep things cohesive. 

Next, keep to a similar color scheme.  Try to add lamps and window treatments in coordinating colors.  You could also add picture frames, candles, and other accessories that correspond with your furniture colors or the hues in your oriental rug.  Don't be afraid to add a punch of unexpected color to the room!  If your furniture is a neutral shade of beige or tan, don't go for the basic pastel colored rug.  Instead, opt for a flaming orange area rug or even a multicolored tropical rug to give your room an unexpected punch of color.

You can balance bold colors by echoing the shade throughout the room in other places.  For instance, a large brown armchair might seem overwhelming to an otherwise light and airy space at first.  But if you add some brown and white striped window treatments or accent pillows and candles with the same rich shade of chocolate, you will have one cohesive look that is built around the big chair.

When you are redesigning your living room, try to choose a focal point and make the rest of your design revolve around it.  If you have a fireplace, it is a built in focal point.  Make sure you add beautiful artwork or an ornate mirror over the fireplace.  Use the mantle to display your collection of gorgeous sea glass vases or the old books that have been passed down in your family from one generation to the next.  Add pieces to your focal point that you want people to notice.  This will be the first place that guests looks when they arrive in your home.

Redesigning your living room doesn't have to be an impossible task.  You only need to look for creative ways to insert pops of color or trios of accents to your existing space.  Rearrange the furniture or switch out the area rug for something in a brighter color.  Soon you won't even recognize the old outdated space you once called home!