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10 (ESSENTIAL) Living Room Furniture Ideas

Living Room Furniture Ideas: 10 Tips To Choosing The Right Furniture For Your Home

Let’s face it, walking into a room full of mismatched woods and finishes is enough to make anyone question the style – let alone those with a keen eye for design, so we’d like to share with you 10 essential tips for choosing living room furniture.

Keep Wood and Finishes Consistent

Keeping your choice of woods and finishes consistently throughout your room (or even your home) can provide the visual continuity our eyes crave, while also contributing to the overall style.

The Oak furniture company have a rule guide for mixing and matching finishes and surfaces which provides insightful tips and great detail in this area of expertise.

Keep Furniture In Scale Within The Room

If there’s one thing that contributes to our senses in a room, it’s scale.

Striking a good balance of scale in a room can be the difference between cozy and claustrophobic, therefore it’s important to select your furniture in relation to the size of your room.

A tiny room is going to feel oppressive and enclosed if you’ve used large furniture, which is the opposite of what you want from your living area.

The same goes for particularly large rooms – having small furniture (unless you have lots of it) just isn’t going to look right.

Featuring a larger sofa in a large room is a great way to fill the space a bit more (and give you an excuse to invite more friends over).

For high ceilings, try filling that abundant, overhead space with a large chandelier or suspending your lighting from a longer cable so it’s closer to the floor.

Consider Your Existing Color Scheme

As the old saying goes “Only fools rush in.”

Before purchasing your new furniture, ensuring that the color of the piece fits with your existing scheme can save you a lot of extra headache, time, money and most importantly an eyesore.

Fortunately, in this age of digital solutions, we are never far from a program or app that can help make our lives easier.

Using a color app like Adobe colour or Coolors can help you select colors you like, find colors that work and let you save color schemes for later.

Coming soon, emerging augmented reality applications (no, we’re not talking about Pokemon Go) to let you try furniture pieces before you buy.

Yes, a new app from Augment will let you augment furniture into your room through your iPhone or tablet.

Perfect for serious interior designers (or maybe you just redecorate a lot).

Less Is Always More

The Romans gave us the bathtub, the British gave us the Chesterfield and the Scandinavians gave us… interior minimalism.

Yes, the art of decorating a home using as few elements as possible, minimalism is increasingly popular in interior design for this style’s ability to highlight stark contrasts and create the feel of endless space.

Now, we’re not telling you to go all out minimal, as that is largely unachievable for the majority of homeowners, parents, busy professionals, and people who can’t justify buying all white furniture.

What you should do however is to focus on uncluttering – removing elements in your room that aren’t absolutely necessary, then focusing your attention on specific key elements that make a statement.

Choose Your Materials Wisely

Believe it or not, selecting which materials to feature in your home takes a bit more forethought than one might think.

Choosing a sofa for example; would you choose fabric simply because it fits with your style?

No, you’ve got to think a bit further ahead when it comes to materials. A fabric sofa might be your style, but if you use it a lot, is it going to age as well as a leather sofa?

Can I clean a leather sofa as easily as a fabric one?

These are the kinds of questions that you need to be asking yourself when considering materials.

The same can be said for the walls: should you use standard matte, heavy-duty, or wallpaper?

Well, it all depends on if you have children, pets etc.

They will be the ones that define which materials are most suitable.

Measure Twice, Buy Once

Like the old carpentry proverb, this one certainly rings true for interior designers or anyone purchasing new furniture: always measure the space in which your furniture will go.

This will not only save you time but money and stress too.

This is especially true for sofas. After all, you’re investing the next 5-10 years in a seat that will not only have to look stylish and feel comfortable but also fit in terms of scale and position.

Don’t Mix And Match Clashing Patterns

The pattern is one of the most useful elements in an interior designer’s arsenal and done right, it can provide an interesting, eye-catching texture that draws the eye.

Done wrong however and it could end up looking like a nightmare straight from the mind of William Morris.

Pattern is best utilized as a filler of empty space; for example, a patterned rug on a bare floor provides relief from the lack of detail.

The distressed paint job on a bookcase provides a sense of visual texture that you can almost touch with your eyes.

Getting creative with pattern and texture is necessary when introducing interest into a room…

Just don’t go overboard.

Maintain A Flow Through The Room

Maintaining an uninterrupted flow of energy through a room or space is one of the fundamental rules of feng shui – and for good reason.

This energy, or ‘chi’ as the Chinese know it is thought to be an invisible life force coursing through and around us and things that are blocking and cluttering your living space is ‘blocking’ the flow of chi through your room.

If not for feng shui purposes, then maintaining a flow through your room and your home is important for ease of movement, helping you feel light and unrestricted – and that’s always a beneficial state to be in.

Trust Your Taste

Whether designing the interior décor for your own home or for a client, it is important you trust that well-honed instinct that is your taste.

If you’re unsure as to what your style is or interested in finding out what kind of taste in interiors you have, then Houzz has a handy quiz that will figure out your style.

The questions are a bit unordinary, but follow it through to find your style.

I got coastal, which is fine by me!

Be Unique

Above all, be unique in your design!

There are too many generic styles and copycats out there, so figure out what you like most out of different interiors, experiment with combining those elements and putting them together until you get something that not only looks good but makes you happy every time you see it!

About The Author:

Sofa Sofa are based in Wales and have been designing and building sofas in their workshop for over 30 years – along the way, they have picked up a thing or two about interior design.

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Bedroom Design And Decor Ideas

To make your bedroom comfortable and relaxing can be critical to your relaxation mindset, especially when you come home from the office or from anywhere in the world, you just want to relax.

For this, you need to have some peaceful time by yourself or even just have a peaceful nap.

Your bedroom should be the most peaceful place where you feel relaxed.

Moreover, it should be the only place where you can enjoy your private time and also have your “me-time”.

It is very important that you find peace and happiness in your most private space.

Your bedroom should give you all the comfort you need after a hectic day at work.

It is natural that when you enter your room, you should get a sense of peace and calmness.

Now, it is natural that the decor of your room will create the kind of environment or the atmosphere that will relax you, calm you and give you the personal space that you want and need, for however long that may be.

So, it is important that your bedroom design and decor ideas add your own personal touches to the space in such a way that it will always give you the highest level of comfort, relaxation, and privacy after a hectic day.

You can also use bedroom group furniture for the purpose of decoration.

Here, we will present a number of key factors or decoration tips that will help you make your bedroom the most comfortable place for you.

Add Elegance To Your Bed

Your bed is the place where you will restore and heal yourself from the previous day through a peaceful sleep.

So, your bed should be something that is very nicely decorated to give you the feel of ease and calmness.

Pile up your bed with pillows, mixing different patterns.

Use bright colors and never shy away from mixing and matching different patterns and colors.

This will create an elegant look and will also give you a feeling of freshness when you see your bed.

For this, you can combine large prints with small ones and even geometric ones.

Add Some Artwork

Adding artwork to your bedroom will add to the beauty of your room, especially if you hang up a quality artwork piece or anything that is creative or artistic in look.

You can put up complementary linens to give a contrast look to your bed as this will highlight your bed beautifully.

Hangings have always been good decorative materials to add to the beauty of the space.

You can highlight the wall behind your bed with anything like a simple hanging artwork piece or something and make it look beautiful.

Add Some Pattern Work

Different kinds of prints have been always in trend and so you can have a printed bedspread which will add to your room decor as a whole.

You can also have the bedspread in the color combination of your room decor.

Be sure to choose the material of your bedspread that is comfortable to your skin because after all, you are the one who will be relaxing on your bed.

So, don’t forget your comfort and utility while choosing your bedspread.

Include Prints On Your Accent Pieces

It is not necessary that you have prints only on your bed covers and bedspreads.

You can incorporate prints also into your decoration pieces like your lampshade.

Also, you can have some printed decorative pieces and use them in your room decor.

Make Good Use of Your Walls

You can have good decorative pieces affixed to your walls to save space in your room.

Also, consider having any hanging night lamps affixed to your walls which will help save you space on your nightstands.

Personalize Your Room

Your bedroom is your personal space and so, it should reflect your personality in one or the other way.

You can reveal your memories by placing your family photo frames on your desk or drawers or hang them on your walls.

This space is just yours and so feel free to unveil your personal side through your favorite items decorated throughout your room.

Make Your Bed Totally Comfortable

Your bed is the place where you will completely relax and so it has to be extremely comfortable to you.

Make it as soft as you can with an ultra soft eiderdown.

This will make it very cozy and you will also provide the greatest levels of comfort to the softness of your bed.

Make One Corner a Focal Point

It is always important to make a corner of your bedroom space a focal point.

A focal point always highlights the place and will add to the beauty of the room.

You can make any corner of your room a focal point by placing a feature furniture piece in it.

This will add to the decor of your room and will catch the attention of whoever that enters your room.

Scale Out Space

You should keep in mind the size of your bed and accordingly, you have to plan the other items to be decorated beside your bed.

The lamp you place beside your bed has to match your bed and should not look odd in size.

So, just be aware of the proportions of furniture and other items.

If you have a Supersized King bed, this would look silly in a small bedroom and with tiny bedside cabinets.

Create a Light Source

You can mount a lamp to your wall with a multi-watt bulb to spread sufficient lighting while reading.

This will also help you to have the kind of lighting you desire while you are relaxing and don’t want the main lights on.

Don’t Be Afraid to Add Colors to Your Bedroom Space

You can use different kinds of colors in your room especially bright ones, which will add some liveliness to your room.

Color can have a great impact on the mood of a room and choosing bright, feature or highlight colors can give you a feeling of freshness.

Make Your Flooring Lovely and Comfortable

Placing a lovely floor rug on a timber floor by the side of your bed will not only add to the beauty of your room but will also help to soften the harshness of timber in the winter.

There is an abundance of rug choice in different kinds, styles, and colors and you should be able to find one that matches your decor.

Add Warmth To Your Bedroom

You can add beautiful curtains to the windows of your bedroom.

For this, you can have curtains with different patterns and colors that compliment the decor of your room.

Mix It Up

You can have different pieces of furniture in your bedroom that you feel are lovely and comfortable.

Just go bold and personal when it comes to decorating your personal space.

Mix and match is the idea you can use for your room decor in every sense, whether it is the paint on your walls or the furniture pieces you place. Simply mix it up to give it the best look.

Your bedroom is your private place and you can use your own bedroom design and decor ideas to decorate it the way you feel comfortable.

So, just be bold when it comes to your personal decor and make it the best place in your home.

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Home Decor Based On Your Zodiac Sign

What Is Your Ideal Home Decor Based On Your Zodiac Sign?

Have you ever wondered what your Zodiac sign needs in the home might be?

If the astrologers got it right, then your zodiac sign helps define your taste and personality, which in turns spills over into everything you do.

Your preferences affect how you dress, where you work, what kind of pet you have, and even how you decorate your home!

So if you’ve been thinking of going on a little redecorating spree, what better way to get a little inspiration than by turning to the stars?

Consider these home decorating ideas based on zodiac sign.

Aquarius: January 21-February 19

Those born under the stars of Aquarius are known for their exceptional intelligence, creativity, and independence.

Make sure you’ve got a great place to put all that brainpower to good use.

If you use a home office, consider a bold color palette to keep you inspired while you work.

An accent wall with a pop of vibrant color or printed wallpaper adds interest without being overwhelming.

In dual-purpose offices that also serve as living spaces, use freestanding screens to define the space and provide additional privacy.

Pisces: February 20-March 20

Pisces are sensitive, imaginative people who care deeply about others.

It can be exhausting to give so much of yourself, so if you’re a Pisces, create a rejuvenating oasis in your home.

Decorating with cool tones provides a relaxing, low-stress atmosphere, and also plays off the influence of water as Pisces’ ruling element.

Live plants can create a healthier home and bring the tranquility of nature indoors.

Low maintenance greenery such as air plants, philodendron, and spider-plants are easy enough that you won’t even need a green thumb to keep them looking lush and beautiful.

Aries: March 21-April 20

Those born under this first April zodiac sign have fiery personalities in sync with their ruling element, so, of course, their interior design should match as well.

Ample light is key to creating that flame-bright atmosphere.

Use metallics in warm colors like gold, brass, and copper to add a glow to any space. Lamps, furniture, and even wall art can be a good way to include these elements.

Updating your light fixture can also be a good way to boost the energy of a room.

A chandelier with faceted crystals creates a flickering sparkle, or for a more masculine space, opt once more for metallic fixtures.

Taurus: April 21-May 21

The sign for Taurus is a bull, and though it’s true people with this zodiac sign do have a bull-like stubborn streak, they’re also warm, friendly, and reliable, just the sort of people who like to entertain close friends and family.

To create an ideal entertaining space, first, consider the type of events you prefer to host.

If you’re all about gathering around the table for a delicious meal, focus on the kitchen and dining spaces, adding extra seating with window-benches and bar stools so that the cook can be the life of the party instead of trapped alone in the kitchen.

If you prefer casual drinks and conversation in the living room, create a well-stocked bar cart to keep refreshments close at hand, and decorate with colorful and textural throw-pillows.

Gemini: May 22-June 21

With Gemini’s inherent tendency toward a split-personality, it might seem tricky to select decorating ideas based on zodiac sign, but this can actually work in your favor.

Can’t decide between a rustic look and a modern one? Use elements of both.

It might take some practice to find the right balance, but combining styles is a favorite technique of professional designers.

Think sheepskin rug in a sleek modern living room or richly colored, paisley patterned bedspread in a neutral, monochromatic bedroom.

It’s easiest to experiment with this kind of mix-and-match designing on a blank canvas, so opt for off-white walls and simple hardwood or laminate flooring to showcase your funky furniture and accessories.

Cancer: June 22-July 22

People with this water sign are often homebodies with a sentimental streak.

To create an inviting, comfortable space, pay particular attention to texture.

If you have smooth laminate flooring, create a contrast by choosing velvet upholstered seating with lots of lush throw pillows.

Satin fabrics bounce back extra light and add a touch of luxury, while nubbly afghan blankets are homey and comforting.

If you have a habit of keeping mementos, photos, and memorabilia, make sure you have a beautiful way to display them.

A wall of shelves makes a perfect canvas to decorate with your treasured memories.

Paint them a solid color, as Cancers tend to like pearly colors like off-white and pale gray. Your mementos can take center stage.

Leo: July 23-August 21

Like the lion for which this sign is named, Leos prefer warm golden sunshine, so pay special attention to your window treatments!

There’s a fine balance between allowing in light during the day and creating a private space at night.

Curtains and drapes, of course, are a timeless option.

Always hang curtain rods close to the ceiling and let the drapes hang all the way to the floor to give the illusion of larger windows.

Avoid this in young children’s rooms, however, since the hanging curtains may pose a danger if little ones pull on them too hard.

Instead, opt for Roman shades to provide style and privacy, adding a valance for a little extra color if you prefer.

This is also an excellent solution for very small rooms where drapes could overwhelm the design.

Virgo: August 22-September 23

Virgos have a reputation for being perfectionists and neat-freaks.

There’s a place for everything, and everything is in its place.

If you’re a compulsive organizer, make it easy on yourself by streamlining clutter-prone spaces like your garage and mudroom.

Install hooks and shelves to keep things off the floor, and create catch-all baskets to keep little items contained.

Use open shelves for items you use frequently, but tidy away the rest in closed cupboards to keep them from becoming an eyesore.

Libra: September 24-October 23

With their keen eye for detail, Libras are known for their appreciation of good quality.

Quality comes with a price tag, of course, so rather than breaking the bank to outfit your entire house, choose a few key pieces that can anchor your overall design. In your living room, a pair of high-end chairs can be eye-catching, while in a bedroom, opt for an unusual headboard to steal the show.

Keep the rest of your design simple to highlight your showstoppers.

A chic minimalist design will always look elegant and inviting.

Scorpio: October 24-November 22

If your sign is Scorpio, you may have a reputation for being dynamic and exciting.

Your home should reflect these aspects of your personality, and one of the best ways to do that is through vibrant wall art.

Look for unique pieces that fit your color scheme and design sense.

Don’t limit yourself to canvases or paintings: materials like architectural schematics, botanical illustrations, and vintage advertisements also make eye-catching statement pieces when framed and displayed singly or in groups.

If you do opt for a collage of framed pieces, choose an odd number like five or seven.

This tends to look more balanced than an even number in a similar grouping.

Sagittarius: November 23-December 22

Those born under the stars of Sagittarius are known as free-spirited wanderers, so it’s crucial that their homes be comfortable but low maintenance.

Use technology to your advantage: thermostats, lighting, security and entertainment systems, even some appliances can be integrated with smartphone apps.

That way, even if you’re always on the go, you can still keep tabs on what’s happening at home.

If your lifestyle has you moving from place to place regularly, cut down on the hassles of moving by choosing versatile furniture: comfortable, upholstered dining chairs can double as living room seating.

Simple, unpadded barstools can serve as small end tables, nightstands, or breakfast bar seating.

Capricorn: December 23-January 20

For Capricorns, a fondness for tradition is a major personality trait.

In your design sense, a good way to express this is through furnishings that have a bit of a story attached, like vintage pieces, family heirlooms, and antiques.

Choose light colors for upholstery and walls to contrast with the darker tones of classic wood flooring and furniture, or highlight the bright hues of retro accessories with a coordinating accent wall.

Since some of the most important traditions involve family, make sure to leave plenty of wall space to feature family photos. With a traditional design sense and modern interpretation, you’ll create a space that feels timeless.

Coming up with inspired home design ideas can be a challenge, but when you look at your own personality and choose decorating ideas based on zodiac sign, you can’t help but get off to a good start.

Before you start planning your next redecoration, take a minute, read your horoscope, and think about what your sign is telling you!

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Small Dining Room Ideas

Small Dining Room Ideas That Make Of A Small Dining Space

There’s something familiar, warm and special in having a specific place to enjoy your meals with friends and family members.

Creating dining room designs for small spaces can often be challenging, but it needn’t be and living in a smaller house or apartment often doesn’t leave any possibility for a dining room.

Well, there’s a way to change this and create a truly modern and functional dining area that would even inspire you to spend more time looking into healthy and tasty recipes to try.

If you think that it’s impossible for you to add to the overall home design with adequate dining area, think again.

With following tips, you can make use of all the space you have, even if it’s not all that much.

Choose The Dining Table Carefully

The star of the dining room is its table.

Therefore, you should pay a lot of attention to your perfect choice.

A small table is definitely something that first comes to mind but if it’s too small, it may not be the most practical dining surface there is.

In that respect, you should definitely look at extendable dining tables.

That way, you can save the space when you’re not using the dining room and still have enough room for everyone when it’s time for lunch.

If you’re on a budget, you don’t have to bother with getting dining tables that match your style with design and pattern – with the help of some interesting DIY projects, you can easily transform your plain-looking table into a modern centerpiece of the entire room.

Utilize the Wall Space

Are things really that cramped when you have bare walls just waiting to be used?

In order to effectively organize your small dining space and still have an efficient layout, it’s important that you think vertically.

All those walls can do a lot more than simply having a painting or two hanging on there.

If you install some hanging cabinets, you can easily store all your kitchen stuff and thus make room for your dining area.

On the other hand, if new cabinets are not something you’re willing to spend your money on, you can opt for the easier and more affordable solution – shelves.

Sleek wall-hanging shelves aren’t difficult to install even if you’ve never done that before but they significantly add to the modern vibe of the entire room.

Not to mention the storage options they provide.

A Mirror is Always Handy

Image Source: http://shopfeed.co

You probably heard about the mirror trick when it comes to making the space appear visually bigger.

Well, it’s true and you can try it in your own dining room project. A mirror surface is definitely a staple for modern and urban interiors so you can really play with different mirror positioning to your heart’s content.

Decorating your kitchen elements with mirrors is definitely a sign of a unique layout.

Also, you can use the space between the hanging kitchen elements and floor units to add that reflection.

You might think that these will be really troublesome to clean but with special mirror finishes and polish, this task won’t bother you at all.

Accessorize With Lights and Plants

In a small dining room area you should stay away from clutter.

Still, no living space should be completely devoid of personality and this is especially important for modern interior design.

Therefore, the most important decorative staple can be your lighting.

Recessed lighting solutions are truly great for small spaces but if you want to make your creativity shine both literally and figuratively, make sure to try some of the interesting DIY lighting projects for chandeliers.

When it comes to statement pieces that would add a special touch to your small dining room, there really isn’t anything better than finding that one great element.

You can search for different types of homeware that can be found online and make a difference with the most suitable decorations.

What’s more, plants are a must have in any modern household. In that respect, green up your dining room corner with plants of your choice and place them in colorful pots that would complete the entire look of this space.

Perfect Seating Solutions

Table, storage and décor are all important pieces in creating your modern dining room, but what to do when it comes to seating arrangement?

Small space implies that having a lot of chairs is practically impossible to pull off. Well then, say goodbye to chairs.

If your dining area is really small, bring in the outdoor vibe! Dining benches that you usually have on your patio can serve their respective purpose in your dining room as well.

These are really practical since they can be easily moved under the table when you finish with your meal and create extra space when you need it.

Not to mention the endless possibilities you have when it comes to decorating these benches.

On the other hand, if your dining area is small, but not too cramped and impossible to have a sofa fit in, you can really play with that modern look by getting yourself a smaller angled sofa.

Stick to the overall color scheme when picking out your angled sofa for the dining room but feel free to add pops of color with cushions.

These are definitely the smartest investment you can make if you want to have a stylish dining room without the trouble of moving chairs or bench every time you’re done with your meal.

With the possibility to resort to various DIY projects, your small dining room doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg.

It’s essential that you make good use of the space you have, so analyze all your options and take measures in every corner of the said space.

Even the smallest dining room can make a difference when it comes to home interior.

If you’re not sure how to go about the most efficient layout, don’t be reluctant to ask for professional help.

You don’t need to hire an interior designer bit having someone estimate the best possible space utilization is always useful.

Take your time to enjoy some inspiration search online and home design magazines so that the outcome will truly suit your personality and style.

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Living Room Decor Ideas

Beautifully decorated living rooms are what creates the ambiance of a home. Its what makes you feel like you can really relax because this is your environment, your sanctuary and your place to chill.

Kick your feet up on a sofa, grab some comfort food and enjoy these beautiful living rooms

A grand living room with stained wooden floors, character beamed ceilings, and fireplace, french doors, and timber wall paneling.

This is the epitome of the perfect living room in my mind.

Wow, another stunning living room layout. Its bright fresh look and expanse of French doors and windows add a sense of luxuriousness to this beautiful neutrally toned living room.

Beautifully decorated living room with rich dark colored timber floors, neutrally toned lounge furniture, a feature rock fireplace, built in wall furniture and character ceilings.

Amazing open and spacious living room with polished concrete floor, high ceilings, industrial style windows and an awesomely decorated living area with a neutral suede sofa and animal hide floor rug

Another simply decorated living room with neutral decor and basic furnishings.

Sisal carpeting over a timber floor, simple chairs, a large side cabinet, classic lighting, and a fireplace create an understated ambiance

Lovely comfortable compact living room with polished dark timber floors, eloquent soft furnishings, shutter-blind window coverings, and subtle room decorations.

Modern living room with fabric lounge suite, neutral carpet rug, timber floor, high floor to ceiling wall height and modern finishing touches

Cozy downstairs living room surrounding the fireplace and with adjoining stairs.

The inclusion of little knick, knacks make this room very desirable and the ambient lighting create the cozy feeling.

The barn style window shutters on these windows make for a very interesting rustic style uniqueness to the decor.

Neutrals and browns mix well in this expansive living room space, with a cozy area in front of the television and an additional comfortable reading area in the background

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