Perfect living room

How to Create the Perfect Living Room

The place you go to kick back and relax at the end of a long day; the place you host family and friends on weekends, and more often than not, the first room you see when you come in - the living room is perhaps the most important room in the house. Here at Plum Guide, we’ve undertaken extensive research, and have got the lowdown on what makes a perfect living room, from focal points and lighting to stylish furniture and the ultimate comfort chairs.

Choose a suitable style and layout

The most important thing to think about first is what you want from your living room. Are you a single resident, or do you have a family and children? Do you have any pets? Do you want a comfortable room, with lots of cosy corners and soft seating, or will your living room double as an office space? All of these things are key when considering the style and layout of the room. In the initial stages of designing the perfect living room, it can be easy to fuse clashing ideas of what you want if you don’t have any clarity. Sit down with a pen and paper and sketch out a vague layout of how you’d like the room to look, and make a note of key features, colours and items that are important to you. That way, when it comes to shopping, you won’t be as tempted by things that don’t fit naturally into your dream plan.

Have a focal point

Having a focal point is a good starting place. This will bring a sense of purpose and cohesion to the room, giving you something to centre your design around. Most people primarily use their living room for watching TV, so having the television as the key focal point is a good idea. If you’d rather a tech-free room, you could consider centering the room around items such as a fireplace (like our Notting Hill home Parisian Elegance), favourite artwork, or even a window if the view offers something special.

Pick a complementary colour scheme

Colour scheme is crucial when designing your dream living room. It is typically best to keep the room neutral, allowing for change in style in future. The famous 60:30:10 rule (60% for the dominant colour, complemented by a secondary colour for 30% and an accent shade for the final 10%) can again come in handy here. The perfect living room should be homely and inviting, so be sure to use lots of warm colour palettes. Pillows, artwork, throws and even curtains are useful for splashes of colour, livening up the room and giving it more personality. Our Plum Guide expert top tip: make sure the floors are slightly darker than the walls. This centres and grounds the room, bringing balance to the space and making the room appear slightly bigger.

Select appropriate seating

Once the colour scheme has been set, the next big decision is the seating. This largely depends on who the room is being catered to; larger families may prefer longer sofas to fit everyone in for film nights, whereas flatmates may prefer separate armchairs when watching TV. Whatever your preference on size, there are a few important things to consider. First, the colour. The sofa should ideally slot into the secondary colour section of your design, and complement the room’s tonal palette. Secondly, the comfort of the chair is obviously key; make sure you test the sofa out to ensure the material and cushions suit your preferences. Consider wear and tear: how long will it last? Will it be looked after, or is there potential for spillage and quick weathering? Naturally, this will depend on budget, but there are plenty of good quality sofas and chairs out there. The Loveseat chair from Maker & Son has caught our eye, but the statement green velvet sofa from The Conran Shop is a dealbreaker.

Create the right mood with lighting

If the room doubles up as a work space during the day or on weekends, make sure there are plenty of windows for natural light, as well a few bright working lamps dotted around the room. However, the primary use for living rooms is often as cosy spots to wind down in the evening. Therefore it is essential to make sure the room sets a calm, soothing ambience come nightfall. Overhead lights can often be garish and unpleasant, so buying the right lamps is important. At Plum Guide, we love the polished brass lamps available from Tom Dixon or the clerks' reading lamp from Soho Home for something a bit more industrial.

Invest in high quality technology

For movie nights and cosy evenings in, the right technology is key. The model and style of television is entirely down to preference and budget, but there are a few tips and tricks to make sure you get the most bang for your buck. Again, the size will differ based on whether you’re buying for small or large households, but the average TV screen is typically between 55 and 65 inches. Always look for sets with no lower than 4K resolution and higher than a 60 Hz refresh rate; this guarantees high quality, smoother viewing (particularly when watching live shows). Plenty of expensive, high-quality televisions often have poor sound. Investing in a soundbar or surround sound speakers is worth the money.

Decorate with some accessories

Once the main body of the room has been settled, you can begin to think about other items that can add personality and utility to the room. Coffee tables are essential, but size and style can vary on use. For drinks and snacks, a small, decorative coffee table would work perfectly, or alternatively a larger table could do the trick for larger groups and TV dinners. They can also be used as a feature piece in the room; consider decorating them with flowers, plants and artbooks. Similarly, never underestimate the power of artwork, mirrors and wall hangings. Bringing colour and life into the space, these are useful tools - but remember to be sparing, too many can look garish and affronting. Avoid clutter at all costs, but a few ornaments are a great way to add personal touches to the living room.

Create the Perfect Living Room

Pamela Cole Harris

Pamela Cole Harris is a budget decorating expert and writer with over four decades of experience specializing in upcycling furniture and decor. She's a recycling enthusiast with a passion for repurposing discarded items and turning them into stylish decor. Pamela has also published a book on creative DIY coffee tables.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 07/16/19

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Do you have a perfect living room? Is it too perfect to live in? One of the mysteries of life is why people spend so much time and money decorating a living room and so little time actually living in it. It becomes a "company" room and, in my opinion, a waste of space and resources. You can make a living room that both your guests and your family will not only admire but actually enjoy. Follow these guidelines to decorate your dream living room.

1. Clip, clip, clip. Assemble a clipping collection of your favorite rooms from magazines. Don't worry about the expense; just allow yourself to dream. Colors, luxury furniture, chandeliers, and French doors—whatever sparks your imagination. There are ways to create the same look for much less.

2. Focal Point. Decide on a layout for your room, creating conversation areas and a focal point. The focal point can be an architectural detail, fireplace, big screen TV, or a work of art. Arrange the furniture around the focal point and conversation.

3. Declutter. Decide what you can keep in the room. To make your room look its best, pare down the furnishings. Clutter takes away from the perceived space and elegance of a room.

4. Step away from the wall. Don't move all the furniture against the wall. This is not a police lineup. This is a living room, and the furniture placement should allow guests to sit close enough to talk to one another.

5. Have a seat. Strive to sit at least six people even in a small room. If the room is larger, divide it into areas that sit various groups of people from two to six.

6. Area defined. Define conversation and seating areas with area rugs. Whether plain or patterned, area rugs add visual definition to a space and can be an accent as well.

7. Details, details. Use architectural details, as well as furnishings, to delineate a space. Room dividers, columns, and floor elevations can all serve to define a room.

8. The color of drapes. In general, curtains or drapes look best in the color or dominant color of the largest piece of furniture. This helps bring the room together and provide a background for the design.

9. Look out below. In general, the floors should be a little darker than the walls. This grounds the room design and provides a pleasing balance to the space.

10. On the diagonal. Placing furniture on a diagonal can provide interest and vitality to your design. Try it.

11. On display. Place art opposite the seating arrangement so that your guests can see it, not behind it so that the art is rarely enjoyed. Avoid the large, long painting behind the sofa. You know the kind—the ones that come from "starving artists."

12. Looking back at you. Don't place mirrors where your guests constantly see themselves. It's very distracting and makes everyone uncomfortable—except for a select few that will find the sight fascinating.

13. Pull out a seat. For extra seating without taking up space, place low ottomans under tables or desks and bring them out when you need them.

14. Shedding light on the subject. Vary the types of lighting in the room. There should be lighting for reading, TV watching, and parties. Avoid the single light fixture overhead.

15. It's alive. Bring in some live plants to give a feeling of nature in the room. While silk plants have a "real" look, there is nothing like the real thing.

16. The maze. Provide enough empty space between furnishings to make walking paths free of obstacles. This is especially important when the lights go out.

17. Adding "stuff." Add striking accessories to your room. Smaller accessories look better in groups but avoid bringing in too much. There is a fine line between accessorizing and "clutter-izing" the room.

18. Here comes color. You can bring lots of color into your neutral room with pillows, accessories, or art.

19. Reuse, recycle, repurpose. Use as many of your old furnishings as possible. Try to rethink their use. A desk can be used as a sofa table, a table can be shortened for a coffee table, and an armoire can become a desk. Sofas can be slipcovered and chairs can be painted.

20. Don't keep 'em in the dark. Make certain every seat has access to light and a table. Every person can then read and have coffee in comfort.

These tips can help you focus on making your living room a true "living room." And that stiff and formal look? Save it for the funeral parlor.

Living room interior, modern living room interior

DESIGNER'S TIPS

Living room interior

The ideal living room is a place where the whole family usually gathers in the evenings, receive guests, and also spend most of their free time. Therefore, this room should bring only the impression of comfort, home. It must also be remembered that the functional arrangement of furniture and the design of the room greatly affects how you will feel when you are in the living room. Therefore, for interior design, experts are often invited who are able to advise good decisions on the choice of furniture, lighting, textiles, and accessories. In the article we will try to go through all the main points that will help you make the right, harmonious choice of decor, decoration and furniture in the living room.

Selecting furniture

Most of the room is occupied by furniture, so it takes the most time to select it. Following the trends of modern design, you must take into account the principles of minimalism and functionality. Think about what items should be in the room, and what should not be placed. So you can leave free space to assemble the perfect living room interior.

The sofa is the main piece of furniture for the living room. It takes up the most space compared to other things. Therefore, before making a choice of living room furniture, pick up a sofa. It can be angular, straight, folding or an unusual shape. Its dimensions depend on how big your family is and the size of the room. If your living room is small, then the sofa should also be small: it should not block the entire space, interfering with the passage.

The material from which upholstered furniture will be made can also be different. For example, if you are decorating a room in modern style, then stop at a leather or smooth sofa. For a classic interior fit jacquard or matting. If you have children or pets, choose the upholstery that is least prone to damage. It can be velor, faux suede or flock. A sofa with such upholstery is the easiest to clean from wool, and care requires the least hassle.

The sofa should be placed approximately in the middle of the room, preferably towards the TV. If you put it too close to a window or doorway, you will block access to them. Therefore, it is important to choose the right furniture in size and parameters.

Other pieces of furniture for an ideal living room in the house can be armchairs, pouffes, an ottoman, etc. Please note that it is bad form to put a bed in the living room. This is a place for relaxation, family time, but not for a night's sleep.

Cabinet furniture in the living room also requires a special approach. For example, if you are a minimalist, then a TV stand, a couple of storage cabinets and a coffee table will be enough for you. But if your living room is large in size, then you can put a furniture set in the form of different walls, shelves, cabinets, etc. After discussing the main points about furniture, you can move on to storage areas.

Storage areas in the living room

Before choosing cabinets and shelves for your perfect living room, think about what the room is for. They do not store clothes, food, various rubbish in the form of old equipment or any useless items that are not a pity to throw away. This option is best left as a last resort for the kitchen or corridor, but not for the living room. Even if the hall is the largest room in your apartment or house, it is still worth minimizing the collection of all things in this room.

To assemble your living room furniture perfectly, small sets with two or three cabinets are well suited, where you can put books, arrange photos, home theater equipment, as well as various figurines, candles, figurines, etc. Lighting devices can also be inserted into cabinet furniture to provide the ability to let light into certain areas.

Choice of curtains

Before you start thinking about which curtains to choose for the living room, you need to choose the rest of the interior. It is also important to consider the size of the windows. If you have a large window in your living room, then don't be afraid to buy large curtains made of heavy materials. For a sunny bright room, this will be a good option, as it will not take away daylight, and at night it can provide blackout. Many also like to hang plain tulle made of light fabrics on the windows in the hall - a good solution for a minimalist room.

If you don't want to experiment with curtains, then hang thin sheer curtains in combination with thick straight-cut curtains. It's a win-win that won't ruin your perfect living room.

With the help of curtains, you can make an original accent in the interior of the room: contrasting elements of curtain design or their bright color will attract attention. And when you curtain the curtains at night, the room will be transformed by introducing a new significant element.

What kind of lighting should be in an ideal living room?

In order to show the perfect renovation of the living room in a favorable light, it is tedious to choose the right light sources, as well as determine the areas that require lighting. For the hall, one large chandelier is selected, which usually has several lighting modes. For example, it can be a lamp with five bulbs that can be turned on simultaneously or partially. Chandeliers with the ability to control brightness, adjust the color of the lighting, and even automatically turn on and off have also become popular options.

The design of the lamps depends on the style of the room: if your living room has a high-tech interior, then it is better to choose recessed ceiling lamps without decor, and for a romantic or catchy interior, fixtures of various shapes and materials are suitable. But you don’t have to think that choosing a modern style you limit yourself in the possibility of choosing different details: styles can be easily combined, but it is better to entrust this matter to professional designers. Otherwise, something incongruous may turn out, which will not at all resemble a cozy living room for relaxation.

Small sconces, spotlights and other lighting fixtures can be useful for highlighting specific areas. For example, if the room has a special reading chair, it will be convenient to make a lamp above it or put it next to it - the light will be soft and unobtrusive.

We decorate and complement the interior of the living room

In order to enliven the room, you can resort to the use of accessories and decorative elements. The main thing is that they should be in moderation. The rest should not be limited by anything other than your imagination and idea of the perfect living room. Pillows with beautiful upholstery are well suited for upholstered furniture, you can also buy pillowcases with patterns in the form of flowers, inscriptions, geometric ornaments, etc.

Flowers look beautiful in the living room, especially live ones. In a large room, you can put a palm tree or an evergreen with large leaves. Delicate buds of real flowers can give a magical aroma and make the room more romantic. But they need to be changed a maximum of once a week, so you can look at artificial options. There is no need to associate with ritual goods: in home improvement stores you can find a large selection of solutions that are very difficult to distinguish from real flowers.

Pictures, posters, framed photographs - everything will look beautiful both alone and in a collage. You can put together a family tree right on the wall in your living room, or hang your kids' most successful drawings. This will help bring individuality and family warmth to the interior of the room. Collages of pictures, stickers and abstractions are well suited for modern design, for classics it is better to choose reproductions of artists. The universal solution is your photos. Pick the right frame that matches the rest of the room's decor.

If you collect candles, figurines or other items, the living room is a great place to store them. For the collection, you can install a transparent cabinet where you can arrange all the necessary items with the opportunity to see them.

Do not put dishes, wardrobe items, accessories such as umbrellas, canes and other items in the room. For such things in your home, there are other places where they will always be at hand.

A couple of secrets for a perfect living room

• If you are the owner of a small apartment with a small living room, it is a great solution for you to give up large pieces of furniture. Do not put a large coffee table, set and sofa in the room. Although if you try to do this, they may not even completely fit in the room. In this case, you don’t even have to buy a sofa: equip the living room with a couple of comfortable chairs. A few glass shelves for storage, shelves for books or decorative items, a small coffee table just for a couple of cups of tea - your ideal living room in a small apartment is ready. In the design, try to stick to light shades: dark flowers visually narrow the space, and this is completely unnecessary for a small room.

• Hang mirrors in your living room. It's very trendy right now, by the way. To increase the space and add some mystery to the interior, reflective surfaces in beautiful frames are well suited.

• Beautiful vases can serve as excellent decorative elements. Even without flowers, they can be an independent accessory to decorate the living room.

• Add some personality. Some of your personal things that remind you of your family, a great event or emotions will look great in the room.

Now you know how to assemble a living room on your own so that it leaves only a pleasant feeling of comfort. If you are still not confident in your abilities, then we advise you to take the help of designers: they will definitely be able to satisfy all your desires and create the perfect living room project for your home.

Order a living room interior design project in Moscow

A living room with such advantages as beauty and practicality is the dream of anyone who is planning or in the process of renovating. After all, how do you make an interior both versatile and modern? In this case, it will be useful to know how to decorate the living room.

Living room design features

What factor really determines that a living room is perfect? Of course, the idea and courage. A spectacular room requires creativity. It should be both useful and elegant. And also do not forget about the cozy appearance. It is worth paying attention to the size of the room and its use. The old name for the living room is the salon. And this is the right definition, because it is the salon that is the face of the house and its owners.

The modern central room is multifunctional. They receive guests in it, spend moments of relaxation or do homework with their child. It is even more important to properly organize the space and arrange decorations in the living room.

Parameters and organization of space

Space is one of the most important elements in creating an ideal salon. Separation works well: the larger the room, the more important it is to correctly place the accents. If you are planning a refurbishment of a room in a private house, play with walk-through elements or a mezzanine, which will add a lot of elegance to the interior.

The size allows you to play with the decor. In a small living room, rectangular furniture is used to create a more compact form. Rectangle or square is the ideal form for furnishing small-sized rooms.

In a large living room, you can play with the letter L, which requires a little ingenuity. Combination of table and sofa, coffee table and armchairs. Let's not forget about the chair-bed. This is an ideal option for those who like to linger in the salon with a book at night or for those who stay up at work. Remember that L-shaped furniture can be installed not only "along the walls" or in the center. Play with shapes, experiment and then the living room will take on an original shape

In each option, it is important to highlight the areas that will be used every day. Determine what specific functions the living room should perform. Guest room? For work? Children's games? Family TV viewing? Will it be used as a dining room? Based on this, select furniture and layout.

Location in the house

Do not forget to connect the living room with other rooms. It should be accessible from all possible premises and be in the center of the whole house. However, you must be careful that from the living room, for example, there is no transition to the bedroom. In this case, it will be inconvenient to go out in front of the guests if you are already dressed in pajamas.

There should be a bathroom next to the guest room. Thus, guests do not have to look for it in the house for a long time. The areas in the cabin should be naturally divided into dining and living areas.

Selecting wallpaper

Wallpaper on the walls returns to elegance. Forget boring monotonous drawings and faded colors! It is not surprising, because the offer of almost all manufacturers is distinguished by a versatile design and color schemes, thanks to which you can easily match the wallpaper to the style of the interior.
If you feel that you need to change something in your room, kitchen or bathroom, it is not necessary to carry out general repairs. Change the wallpaper on the wall (in whole or in a small fragment).

The character of the room will change beyond recognition! However, before you start looking for the perfect wallpaper pattern, find out about the types available on the market. This is important in the context of the room you will need. You must first decide what exactly you want to see in the future, whether this or that solution suits the furniture and whether it suits the taste of the household.

1. Convex wallpaper, the so-called raufaser.
Wallpaper of this type perfectly hides the imperfections of the walls. They are made from several layers of paper and wood fibers. A low price and versatility attract to the purchase of this type of wall decoration. The big disadvantage of these wallpapers, however, is the lack of water resistance.