Living Room Remodeling

Livening Up Your Living Room

In most homes, the living room is the first thing you see when you walk in.  For a guest, your living room is the first impression he/she has of you as a homeowner and a person.  Therefore, it’s important that you make it look as good as possible.  Hiring a trained interior designer can help you achieve a look that will be more welcoming to your guests (not to mention you).  Most designers will try to get a sense of your style and taste before they help you formulate a plan. For that reason, it's a good idea to do some thinking on your own before hiring an expert to do it.  Here are some tips to help you in this venture:

Tip #1 – Define the Room’s Purpose

Different homeowners have different ideas when it comes to what the purpose for their living room is.  Do you plan to use it for entertainment on a frequent basis?  Do you want it to have a more “formal” look?  The better awareness you have of what your needs are early in the process, the more effectively the designer can work towards making it fit those needs.

Tip #2 – Choose a Centerpiece

Once you’ve figured out your room’s purpose, you have to find a centerpiece: a feature that serves as the focal point of the living room and draws the eye immediately.  Most homeowners choose the television because it’s the most convenient.  However, huge entertainment centers take up a lot of space and often don’t fit with the overall design of the room. If you can afford to do so, go with an unconventional centerpiece.  Focus on a piece of artwork or the fireplace.  Some people even choose well-designed clocks as their centerpiece.

If you absolutely must use the television, find a way to blend it into the design.  Consider buying a wall unit that can house it, or invest in a flatscreen that can hang on the wall.  This will ultimately blend into the décor when it’s not being used.

Tip #3 – Rearrange Your Furnishings
Once you’ve defined your focal point, think about where you’re going to put your furniture.  Unless you’re changing the room’s entire color scheme, you won’t need to buy new things.  Through some simple rearranging, you can create a whole atmosphere. 

Before you start moving couches around, make a template of your furniture from recycled newspapers or old bed sheets so as to see which arrangements will work most effectively for you.  And don’t fall into the trap of thinking that everything has to be against the wall.  Some designs place furniture in the middle of the room to help divide up the space.  This is ideal if you want your room to serve two separate functions, like an office and a den.  You also want to make sure you provide ample walkway space for your guests.  Looks don’t matter if you can’t move around it! 

Tip #4 – Maximize Your Space
Much of the time, these spaces can become cluttered simply because of too much “stuff.”  You can maximize your space by buying end-tables instead of coffee tables, love seats instead of couches, and shelving units for books.  You’ll be surprised at how much room this creates!

Tip #5 – Hire A Professional Living Room Designer
The average price for a comprehensive design and decorating services is $1,000.  However, most designers will offer consultation services and charge by the hour so as to allow you to customize the assistance you actually need.  Maybe you’re just having trouble getting started, or you’re in the middle of the process and you feel something’s missing.  A designer can spend an hour or two with you in order to figure out what’s jamming up your creative process, and it won’t cost that much.  They are expert problem-solvers in this area, and they’re not as emotionally attached, because they haven’t had their nose to the problem for two weeks like you have.  They can bring a lot to your living room design.