The interiors of a living room reflect the personality of those who spend time in it. Learn more about living room interior decoration.

Living Room Interiors

Living room is one of the most important spaces in your house, as it serves as a reflection of your personality, as to whether you are into formality or have a carefree nature. This is the reason why you need to pay special attention while designing it. The interiors of a living room will comprise of certain basic aspects, such as furniture, design and lighting, apart from which you will have to decide about highlights and accessories. It is always better to research interior magazines, look online and browse through shops, before settling on the final choice for the look as well as the feel of your living room.
 
Living Room Interior Design
 
Design Plan
First of all, you need to layout the basic plan that you are going to follow, while designing the living room. For the purpose, make a list of all the activities that you plan to do inside the room, such as watching TV, having tea, reading, lounging, and so on. This will give you an idea about the type and style of furniture that you will require. Finally, it is the overall arrangement that you need to decide about. You can resort to magazines, websites and shops for this.
 
Colors
Walls form the backdrop of every room and that includes the living room as well. As per experts, neutral colors work best for living room walls. The reason for this is that neutral shades go with a wide range of colors and textures, allowing you leeway while choosing furniture, draperies, ornaments, lights, etc. As for the ceiling, you can go for a shade lighter or darker than that on walls. A lighter shade will make the room look larger, while a darker one will create a cozy feel.
 
Furniture
The type of living room furniture will depend on the activities that you intend to indulge and the overall look you have in mind; its quantity will be determined by the size of the room. The room should neither look empty, nor cluttered. Don't place sofas or chairs so far apart that people have to shout to have a conversation. At the same time, there should be enough space, in-between, for easy and free movement. Remember to arrange your living room furniture around one, two or more focal points.
 
Lighting
While planning the interiors of a living room, lighting is not an aspect that can be overlooked. In fact, lighting can alter the overall mood of the room, created by other fixtures. Make sure to complement natural lighting with artificial lighting. Control the former with blinds and draperies, while using dimmers for the latter. While incandescent lighting will impart a warm feel, the diffused, ambient lighting make a room look larger. Accent lighting can be used to highlighting purposes.
 
Some Tips 
  • While planning the furniture arrangement of your living room, make sure that you leave enough space around the items to let people move freely, without being tripped.
  • For a huge living room, it is very good idea to divide the complete area into different sections. You can use screens or partitions to create separate areas for dining, gossiping, media viewing, reading and playing.
  • In case your living room is small in size, it is advisable to have a versatile, multi-functional arrangement, such as having a sofa-cum-bed. This way, you will be able to make much greater use of the limited space.
  • Decorative screens, flooring, rugs and carpets are amongst the main fixtures that can be used for defining the zones in the living room. You can also use designer furniture arrangements for the purpose.
  • Create a warm and cozy reading or knitting area by placing a throw rug in a separate area and keeping a high-backed chair on top. If you can find a space near the fireplace, all the more better!
  • While you can use runners to indicate the pathways in the living room, area rugs can help create a cozy feel.
  • The furnishing should always be selected depending upon the scale of your living room. Neither should they be too small to make it look empty, nor so large to make it over-cluttered.
  • Mark one of the walls in the living room as the focal point, by adding interesting accent pieces, such as a huge mirror, painting, or mural. Use task lighting to highlight it further.  
  • The surfaces that you plan to use for eating purposes should be durable as well as easily washable.
  • Personal collectibles, such as china, pottery, glass, stones, wine glasses, candelabra, photographs, crystals, figurines, sculpture and books, make great display items. Use accent lighting to highlight them further.

How to Cite

More from iloveindia.com