Living Room Ideas to Create Your Unique Space

  



Living room ideas are easy to come by. They’re everywhere.

Just look on any home decorating website, online magazine (e-zine), in-store magazine or watch one of the many decorating and design programs on TV. (There’s probably an app for it too, but I’m not that iPhone savvy.)

If you do a Google search for ‘living room ideas’ there are about 88 million web pages that you can choose from.

There is so much information available on the subject. So, why it is still a difficult decision to take these photos, tips and advice for living room decorating and make them work for you? 

 Your home, your living room, your lifestyle, your budget....all of these things are unique to you. If you look at a hundred photos and websites, and watch just as many DYI shows on TV just filled with living room ideas, none of them will exactly match your needs.

So what do you do? No worries! 


My advice to you, as well as my design clients, is to first determine what YOU need in YOUR space, by answering a few simple questions.

1) What is your budget? I know, a simple, boring question.
And, it’s not fun to think about the money. It’s more fun to think about buying things, painting, arranging furniture, etc.
But do it anyway. Decide how much money you have to invest in your living room project, before you get excited about purchasing something.

2) How do you use this room? Traditional use...informal...TV or no TV...children?...aging parents?...pets?...multi purpose function?..none of these?

I have seen living rooms with pool tables in them, living rooms used as dining areas, home offices, etc. 

Decide how your living room best fits your lifestyle and make your decisions from there with regard to the type of flooring, wall color, furniture fabric...right down to the lamps and end tables.

So before you determine that you absolutely need a new sofa, two side chairs and a set of end tables/ coffee table, give yourself a little time out and answer question #2 honestly. You might come up with a totally different direction for the space.

3) What furniture stays, what furniture goes?
Be realistic about answering this question and you will have a solid starting point for your living room design, or living room makeover.

And, how you answer this question is a direct result of your response to the first two questions as well. Your budget and lifestyle use of the living room will dictate how much furniture, if any, you will add/replace.

I’m always an advocate of using what you have first, particularly if you are decorating on a budget.
And, the furniture doesn’t have to be in the living room at the moment. 

Take a look at pieces in other rooms of your home and see if they might have a new purpose in your living room.You can create a fresh look with existing pieces by moving them around your home.



Now, here are three things you should NEVER do when considering living room ideas.


Find out what they are by reading more about Living Room Ideas

Guest Post - Beach House Style

Hi, I'm Susi, a writer for the Arcadian Lighting blog, a great source for inspiration and trends in lighting fixtures for your home. I love getting out and guest blogging at great design blogs so I'm happy to be here at Great Home Decorating today to write about great beach house style. The beach house look is all about chic, relaxed style inspired by the coast: easy, breezy and stylish. Enjoy!

This living room has great beach house style. Slip-covered seating in natural linen covers and pops of seaglass inspired color give this living room a cool, coastal style.

 

Beach house style is all about relaxation. Casual style slip-covered furnishings mixed with natural elements and beach finds make for a beach house that is stylish and relaxed.

 

This beach house style bedroom is full of great beach house style tips. Grass cloth on the walls, a tropical style ceiling fan and light colors all add that beach feeling to the room.

This bathroom has great beach house style. Blue and white make for a crisp color combination. Beach inspired design elements like coral and starfish adorn the walls. The entire space is beautifully lit by matching ceiling light and wall sconces.

 

 Soft blue is a soothing color for a beach house bedroom. Mixed with loads of white, it is a classic seaside color combination that works with any blue, from sky blue to navy.

Light woods in this living room open up the space and make a great backdrop for the stunning sea view. Light upholstery and the light wood give this living room an open, airy feeling.

An airy dining area that is dominated by white with a few touches of blue, like these stylish pendant lights, is the perfect beach house dining space. Light, airy and casual with loads of style is perfect for beach house living.

Stripes are a great pattern for beach house style homes. Wide or narrow, the stripes can be blue and white or multicolor with a nautical theme--perfect for a beach house.You don't have to own a beach house to get this sea-inspired style! Check out Arcadian Lighting to find lighting fixtures that you can use to create your own coastal interiors!

Here are more great Beach Home Decorating ideas!

Home decorating trends

Home decorating trends : Wall Street the same treatment as the old paint to decorate without thinking about it and stuck with this idea? , Why do not survive and read this article? All the best way I can use until recently, used for printing and other design elements, including the majority of people do not think his position on the wall - maybe not well thought out. Interested? Well done! How to read and the types of decorative accents for the home is being used effectively to enhance the beauty of your home improvement is a way to support the appeal Installation and reflects her sense of style staff mold and other ideas that are out of the house open.

current trends in home decor is the best way for the reproduction of the famous artist (who is not a great cost for purchase, especially in poster art has been regularly up to the standard size paper or canvas Rather could not screen but you especially when it was not the Father as expensive as the original.) Fantasy And no, or only certain components of high quality arts such as bamboo, shells, stained glass, fake wood finish because you can invest in, marble and stone-framed mache is not about appearance at work, inside art and borders. You can also choose the background paper replica of a mountain of work that paints a portrait of a still life or well-known role or come to the nature of innovation is very interesting in his painting, a picture that is more attractive visually. professional interior designer, has also recommended that the edges of the welfare of the old manual, ribbon and scalloped on the border of self-selected along with all registered well before the drafting and assembling the framework of its partners, slender and graceful style of classical times simpler to find the mixture to use.

If you choose to frame the art of landscape, a series of art prints on the walls that are not available in many styles, some country artists, but about the size so that they reach the wall or just go to the field where you can choose a piece of minimalist monotone effects of the wall is a piece of black rural folk art. Sepia image of a landscape can also tell the story through art and posters were selected in a particular way, since the appearance of 4-8 the same size as the wall until you go to an established pattern of a square, rectangle or zig-zag. It is important to remember if your furniture to the wall with the selection as a senior and heavy furniture, cabinets, or a piece of time that more attention be eliminated, especially the posters, decorative prints on the walls as space created by this activity. Also, try to take the walls of the room, which can maintain the dignity of others. French country theme room with flowers of light, the sharp, natural fiber for furniture and lighting, landscape design as a peaceful country, which will help tie all their own decorations to reflect the seriousness of the artwork. Van Gogh, Monet, Rembrandt and Picasso art large poster, since low-cost, high fashion and interviewed each boot - living room, dining room and the wall art flowers, seasonal gardens to choose from, or in addition to posters art by great masters win for Home decorating trends.