In many homes, the living room is the main congregation area for your family, a centralized location for entertaining friends, and the perfect place for sitting down to have a quiet evening to relax or read. When designing your living room, consider the function of your living room and plan seating and furniture layout accordingly. It is imperative that your living room accommodates seating for your family and guests, as well as provides a comfortable location for socialization purposes. Consider this when choosing your seating for the living room because comfort for you and your guests is key.

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When deciding on your color scheme for your living room, take hues from your surroundings. If you live on the coast, it’s really beautiful to incorporate coastal colors, such a greens, blues and neutrals, as this is warm, comfortable and inviting for your surroundings. Exposed wood beams are also really beautiful to incorporate that natural feel. You can easily add some more contemporary pieces with your transitional or more traditional furniture to spice things up and provide a more updated look.

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Considering traffic flow is vital to making your living room accessible and inviting.  It is crucial to consider the scale of your furniture and rug, and make sure that you configure your space to accommodate foot traffic. Make sure the scale of your furniture is appropriate for your space by measuring before selecting furniture and making sure you have appropriate walk space for moving around your room. This will also make your space more inviting and can help make access to other rooms, such as the bathroom or the kitchen, more effortless. If you have a smaller room, you may want to select more narrow chairs or sofa and angle furniture to accommodate a more narrow walk space. Also, consider the arrangement of your entertainment center or television to be centrally located for maximal visibility.

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A table area for eating or playing games may be important for your family. Many families utilize their living room for gathering or even eating a meal together while gathered around the fireplace. You may want to consider having a large coffee table or easily accessible television trays so that your family can eat and congregate while having a meal together in comfort. If you prefer not eating on your sofa or chairs in living room setting, consider getting a small table and placing that in a nook area for eating or playing cards.

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Many people like to read in their living room, so consider adding a reading nook or special reading chair or chaise lounge chair. Throw a colorful throw over the back of your chair, and you’ve now tied in a pop of color and your cozy blanket for late night novel reading.

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Don’t forget to add your favorite personal touches to your living room, as this is a space that should define you and what your family has interest in the most. A gallery wall is a great way to personalize your living room and incorporate family memories into your gathering area.

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