Focus on Furniture: How to Turn Your Living Room into an Entertainment Mecca
When you tour this Spring’s Parade of Homes, think about these tips about making your living space perfect for entertaining from our buest blogger Firdaus Nagree.
It’s time to rearrange your living room. What fun. If you’re like most women, you’re drooling over the picture-perfect images you see online and in magazines. How do you get that look without spending a fortune and without looking fake? Here’s how to arrange your living area with a focus on entertainment and modern design.
Discover A New Focal Point
If your living room’s current focal point is the T.V., maybe it’s time to change things up. Take advantage of a fireplace if you have one or create different purpose-built areas if you have the space.
So, for example, you could situate two chairs together with a small end table and create a reading space. You could create a game area where people can play board games. You can still have a T.V.-focused area too.
Some homes have amazing fews that are never capitalized on, though, and this is sad. The focal point should be an area that will easily stand out or where your eyes are naturally drawn when you first walk into the room. Especially with more modern home designs, this is rarely the T.V. area.
Find a Center Point For The Room
The “center” of a room is where the majority of activity happens. This is different from the focal point of a room. The center can refer to the physical center of the room, but not always. Often, the room’s center is where a large coffee table will go. But, the “center” of the room could be near a window, if this is the focal point of the room.
It could also be near a fireplace if this is the focal point of the room. In many homes, the T.V. is the focal point, and this could also become the center point for the room.
Get a New T.V.
Sometimes, a new T.V. can revitalize an old room. Some companies, like fci, make made to measure tv units for more modern-themed homes. This is ideal if you’re trying to figure out how to bring a room together and all you have is an “off-the shelf” set.
Most T.V.s today have to be at least somewhat generic because they must blend into a variety of decors. The result is a T.V. that’s neither stylish or modern (not really). It’s just generic. With a made to measure T.V., your television will fit your room.
Get a New Set Of Furniture
A new set of furniture can also make a dramatic difference in the way your living room looks. It’s like giving the room a makeover. Even if you don’t paint the walls, new furniture can create a theme that fits better with an existing paint scheme and home design.
So, for example, if you have furniture that’s been handed down to you from a parent or grandparent, there’s a good chance that it’s a little dated. You can, of course, fix this if you’re willing to spend money refurbishing the pieces. But, in some cases, it makes more sense to just ditch them and buy something more modern.
Add Flat Furniture
Don’t forget end tables and other flat furniture. In your quest to make your living room more exciting, it’s easy to forget to design a place to set your drink. Living rooms have become synonymous with dining rooms in many households, and having a living room that’s conducive to snacking is important.
End tables, or couches and chairs, with flat ends are the finishing touch that can make or break a new design.
Select The Right Size Furniture
Big couches demand large end tables. If you have a small living room, this is not a great combination. Likewise, a large room needs large furniture or it will look sparse. At the same time, you don’t want to stuff a room with a particular kind of furniture.
If you have a large living room, having large furniture only will create a crowded look. Accent large pieces with smaller ones. Likewise, in a small living room, it might be a good idea to try to use a large coffee table and smaller chairs, or one central piece of furniture surrounded by smaller pieces. Just make sure you match them well and everything looks balanced.
Use Rugs For Hardwood Flooring
Hardwoods are amazing, but they do nothing for bare feet on a cold winter’s day. They also have zero traction. An area rug helps add physical warmth to the room while giving you a place to sit down (if you like that sort of thing). A rug can also dampen sound and draw several elements of a room together.
Firdaus Nagree has been involved in contemporary furniture and interior design since the age of 12. fci is a family business, set up by his father in 1970, which he took over in 2003. Firdaus is passionate about the process that takes a blank or mediocre space and transforms it into something completely different and more valuable. Working with some of the sexiest international contemporary furniture brands, Firdaus & fci are well known in the UK for being one of the most important design boutiques for residential and commercial projects.