Sunday 25 December 2011

Fun Kids Room Decorating Ideas Start With These Design Tips!

Kid's room decorating ideas, kid's room layout and bedroom colors for kids should be driven by one guiding theme: Fun.

Friends and clients ask me all the time, what exactly makes for a great kid's room? And, more specifically, what are some really great kid's room decorating ideas?


My answer is always: go for the FUN and the ideas will come!


Organize your kid's room decorating ideas around the following four elements and you'll add function and style to the equation and end up with winning kids' rooms.

COLOR: Choosing bedroom colors for kids is easy. Let them pick. Expect their choices to be brighter, sharper, wilder than yours would be.


My daughter chose bright orange and yellow for her bed room colors and it was an intuitively smart choice for a smaller north facing bedroom with minimal natural light from one small window. The warm colors brightened the space and, while they did pull the walls and ceiling in, they gave the room a secure, cozy feeling that made the space feel welcoming. Leave it to kids!

You can select three or four additional hues related to your kid's original paint selections to add interest and complexity. Use them as accent paint colors and when choosing accessories.


Don't forget to include the ceiling as another surface to bring to life with color.

STORAGE: Funny thing about storage. No matter how much you have, you always fill it up. kid's room storage can be tricky. kid's have so much stuff!!


How about toy boxes that double as toys. Do you have a young knight who could use a castle with battlements he can hide behind? He can drop the drawbridge door to load his playthings, making clean up fun. Fun! There's that word again.

A Doll House toy box is another fun idea. Make a simple gabled roof with 1/4" plywood and paint siding, doors and windows with shutters on the sides. Do you have a pirate, soccer player, farmer or ballet dancer? You get the picture.


Plastic pull-out containers that fit under beds or at the bottom of closets can be found at any store that sells household goods. They're great for smaller kid's rooms. Bookshelves that are end-table height (22-26 inches or 56-66 cm) double as play surfaces and provide storage at a height kids can really use. I found awesome tiered hanging baskets for clothing and miscellaneous stuff at Ikea.


SPACE and SCALE: The best
kids' room decorating ideas celebrate space.

A giant empty space in the middle of a Living room would signal that something is missing from the composition. In a kid's room it's a gift. I try to not clutter up a kid's room so much that there's no room to roll around on the floor with the puppy, or build a LEGO city or make a feast out of modeling clay. Make sure there's space to play.


And, no matter how spacious your child's room, they'll feel more comfortable and confident if you bring the scale down to their perspective and needs. I talked about end-table height bookshelves that they can access easily. If your kid's room has a high ceiling, consider painting it a darker color to make it feel closer. You can install a "picture rail" trim down two feet from a high ceiling to create a feeling of a child scaled room. Hang pictures and other art lower than you would in other rooms. After all, it is their room.


CREATIVITY: Imagination is more important than knowledge, a wise man once said. So give your kids ample opportunity to create.


I like sliding doors with blackboard material and chalk so kids can draw to their hearts' content--and, then start over the next day.


Modular furniture can keep a room flexible to accommodate different activities...and, the kids can move it around to create their own layouts. Bulletin boards, mop boards, space for posters and personal artwork... it's all good.


No matter how large or how small the space, the best kid's room
decorating idea that I leave with you is to make your child's room conducive to creativity. Creativity can be messy though, so consider linoleum tiles that are easily wiped down. Also washable and paintable wallpapers and sharper, saturated colors that don't easily show dirt and wear.

I hope these ideas inspire you...that they stimulate your creativity to come up with your own kid's room decorating ideas.

Sunday 18 December 2011

Living Room Furniture Ideas For a Small Room

Maximize Your Living Room Space
Having a small living room doesn't mean that you can't have a beautiful living room. The trick is in knowing what styles of furniture to choose. Everyone knows that the furniture makes the room, but this is even more true when you have a small room. Too much furniture, or furniture that is too large will make the room seem even smaller.

One of the easiest ways to make a small room seem larger is to use furniture that is visually lightweight. Visually lightweight doesn't refer to furniture that is actually lightweight, it means furniture that looks light and airy. Instead of boxed style pieces of furniture, choose furnishings that have legs.

Make Your Small Space Look Larger

Furniture that is open allows the view to extend through the room making it seem larger than it is. Accent chairs with legs and glass top tables are both excellent ways to open up a small living room. You can also use mirrors on the walls to create a look of more space. The trick it to choose items that allow as much light to pass through the room as possible.

The colors you choose has a big effect on how large the room looks. Colors can even make a large room look much smaller than it is. A neutral palette of taupe and beige. or pastel colors will add a airy feel to any small space. Lighter colors just naturally make things appear to be larger. Carry the colors throughout the entire room so that the eye can roam freely.


Try to avoid upholstery with stripes, plaids and large prints. If you really want a design in the upholstery, choose pieces that are textured. Textured upholstery will give you the look of a design without making the room look cramped. If you really want prints, choose small designs in pastel or neutral colors that will extend the flow of the room.


One of the biggest mistakes people make when decorating a small room is not taking advantage of the vertical space. When your floor space is limited, find creative ways to use the vertical space. Instead of a short, wide book shelf, choose one that is narrow and taller. And, accent the room with tall floor lamps that will help to draw the eye upward.

Choose Size Appropriate Furniture

When shopping for furniture, choose pieces that are size appropriate. If space is limited, it's very important to measure everything. A piece of furniture that looks small in a large showroom, might not be so small when you get it home. Since the sofa is generally the most used piece of furniture in the living room, choose it first. Then, choose coordinating pieces that will fit well with the sofa.

Avoid Clutter

Clutter can quickly make a small room feel more like a closet. Choose your decorating accessories carefully. A small room isn't the ideal place to display a favorite collection. Instead, choose a few focal pieces that match the decor and keep shelves and tables as clear as possible. Vases and statues crowded together will make your space look a lot smaller than it is.

Tuesday 6 December 2011

5 Popular Living Room Design Ideas

Decorating a living room shouldn't be too extravagant and expensive. If you are in a tight budget, you can always do it yourself instead of hiring an interior designer; but if you can afford to hire a good designer, then why not. You can plan ahead and check for designs on the internet or magazines to visualize the effect on your actual living room.

Below are some of the popular living room design ideas that you may find on the internet and in various home design magazines:


1. Classic-Modern design is one of the most common living room design ideas. Homes that have Classic-Modern style design enjoy mostly the relaxing feel and texture of the living space. If you have a very geometric or sharp edged space, toning and softening it with textures is the way to do it.

2. Hawaiian-inspired design is not so difficult to achieve. Always remember the key elements: hand-made native ornaments and accessories, woven furniture, bamboo and of course the signature bold floral prints. If you love the Hawaiian sun, sea and flora, you can incorporate these aspects when planning for your living room design.

3. Modern Zen design is made to relax and bring comfort into your living space. This living room design idea is quite popular nowadays especially for folks who wanted to have balance and comfort in their home. Having a focal point in your
living room and accents to balance the style are the key ingredients. Incorporate a natural feel by opening up the room and letting in some natural light completes the Zen feel.

4. Tropical Style brings in the outdoor color pallets. The lush greens and yellows of natural flora are just two of most common colors you can find in a tropical living room design idea. Choose colors that are found naturally like the color of trees, plants, flowers and fruits. Think of a tropical forest or a market full of tropical fruits to inspire your design.


5. Victorian Style living rooms are plush and classy. You would normally find Victorian Style living rooms in Victorian style homes and hotels. The key here is classic sophisticated style with a splash of color and texture. Victorian style living rooms speak of opulence.

Whatever
living room design idea you have in mind, make sure that it will fit your needs and lifestyle. Make sure to consult from a designer who knows how to handle a tight budget and complies with what you want. And always remember to choose the design that you will enjoy for a long time.

Thursday 24 November 2011

Living Room Furniture: A Right Representative Of Your Style And Artistic Sense

Living room furniture serve as the most important pieces of furniture for nearly every home, and this significance is mainly because often you spend most of the time with some guest in the living room. Before buying living room furniture, you must keep this important factor in mind that it must be so comfortable and aptly designed so that the visitor must feel at home as well as appreciate your style.

What kind of living room furniture can serve your needs best and what can be the true representative of your technique and good aesthetic taste? Keep this question in mind when buying living room furniture.


Though you have a extensive range of selections to choose living room furniture, there are some pieces of living room furniture, which are considered essential for almost every house. Which are these essential pieces, let's find out.


You and your guests, definitely, need something to sit on and this something can be the most important piece or pieces for living room furniture. Sofas, ottomans, loveseats and two seaters are some of your common options in this connection, but if you are looking for some unique and stylish choices, you can also go for a nice looking rocking chair or a daybed. You must consider the style and d?cor of your room when considering these options for your living room furniture. Table is another important piece of furniture for your living room.

You need to understand this fact that you have somewhat endless options in picking living room furniture. If you have a modern style apartment, you can go for a daybed, and similarly, if you have a country-style theme of your living room, you may need to look for an elegantly stylish living room chair. The style of your
living room furniture depends on many different aspects, but the thing that really plays an important role is your choice. However, the good thing is that you often have so many options. However, sometimes it becomes difficult for you to decide.

Besides representing your style and aesthetic sense, another important thing is the level of comfort that you must think of before buying your living room furniture. You must know that fashionable is not always comfortable, and comfortable is not always stylish. You need to pick something that has both: comfort and style.


Most of the people seem to sacrifice or overlook one thing for the other. Some want exceptional elegance in their every piece of furniture; others seem to prefer the level of comfort in living room furniture, or some other such kind of products. Sane are those who look for both and try to get something, which has both these elements.


Some really exciting living room furniture have the elements of stylishness and comfort in an equal proportion and only this kind of furniture can be the true representative of not only your style and aesthetic sense, but also of your sanity and choosiness. Your home tells a lot about you to your visitors and you must keep this element in mind when choosing your living room furniture.

Thursday 3 November 2011

Big Decorating Ideas For Small Rooms On A Tight Budget!

Decorating a small room is one of the biggest challenges many families have in their homes today. Making a small room work for your loved ones can be frustrating and confusing. Here are some great low budget ways to simply transform your small rooms no matter what your budget!

1. First of all, determine if making your room look larger is really the way to go. After all, what's so great about large rooms? Maybe you want your living room to be comforting, and to wrap people with warmth when they enter. Or your bath to be charming, filled with personality everywhere you look! So don't be so quick to assume bigger is always better...you might just be creating a problem where there is none!


2.Make the most of a
small room you wish to make cozy by using warm rich colors. Drape the windows with fabric, and add throw blankets and pillows to cozy up with. You can buy inexpensive muslin and twist and swag it over a curtain rod for a casual but stunning frame to your windows. Buy flat sheets and sew up pillow covers, and make throws from fleece fabric from the craft store. Make your room cozy deliberately, and its special style will show through, not the size of the room.

3. Reduce the clutter in a small room! This is the #1 problem within small spaces, and also the fastest to fix. Take a box and remove all clutter from the room. Move out accessories, pillows, everything! Now bring things back one at a time, and stop when it's perfect. The key here is restraint!


4.Use large scale items in a small room. Now, traditional rules about scale in a
room would lead you to believe a small room needs small scale furniture, but the opposite is true. Using just a few larger scale pieces reduces clutter and gives the eye a smoother trip across the room. The same goes for artwork! If you are trying to make a room look larger, go for one large print on the wall, or hang a decorative rug, instead of small collections.

5.A simple tip to make rooms look larger? Keep your windows and slick surfaces sparkling clean! Believe it or not, the reflection of clean will make a room look brighter, fresher and larger. Try it!


6.Paint just one focal wall a rich deep color to add depth to your room. Leave the other walls either white, or a much paler version of your accent wall and those walls will appear to fall away. Also keep in mind that cooler colors such as greens and blues tend to recede from the eye, while warmer colors such as reds and yellows seem to close in a room.

7.Finally, remember to use as many double duty items in the room as possible to reduce clutter. A chest of drawers can hold a tv, and store all your magazines and games, a futon sofa can double as a guest room, and a pine chest makes a great coffee table, while storing extra linens!

Remember, it’s not the size of the room, it’s the size of the heart who creates the room. Let yours show through with personality and creativity, not cash!

Monday 17 October 2011

Unforeseen Ideas of Decorating A Narrow Living Room Like An Expert

Every house has a different size of living room. While some are big and are in a square size, there are cases whereby the living rooms are small and narrow. When it comes to interior design and decoration, it may be much harder to find the right decoration for a small and long room as compared with the one that is in a perfect square. However, there are definitely ways that you can make use of to transform a small and narrow living room into a great one just like how the expert usually does.

Anyway, to understand why it seems to be such a tough job to decorate a small and narrow room, it could be because of your lack of knowledge in this aspect. For example, you could be putting too much emphasis on one particular direction or you could be using the wrong color which makes the room look even smaller. To really start learning about the right way, you need to start identifying where the focal point is. More often than not, the focal point is the side wall. You should put your sofa or fireplace at that location to balance out the length of the
room.

Next, since the room is already limited in its size, you would not want to have too many furnitures there. Otherwise, the
small living room will become congested and will appear as even longer and narrower. All you should have are just several simple furnitures and some organizing tools. On the same note, you might want to take the size of the living room furniture into consideration as most of them are usually quite huge in size.

When it comes to extremely long living room, perhaps the best way to decorate it is to place some rugs at strategic locations. A very good idea is to place a rug underneath the sofa and the coffee table to draw the attention of people. Besides that, some experts like putting a medium-sized rectangular rug right in front of the fireplace to achieve the same purpose as well. If you are able to heed all these advices which are recommended by experts themselves, rest assured that your
living room which is initially narrow and long will appear just nice ultimately.

Wednesday 21 September 2011

Home Decorating Ideas – Tips On Decorating Small Spaces

Every inch counts when decorating small spaces! Here is an assortment of small room and small space home decorating ideas to use today.

* A favorite home decorating idea is using a hutch that tucks perfectly into a corner to display dishes or collectibles such as teacups and teapots. It also provides additional storage for table linens.


*Even if your guest bedroom has limited closet space, adding an old kitchen cupboard to the room will solve the storage challenge. It holds extra blankets and linens and offers ample space for storing your guest’s supplies such as towels, wash cloths, and scented soaps. It can also provide a place for guests to stow away their personal items to keep the room looking neat.


*What about a good night’s sleep in a small bedroom? The size of the room is far less significant than the mood of the room. A small bedroom gives a feeling of coziness and security. By painting a second-hand dresser a color similar to the bedroom walls, the dresser blends in and the room appears larger—a home decorating idea that can be used in any room.

*Wicker furniture is versatile as well as enduring and works just as well indoors as outdoors. For
small-space or budget decorating, wicker chairs may be the answer to your decorating dilemma. Wicker baskets are also wonderful additions to any room to help organize clutter. They can be found in an infinite number of designs and sizes; their versatility makes them a “must” for any home.

*Furniture in a small room needs to offer flexibility. Upholstered chairs in the living room can sit alone or slide together to make a love seat. A stack of cushions works well as a footrest. A coffee table can be a “hard worker” by choosing one that has shelves to hold magazines or books. A coffee table that has a lid that opens is another great storage solution for
decorating small spaces.

*If you like collectibles but have very little room to display them, consider collecting buttons—they take up very little room (although you may end up collecting a lot of them) and are perfect for displaying in
small decorative dishes. They become a conversation piece when entertaining guests.

Monday 22 August 2011

Tips And Tricks For Your Small Living Room

Living room is the room of resting. It's the place for you to relax and fill your leisure time. Small living room is not a problem as long as you can keep it cozy and homely.

If you have a small living room, here are some tips and ideas to make it look appealing.


First, you should use brighter colors to give a wide and spacious visual looks. These bright colors can be applied on wide spaces like walls, floor, or ceiling. Don't use dark colors since it will give suppressing impression. Dark color is only effective when applied on small area or used as accent.


Second, set the focus only to one interior item. Make one of your favorite furniture as the spot centre. It can be the antique table, or the vase, or a sculpture in the foyer. In a small room, too many accents will make the room feel narrow and will make many distraction.


Third, in
small living room, you should use practical, multifunction or moveable furniture. This will add to flexibility in the living room. Leave out those big and heavy items to get a balance composition. And remember, you only have small space so don't keep too many things in your living room.

Fourth, make a good plan for your storage, because it can save some space. Utilize every corner efficiently, such as using the space between your cabinet and ceilings. You can extend your cabinet to the ceiling to make the storage integrated to it.


Fifth, remove solid partitions and replace it with transparent partition. Glass or transparent acrylic can give wide and glamorous atmosphere.


Sixth, use small patterns on the wallpapers or interior fabrics instead of big ones, because patterns can also give significant effect. Big pattern can contribute to constricted ambience.


Lastly, give optimal brightness.
Small living room needs optimal brightness to give friendly and warm feeling.

Sunday 7 August 2011

Tips For Decorating a Small Living Room

If space in your living room is something that you are lacking, it can still be done with style. When you have a small living space usually you want to do what you can to maximize the area you have as well as keep it aesthetically pleasing. Luckily, decorating a small living room to be big on style can be done with some simple steps that will be expressed within this article.

When maximizing a small space, think simple. A room that has a lot of pieces of furniture and artwork can start to get crowded quickly. At this point, you have a living room that feels, looks, and is small. The trick to maximizing the space that you have is to think simple. Include the necessary items in this room such as a couch, maybe a television, maybe at least one coffee table. Do not overdo it. Furniture comes in all different shapes and sizes. For a
small living room, do not get the overstuffed pillows to accent the overstuffed couch. Think simple. A standard couch with seating for three and possibly an accent chair are really enough. No room for the accent chair? Then a couch will have to do.

This is not to say that the walls have to be white and there should be no artwork or other knickknacks on display. If you want to paint your
living rooms walls, keep to the brighter side of the color palette. Do not choose dark colors because they will only close the living room in and make it seem smaller. When choosing paintings to display, take your time and choose only a few. The artwork that you choose should also have lighter tones to further enhance the illusion of space while adding a decorative touch to the room.

Again, a cluttered wall will make the room seem smaller. When decorating a small living room, it is best to choose a few items that you really like and display those; likewise with knickknacks. Corner shelves are wonderful for small pieces that you'd like to display. They do not take a lot of room and you can display pieces on them with relatively little trouble. Do not, however, overload these shelves. This will still be clutter. Choose a few pieces that match the current decor and display those.

Usable items can be blended with the decor to enhance it as well as serve a practical purpose. Instead of having three or four remote controls placed randomly throughout the living room, buy a remote caddy in the shape of a boat to enhance the outdoor decor throughout the room. This is only one example, but usable items are often incorporated in decor if you shop in the right places. Craft stores or local craft sales are famous for carrying items that you might not find in the chain stores. Use this to your advantage. Remote control caddies are not all. You can find pitchers that are decorated several different ways that can act as vases for flowers that will enhance your decor among several other things.


A
small living room is ripe for creative decorative solutions. They can be decorated to add space, enhance aesthetics, and promote usability. More than any of these, they are a cozy, intimate area in which a family can create strong bonds.

Sunday 17 July 2011

Decorating a Small Living Room For Visual Spaciousness

If your living room is on the small side and you would love to make it appear open and spacious, it is easily accomplished. With the right use of color, furnishings and pattern, you can create a room that looks and feels much bigger than it actually is. With decorating, there are many ways to "trick" the eye and make your room look nearly twice the actual size. This article offers ideas for adding space to your living room, and making it more appealing as well.

Light colors equal space


Nearly everyone knows that lighter shades make a
room appear more spacious, while darker colors look heavy and tend to close in a room. This doesn't mean you have to use boring off-white or cream on your walls! Light, soft shades of yellow, green or any pale color will work. You can add small splashes of darker colors with accessories to add depth and interest to the room.

Increase the height of the room

How? This is easily accomplished by using a vertical striped pattern on the wall. Paint the stripes yourself if you can, or use wallpaper with a striped pattern. You might also consider hanging pictures and other wall decor a bit higher than usual or using white crown molding at the top of the wall where the wall and ceiling meet to pull the eyes upwards.


Light up the room


Any room that offers plenty of natural or artificial light looks larger than one that is dark and gloomy. If you have lots of windows, use blinds, curtains or other window treatments that allow plenty of light to flow through. Otherwise, use table lamps, track lighting or floor lamps to add more light to the space.


Another thing you want to do whenever possible in small spaces is to keep pathways to the doors that come into the room open. Avoid blocking doorways with furniture or accessories. To make your
living room more inviting, consider arranging furniture at an angle, or place your sofa, love seat and chair around a beautiful area rug to create an intimate space where you can entertain guests.

With
smaller rooms, it's best to use furniture that is scaled down and sleek in place of heavy, bulky looking items. You also want to avoid complex patterns that are loud and busy. Opt for smaller patterns, or keep things basic and add interest through textures and fabrics.

Don't forget the magic that a beautiful mirror can create! Placed to reflect the light from a window, mirrors can make your
living rooms look twice as big. Keep accessories to a minimum to avoid a cluttered look, and use only a few key accents to liven up the room.

Put these ideas into action, and you can create a
living room that is welcoming, beautiful and looks much more spacious than it actually is. It is truly amazing what you can accomplish by using the right colors, patterns and light. Remember light, airy, bright and uncluttered - easy to do!

Tuesday 5 July 2011

Discover Cheap Living Room Makeover Ideas - 3 Tips to Decorate Your Living Room With Style

Many first time home buyers are looking for cheap living room makeover ideas. The living area is one of the first rooms that guests will see upon entering a house and one of the first rooms that are decorated. If a first time home buyer bought a fixer upper house then there's not a lot of money left over after purchasing a house to spend on decorating. There are still ways to decorate your living area or home without spending a lot of money. A good start would be to set a budget for how much money you would like to spend on decorating the living area. There are ways to have a nicely decorated home using budget decorating tips. I was really surprise to discover how inexpensive it was to make a few changes to my living area.

1. Painting is the first step to making cheap living room makeover ideas to your home. The living room will look better with some color on the wall instead of having plain white walls. The color of the paint will set the mood of the area. Also, the color of the walls can be a starting point of what kind of colors you want to use in the living area.

2. A living room looks better with some kind of decoration on the wall like a picture, mirror, or sconces. If you have a sofa that's in front of a bare wall then add a nice painting behind the sofa. Adding a painting to the wall will make your living room look bigger and warmer.

3. Adding inexpensive accessories is one of the cheap living room makeover ideas that can make a difference in the appearance of a room. There are different accessories that can be used in the living area like pillows, lamps, or flowers.


These are some of the tips that anyone can use to spruce up the appearance of their
living rooms. It really doesn't take a lot of money to use cheap living room makeover ideas in your home.

Wednesday 29 June 2011

Living Room Design Ideas - 3 Unique Living Room Design Ideas

A living room in your house is the first room anyone views when he enters. The design theme of a living room will greatly be responsible to create a lasting impression in the visitors mind.

A
living room in your house is the only room that will be used by the visitors as well as your family members. Here are living room design ideas to make a living room enjoyable.

1) Adopt an inviting color scheme.


This is quite self-explanatory. As said earlier it is the first room in your house. Sometimes large home buildings do have an entrance lobby, but for most apartments and small-scale houses, a
living room is one of the major interior spaces to settle for. A bright color scheme is always inviting and makes an impression of a big space. This is because light entering the room reflects from the bright colored walls and creates an even illuminated space.

2) Plan furniture layout before


This point is extremely important. In most of the home plans you will find that all other
rooms namely bedrooms, kitchen, dining, family rooms, staircase block to reach upper floors always lead through the living room.

Hence it becomes necessary to consider the ease with which the visitors and family members will travel within the home. Also the furniture pieces that must be carried to internal
rooms shall be carried through the living room. For this purpose it is extremely important to plan the furniture layout before you even purchase any furniture. A well-planned furniture layout will make it easier to circulate between the rooms without any disturbance in the living room seating areas.

3) Use decorating accessories


Accessories are great for any kind of home decorating. These are the little things that make a major difference. Accessories may include statues, indoor fountains, plants, curtains, wall clocks, picture frames, wall hangings, etc. All these act as great fillers in
living room design.

A balance must be created as to how to use them in the
living room. For example a metal statue can be a free standing in the living room corner formed after the sofas are placed. But his space can also be occupied by a small shade loving plant. So little experimentation can give you lots of information and experience in home decorating if you really want to do it.

Thursday 23 June 2011

Living Room Designs - Ideas for Small Living Rooms

There are many decorating ideas for living room designs that you can use. However, if you have limited space, you will find it more challenging to use the designs you have in mind. With common rooms, you have to consider the space and the furniture you have and your goal is to make it comfortable and cozy to stay in. But if you are tasked with a small space, here are some interior ideas that you can use.

The first thing you can do is to make your floor look wider. No, you don't need to start renovating and making space; instead, you must pick the right flooring materials to make your floor look wider. If your floor looks wider, the
living room will look more spacious. Now, since you are working with just small space, you must avoid putting carpet. Although carpets can make the room look comfortable, it makes it look smaller as we don't visually get to see the floor.

For flooring, it will be best to use wood flooring that are laminated and well polished. With its glossy look, the floor will look wider because of the light reflection all around the floor. This will make your
living room look larger and lighter which is one of the priorities in common room designs. Another way to make your floor look wider is to use tiles with a horizontal pattern.

The next thing is to use appropriately sized furniture for your
living room. If you have a small space, it also means that you should use small furniture. Imagine putting a bulky couch, it will just take all of the space and make the room look cramped. Front room design will put emphasis in the size of the furniture used in your place; this is because you will also need to achieve proportion and balance with the furniture you use.

Do you have a coffee table in the middle of? It's time that you remove this and you just opt for small side tables or fixtures instead. It is best not to put too much furniture in the middle of the room and create a sense of space. Putting your furniture at the side will allow for a more spacious room virtually. With front
room designs for small spaces, the trick is to always make the room look spacious by placing the right sized furniture in the right places.

And lastly, a
small living room will need a big window. If you have blinds make sure that it is always open. It is best that have the most light for your living room as this can create a more spacious feel for the room. Another great idea for living room designs for small spaces is to put mirrors. Mirrors will help giving an appearance of a more spacious room. If you are putting cabinets in your living room, pick something that is tall and slender as opposed to wide and bulky.

Wednesday 15 June 2011

Simple and Easy Living Room Decorating Ideas

There are so many living room decorating ideas, from glamorous to elegant to country chic. Most decorators will tell you, though, that perfecting the basics is the best way to design and decorate a beautiful living room.

The basics of living room decorating ideas are simple: wall covering, floor covering and furnishings. In these three areas, you want to keep things neutral and comfortable so they will be long-lasting and always in style. Get trendy in other areas of the room, like storage and lighting - basically, with things that won't be too expensive to replace when you get tired of them.


Once the walls, floors and furniture are set, the real creative fun begins. Now it's time to add those special touches that make a room your own. There are a wide variety of
living room decorating ideas that can be used to turn a blank canvas into the cozy living room of your dreams. Here we will cover a few simple and easy ways to enhance your living room decor using lighting, color and storage.

Lighting is often overlooked as a
decorating tool, because it is also functional. Items that have a function and can enhance a room's decor are the most valuable decorations, since they serve a dual purpose. The lights set a room's ambiance, so a living room should be relaxing and not too bright. If the room is large, don't shy away from large lamps to make a bold style statement. On the other hand, don't use something too big in a small living room. Always try to create a balance when decorating and keep things pleasing to the eye.

Don't forget to add color. That doesn't mean bringing in a bright green couch. Keep the couch neutral, and get some brightly colored throw pillows and blankets for a punch of color. Flowers also introduce a nice touch of color, and lightly scented fresh flowers can really add life to a
living room. Silk flowers are fine as long as they are attractive and not overdone.

Wall coverings like paintings or photographs bring both color and personality into a room. This is wonderful way to express your style and make the room feel complete and put together. If you have a large painting or photograph, think about using it as the focal point of the room. Draw the colors out and use them in other areas of the room to bring everything together and make the entire room look like one cohesive art piece.


Every room also needs storage, and this is one of the best ways to enhance the decor and highlight a decorative theme. Baskets and bins can easily be painted to match the room, and used to store anything from blankets to pillows to newspapers to DVDs. Be creative and step out of the box every now and then. This is the best way to make your decoration a true reflection of you.

Wednesday 8 June 2011

Small Living Room Decorating Ideas: Enlarge Your Room With Decorating Techniques That Fool The Eyes

Using these four designer secrets and small living room decorating ideas can make all the difference between feeling cozy or feeling cramped in your space.

When you have only one room where you relax, watch TV, read and entertain it can be quite challenging to decorate to maximize the space and accomplish all these goals.


There's great news for you. When you use these decorating solutions you won't need a lot of space to create a functional and stylish room. The trick is to enlarge your small room by using design techniques that fool the eyes.

#1: Furniture Arrangement


Multipurpose furniture designed to fit the space helps you maximize the limited square footage.


Sleeper sofa sectionals are more practical than a sofa and a bed when your
small living room is in a studio apartment. You get a stylish living area by day and a comfortable bedroom at night...all in one room.

Furniture elevated on slender legs and armless sectionals and chairs help make your space feel more open and airy.


#2: Color ideas


Outfitting your room with furnishings in a color similar to the wall color makes the space feel larger. Adding colorful and textured accessories creates a sense of breadth.


Borrow space from an adjoining room by visually connecting the rooms with similar materials. Using one flooring material or wall color creates flow from room to room and makes your living room feel more spacious.


#3: Lighting ideas


Use light creatively to make your small room feel more expansive.


Hang colorful curtains on the windows or create wall cutouts into other rooms to draw the eye outside the living room.

Add materials such as mirrors, glass and metals that reflect light to give the illusion of more space.


Make the room appear taller by painting the ceiling a very light shade of blue reminiscent of the sky or paint the ceiling with high gloss paint to give the impression of height.


Add a skylight to create a sense of depth or install recessed lighting to bring more light into the room without taking up a lot of space.


#4:
Decorating

Free up floor space and tabletops by using vertical space. Line the walls with shelving and bookcases where you can store ornamental and functional home decor objects.


Stow portable furniture in closets and bring it out when more seating is needed for guests. Dress up the chairs with decorative slipcovers that complement your decorating style.


Just because you may have limited space doesn't mean you must have limited style. Try a few of these designer techniques for decorating with furniture, lighting, color and home accessories to make the space feel larger. Using these small living room decorating ideas will create a big impact in your room.

Tuesday 7 June 2011

How to Decorate Your Small Living Room With Contemporary Furniture

Many people are trying to incorporate contemporary furniture ideas into small living room spaces, and have no real idea how to do it. Contemporary furniture does not have to be oversized furniture or even full-sized - it can also be small furniture. Many people do not realize this and instead add regular sized contemporary furniture pieces into their small living spaces. This creates a very claustrophobic feeling to the living room and ultimately does not come across contemporary in the least. You can not see the style through the clutter.

Avoiding this clutter starts with the furniture. Rather than looking at full-sized contemporary furniture options, opt for the small furniture options that can be found instead. While some companies provide cheap, ready-to-assemble furniture as their small furniture options, other companies offer very high quality small furniture in the ready-to-assemble category. You no longer have to settle for cheaply made small furniture and you can keep your contemporary furniture decorating ideas intact.

Another great idea for adding contemporary furniture options into a small living space is to find multi-purpose pieces to decorate with. For example, ottomans that also include storage can help you to store things out of sight without losing functionality. Small living rooms need all the open areas they can get to maintain the appearance of space and roominess.

Small sofas are an effective way to incorporate contemporary furniture into a small living room area. The best small sofas are made from high quality oak, and can be fit into the tightest of spots. This flexibility will go a long ways towards helping you to follow your chosen style, while at the same time keeping the space very clean and linear.

The contemporary style color options are varied in the small furniture market today as well, and most any décor can be easily accentuated. No longer are you stuck with just basic colors and patterns when you wish to go smaller with your furniture. Some companies offer hundreds of color options and plenty of varied fabric options as well.

If you are decorating your small living room in a contemporary style, make sure that you use smaller pictures and frames on the walls. This will give the illusion of larger space, while at the same time adding the style that you are aiming for.

Patterns are important to contemporary style furniture as well, but you should reserve the patterns for the complimentary pieces such as throw pillows. This will help the area to look much less busy and more wide open.

Some people choose to go with a small loveseat along with a small sofa when they decorate their living room. This can be a mistake particularly in a small living room. If you do go with both, make certain of how it looks in the actual living room first. People do not realize how crowded a small living space can become when you start adding several pieces of furniture. In this situation, less is usually more.

When you are ready to decorate your small living space with contemporary furniture, turn to the small furniture market. You will be amazed at the way some ready-to-assemble furniture options have changed and just how beautiful and spacious they can make your small living room.

Sunday 5 June 2011

Decorating a Small Living Room

A living room is the most essential part of a household. It depicts the personalities of the people staying in the house as well as their tastes for life. From colors, textures and accessories that one adds up in their living room can either make a small living room look stunning or damp like the monsoons.

Do you ever remember stepping into a room with grey cushions, larger couch, dusky table and the ever dimming lamp? Well this living room seems to have space for all the furniture, but not more than ten people can stand and breathe in this mounted area. Let me help you out with some pocket saver tips.


Soft and Light Hues
Walls are the key feature for making a room look smooth and happening. A small living room can look larger, if you try painting the walls or even ceilings with "cool" colors like green or blue. Make sure the shades are darker as they appeal to wholeness of the entire room. These colors have the ability to make your ceilings look larger in height.

Working with Window Treatments
For instance, if you have window treatments, you can give them an impression of extra height to the room. To give this effect, let your window treatments move up towards the ceiling. Looks great! Trust Me.

Use Of Over Scaled Objects

Over scaled objects could be categorized into screens, large paintings, picture frames and patterns. These objects definitely behold the charm of making a room look larger and appeal a larger space to your living room.

Keep What You Need

Make sure you do not stack up your living room with souvenirs. The more you leave space, the more your living room will show freedom and clarity. Leaving space does not mean you empty the whole living room keeping nothing at all. Large leather couches are out of fashion and slender yet portable furniture will not only give you space to move about in your living room, but also add a crisp feeling of comfort and modern outlook.

Flowing Curtains
Curtains need to be long and light in colors. White curtains sound like a little hard to maintain, but they add a charismatic effect on your small living. The basic benefit of white curtains is that they permit the natural light to enter your room and add a smooth and cooling effect to your living room. The more your living room has natural light and air flowing in, the less your room will smell of sweat. Heavy drapes are a big NO NO!

Color Coordination
The most important tip one must keep in mind while decorating their living room is to coordinate the color of your furniture with the hues on your walls. You need to add a little creative effort decide what will look good with which color. For example, the lighter hues of green go very well with white. This turns out to be a bright and soothing combination.

Magical Reflective Surfaces

Reflective surfaces work miracles in making a small living room grow into a larger space. If incase you have a large plain wall, you can very well add up a large mirror with some artificial light effects. This will give the most rich and spacious layout for your living room.

Lighter the Fabrics, Larger the room

Since ages, lighter fabrics are labeled for the rich and the famous. But with a little effort, one can afford them too. Lighter fabrics have the power to make your room look larger in size but at the same time, a lot more clean and crisp. Who doesn't want a clean room anyways?

Interior Decorating Ideas For a Small Living Room

Are you looking for iinterior decorating ideas to use in a small living room? small living rooms can look just as attractive as large living rooms. small living rooms can be unique as well as have a certain character that is sometimes missing in a larger room.

How do you decorate a small living room? I would suggest that you buy a large mirror which becomes the focal point in the room. Mirrors reflect light and add interest to the room.


The next way to decorate a
small living room is to change the furniture arrangement. You can move the furniture away from the wall, which is actually recommended for small rooms, or at least slant a couple of pieces of the furniture just to add personality to the room.

Take a look at the accessories that you have in your small living room. If you have too many home décor accessories in a small room, they actually break up the space--so less is better. Look for quality accessories that you just love and want to display. Putting accessories in a grouping rather than scattering them throughout the room will make the room seem less cluttered.

Another way to decorate a small living room and give the illusion of height and space in the room is to use crown molding. Crown molding is a wonderful way to make a room more attractive. The eye goes up to the top of the ceiling and gives the illusion of height. Crown molding can be painted the same color as the décor in the room, or you can use a regular wood grain molding which is wonderful addition to any room.


A way to lighten a small living room and also give the feeling of spaciousness is to add sconce light fixtures, which bounce light off of the ceiling. The light goes up toward the ceiling. It gives a wonderful atmosphere in the room, and since the eye goes upward, the room seems taller and it adds ambiance to the room.


Area rugs add interest and personality to a small living room because of their pattern, texture and color. They also add a sense of depth to the room without taking space away from furniture and accessories.


A very simple way to make a
small living room sparkle is to simply wash the windows. Keep them sparkling clean, and make sure that all the shiny surfaces, such as mirrors, television screens and glass top tables are also shined and polished. This simple reminder gives any room in your home a neat, clean look.

Monday 30 May 2011

Small Living Room Design Tips To Fool The Eye

If you have a small living room, chances are you also have small furniture and fixtures to match. But this doesn't have to be your final resort if you do have a small living room. Designing a small living room may be a challenge, but it is quite fulfilling when you see the finished product of a small living room design that fits your small space and lifestyle.

1. Use lighter shades of green, blue and yellow for your walls. These lighter colors or pastels help open up the room and give it a more airy feel. If you want a cozier feel to your
living room, use darker shades of red, blue and brown.

2. To help further open up the room, use mirrors and glass table tops. Mirrors reflect light and give the illusion of a larger room. Make sure that the mirror reflects a view or an ornamental item to enhance the room. Use glass table tops to give your small living room an open feel, rather than using hard wood table that further shrinks the
room.

3. Avoid using heavily printed upholstery for your seating and sofa. Use light, monochromatic colors that match. Avoid mix and match of colors as well, as it makes the room look smaller and tight.


4. Use light gauzy and filmy fabrics for your window treatments. These fabrics let natural light pass through and adds more personality to you r living room. Do not overdo and avoid using heavily printed fabrics in a small living room design.

5. If you want to accessorize your
small living room, choose the items that will compliment your furniture and fixture. And make sure these items are also functional to help you keep the room spacey and clutter-free.

6. Choose the right-sized fixtures and accessories. Do not over-decorate your small living room; instead, look for items that will help make the room look bigger. Choose reflective items such as a good-sized glass-top coffee table, a wall mirror and a few functional items that add style and class to your
small living room design.

Friday 27 May 2011

Decorating Ideas For Small Living Rooms

The living room is an important area since you spend considerable time in this area with your family or just relaxing. It has to be comfortable, inviting and should reflect personal style. Redecorating the living room can transform it to cater for all these factors. When decorating it, the amount of space you have will be a great determinant of how you go about it. If you have a small living room, too many accessories will leave it crammed up.

For small living rooms, there are certain techniques you can use to make it appear large and more spacious. Installing large mirrors on the walls is the first major step to make the room appear larger. The mirror also serves the purpose of reflecting light leaving the room a bit brighter. This will be achieved best if the mirror is placed opposite to a window. Another trick you can employ to make the room area appear more spacious is the use of hanging ceiling mounted curtains. Lightweight curtains should be used on the windows since heavy fabric curtains will make the
living room appear constrained and small. Install different types of lighting to change the look and feel of the room. Using overhead lighting only will make the room look very clinical. Use of table lamps or lights with dimmers will create more warmth in the room giving it a cozier and ambient feel. To avoid spoiling your decoration efforts, remove all clutter in the room. This will make the room look bigger and spacious.

Apart from small living rooms, decorating of a budget can also be a problem. However, you do not need to dig into your bank to ensure a stylish space. There are certain cheap
decorating ideas you can use to overcome this. You can add style to it by using attractive and unusual light shades. Your local flea market should have antique light stands and shades that you can use for this purpose. These should be placed in a corner or on the coffee table to give a special area that can even be used as a reading area. You can also accentuate your living room by having one wall painted a deep color to complement the other walls. For instance, one of the walls can be painted turquoise blue while the other walls can be painted white or beige. You can also paint the ceiling a different color from the walls for a similar effect. However, for the ceiling this needs to be a brighter shade. If your living room couch is worn out, you do not necessarily need to upholster it or buy a new one. You can give it a makeover by simply buying new cushions. You can mix cushions of different shapes, colors and designs. The color should aid you in choosing the cushion colors. If its light colored, orange and jade cushions will work well to brighten up the room.

Thursday 26 May 2011

How to Decorate a Small Living Room

Even though your living roomis less spacious, it does not mean you cannot have the same to notch styles and designs found in homes with large living rooms. After all, it's still going to be used for activities such as entertainment, relaxation and holding gatherings, the same activities that are held in big living rooms. These days, there are many interesting designs that you can use to decorate it. Remember the design style you choose should be one that you like and at the same time should make it look cozy.

As you may already know, making your
small living roomappear larger is the first step in your decoration efforts. Make sure the room is not cluttered since clutter significantly reduces space. Most modernized designs are ideal for this purpose as they enhance space in the living area by reducing the number of items battling for space. The color scheme you choose for your room should also complement your efforts of creating space. There are certain colors which when used on the walls make the room appear more spacious. Many people suggest that you should only use light colors in it. However, you can use other colors and still get the desired effect. For those who prefer deep colors you can use the monochromatic decorating theme and still make the room appear spacious. You can also use a decoration theme whereby all the colors have equal brightness levels.

You can also have a colorful scheme by mixing blues and greens with equal intensity. To create depth in your living room, paint the wall opposite to the entrance a deep color. You can also make the room calm and peaceful by painting a monochromatic color scheme of moss greens. Painting the walls pale tones such as gray-blue helps create the illusion of a larger room as it makes the walls seem to recede. Other interesting colors with the same effect include green, blue and purple.


When decorating the living room, furniture placement plays an important role in determining the outcome. The principles of Feng Shui can be used to decide where you place furniture items and accessories. Make sure the furniture is not too close to the entrance, as this would limit space. The furniture size you choose should be relative to your room. small and medium sized pieces will do for a
small living room. You can substitute a large sofa with a love seat. This will save on space while still allowing your guests to be comfortable. Although you may use smaller furniture items, it does not mean that every other accessory should be small. Mixing small furniture with large accessories will add charm to your living room. A large mirror or art piece on the wall will help create a charming atmosphere.