6 Pro Tips for Designing Your Living Room

The living room, which typically occupies the front or middle of the house, is the ideal home space for people to relax, unwind, and spend time with each other. A well-designed living room actively invites such pleasant activities, which are good for any home occupant’s health and wellbeing.

If this is your first time designing your own living room—or if you feel like your current living space needs an overhaul—how should you go about the process? Below are six popular tips from pro designers about how to make this room more livable and welcoming.

Envision the Kind of Activities You Want to Do in Your Living Room

The first thing you should do is decide what you actually want to use your living room for. The answer varies from person to person, couple to couple, and family to family. Some may imagine their living room to be the perfect space for sitting quietly and reading a book, while others may want to use that same space to partake in more high-energy activities like gaming and karaoke nights. Whatever your preference is, use that to guide your efforts in designing the room. The goal is to make your living space more conducive to your desired activities so that you can make the most out of your time there.

Take Measurements of Your Living Room Space

Next, get a handle on how much space you actually have in your living room. It’s a good idea to measure your walls, floor, and ceiling with a measuring tool and marking tape. Getting accurate measurements will help you determine how much space you can allot for any major additions to the room, such as a brand new home entertainment and television system. Don’t make any big decisions concerning furniture and other key items without getting your room measurements first.

Furnish with the Bigger Pieces First

When it’s time to actually start adding or reconfiguring furniture, start with the most important pieces first. Plan your living room layout around staples like your couch, your coffee table, your TV stand, and your favorite armchairs. There should be enough space between these items for everyone to move around comfortably, and they should be laid out in a way that’s conducive to relaxation activities. For example, if you and your family members will frequent the living room to watch your favorite TV shows together, the coffee table should be near enough to the couch so that you don’t have to stretch your arms too far to get the remote or a bowl of snacks.

Find Multiple Lighting Options for the Room

Lighting is another important element of your living room design. It’s a given that you must pay attention to the overhead lighting, but also consider bringing in more ambient lighting and lighting for specific tasks, like reading. Design the room so that there are multiple options for adjusting its overall brightness, for example by adding table lamps and floor lamps. Doing so will make it easier to get the room to be as bright or as dark as you want it to be at any given time.

Incorporate Fresh Air, Natural Light, and Greenery into the Space

It will be both healthier and more relaxing for you if you bring more natural elements into your living room. Let sunlight and fresh air pour into the room through a window, and add indoor plants to improve both the air quality and the aesthetic appeal of the space. The closer you are to natural life, the more refreshed and at ease you’ll feel when you’re in your living room—which will make it all the more enjoyable to be in.

Personalize Your Living Room

Lastly, to add a sense of fun and character to the room, customize it and liven it up with a personal touch. Furnish it with accessories like cushions or vases in your favorite color, or decorate it with figurines from your favorite movie and TV franchises. Use the walls to display framed photos of your family, commissioned artworks, or posters. Once you have all the basics down, like the arrangement of your living room furniture and the installation of your home entertainment system, you have free rein to decorate the space as you wish. Have fun and use your living room design to show off your personality, interests, or favorite memories in your home with your loved ones.

Knowing just how good your living room can be for your overall wellbeing, it would be a shame if you didn’t spend as much time there as you could. Use the tips provided above to transform your living room into your safe haven, as well as a place where you can socialize and spend quality time with your family.

What are your favorite things to do in your living room, and what do you look forward to adding to the space?