Living room BASICS

Probably this is the most occupied room from the house/apartment. It’s where you will receive your guests, chill out, watch tv maybe? Have a cup of coffee with your loved one, maybe even work. This means that planning a good layout and nice atmosphere is vital! Remember that “We shape our homes and then our homes shape us.” – Winston Churchill.

So.. going back to the design talk..  this is what you should do:

First, think about the function of your living room.  If it will work as an entertainment area you’ll need a good seating arrangement, a place for the tv and some storage for other electronics (also DVDs, CDs, etc). Maybe you want to also use it as a work area? there are many furniture designs that will allow you to incorporate a hidden desk area for example.  

Then you must recognize your room shape. Is it a long and narrow room? Yes? So why not divide it into two areas? When I used to live in Lima, my sis and I lived in an apartment which had a narrow living room.. we divided it, made a living room next to the balcony, and of course, a place to eat (dining room) next to the kitchen.. Maybe, your room has an “L” shape.. so why not take the shorter part and make it an office/studio and have the longer one your social area. Take this tip: grab a squared paper and draw the room shape and play around with layouts until you find yours.

Furniture. Spend some time moving it around (but be careful with your floors... you don’t want to scratch them) until you find the best arrangement for whatever you need. Sometimes the least obvious layout works better ;)

Do you also think this is the hardest place at home to design?

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