Planning your living room
We all want a comfortable, inviting living room to relax in or entertain friends. To make sure you create the right space, it's a good idea to plan it in advance and think about how you will actually use the room. Will it be purely for relaxation or will it double up as a dining room, a children's play area or a home office?
Create a welcoming space
* Keep it clutter-free. Storage is the key here.
* Make the room appear larger with a well-positioned mirror along one wall. Glass or transparent furniture also makes the room seem more spacious.
* If your living room has various different functions, use screens to separate playing and studying areas.
* Put art where it can be appreciated, opposite the seating arrangement, not behind it.
* Consider when you are most likely to be in your living room and where the natural light falls at this time to avoid sunlight in people's eyes or on the television.
* For a sociable living room, face chairs and sofas towards each other rather than angling them towards the television.
Choose a focal point
For many people, the television is the focal point, but it doesn't have to be. A stylish architectural feature such as a fireplace can work just as well, or why not focus on a view out into the garden. Once you've decided on your focal point, you can plan your seating and furniture arrangement around it.
Creating a floor plan
A floor plan is essential. It will help you to visualise how the various elements will work together, without having to move furniture around too much. First, draw in your windows, doors and focal point. Double check measurements, think about space for doors opening and include features that can't be moved - like radiators and plug sockets. You may need to create more than one floor plan until you get it right.
Positioning your furniture
Furniture arrangement is key in creating the feel of your room. Consider where you'll spend the most time. If - like many people - this is on the sofa, make sure you choose the best position for it. Think about its distance from the television, speakers and any tables. If this is a room for socialising, don't push all the seating against the walls, unless the room is very small. Create a space that lends itself to conversation with chairs grouped together. Select chairs and sofas to fit the size and shape of the room - corner or L-shaped sofas are ideal for awkward-shaped rooms. Too many chairs can look odd and waste precious space - plan for the amount of people who will normally be using the seating and buy a few extra chairs for entertaining. Tables should be the right size and height for their purpose and if your living room is on the small side, it's useful if they can fold away too.
Living room lighting
Make the most of natural light, and if there isn't much or for evenings, decide how artificial lighting will work instead. The amount required depends on what you do in the room. Don't feel you have to stick with the conventional central ceiling light. Well-positioned lamps for reading or working at a desk are better at giving you light where it's needed as well as a softer overall effect. If you want to create atmosphere, try a combination of different lighting, including uplighters, spots, table lamps and wall lights.
Design for maximum comfort
Your living room is the one place you want guaranteed comfort. Test sofas, chairs and beanbags before you buy to make sure they offer the right support. When you're sitting, your feet should touch the floor - if not try a footstool so your back isn't straining. A living room needs to be functional as well as comfortable, so keep an eye on the details. Are light switches easy to reach? Do you have to walk around furniture to get to the door? Are tables the right height and does every chair have access to one? All these things affect the overall ergonomics of the room.
The perfect balance
Living rooms that look professionally designed are the ones that appear balanced. To achieve this effect, simply space your furniture out evenly; don't clutter it all up together. If you imagine the room divided into quarters, each quarter should contain roughly an equal amount of furniture. It should also be clear where the focal point is - more than one focal point will look unbalanced. When you're choosing where to put things, remember larger items dwarf cramped spaces and small items are lost in big areas.
Getting the symmetry right
The more symmetrical a room is, the more formal it will look, so the amount of symmetry you bring in depends on your particular style. Choose matching chairs or sofas of the same size, style and design. If you have one sofa, position your armchairs either side. You could also try placing side lamps on matching tables in opposite corners of the room; hanging picture frames opposite each other and placing a vase of flowers either side of your fireplace or a CD rack either side of your stereo.
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