Design Tips

Are you ready to get inspired and have some fun? Okay, good!
With any new design project, it’s always nice to start with a clean slate; in your mind, that is.
Get a cup of coffee or your favorite beverage and take a good look at your room. List out all the permanent features in the space. The doorways, the windows, sliding door, fireplace feature or other architectural details. These are the foundation elements of your space. Now, close your eyes and visualize your room totally empty!

Before you start to go crazy with ideas, it is important to write down the measurements of your room. Also include how high your ceilings are. This will eliminate a multitude of mistakes because it tells you how much space you have to work with.

As with most people you probably enjoy flipping through magazines or going online to sites like HOUZZ to look at pictures of spaces that appeal to you. This helps you to:

• narrow down the style you like
• identify color combinations you are attracted to
• find interesting furniture and accessory pieces

I call this the stage of euphoria, since it appears that anything is possible!
Well, almost anything really IS possible with a little “How to” guidance.

One of the best tips I can share with you when decorating a living room space is to start with the largest piece of furniture and work around it. And, keep your room measurements with you at all times so when shopping you will know if the piece is going to fit in the space!

But let’s back up for a moment. As fun as it is to shop for new furniture, you will want to have a good idea of what style you like and what the color story is for the room before you try to make a furniture selection. So, take your time going through photos and keep a small folder of the designs that truly inspire you.

Here are some examples of mid-century modern furniture pieces which have stood the test of time. They are known for their classic, timeless style.

Figuring out the furniture placement is sometimes a puzzling and stressful job for some people. One of the easiest things you can do is get a roll of blue painters tape and place it on the floor using the dimensions of the piece you want to use in the designated area. You will know right away if it’s too big or too small and also, how much space you have left for other furniture. Once you know the general space layout you can feel confident about making that high ticket purchase.

Creating your dazzling space is like building upon several layers. You will start with your foundation piece and design a conversation area around it. Some of the usual combinations include:

• A sofa and two chairs
• A sectional with one chair
• Two sofas facing each other

With your primary furniture pieces in place, your next layer is adding the coffee table and end tables or accent tables. If you have hard surface floors, you will want to consider anchoring your seating arrangement with an appropriate size area rug. This extra layer softens the space and also helps to reduce the echo effect caused by all the hard surfaces in the room. The next step is to select proper lighting. Preferably you will have overhead or ambient lighting, then add table or floor lamps, and lastly some accent lighting to highlight artwork, plants, sculptures, etc. The last and final layer to finish off the space is to hang your artwork. There are numerous configurations for hanging artwork or if you like the minimalistic feel, a single large piece of wall art and be very stunning.

You might be thinking, why didn’t I mention anything about window treatments? Well, that’s because window coverings are a whole separate subject on their own and deserve a full conversation at another time.

So, do you feel empowered to create a design for your own living room?
Or maybe you are struggling with a design dilemma in your space?

If you crave more detail and guidance on how to design your own unique space, click here to be added to the VIP list – you’ll be the first to find out when I release my upcoming “How to” e-book series for sensational home decorating.

Comments or questions are welcomed!