living room
Seat depth and design. Don’t forget to consider the size of your room when choosing seat depth. A super deep sofa doesn’t work well in a small space — it just looks out of place. If a deep seat is important to you but you have a small space, go for an inside depth of 23 inches. And to avoid having a comically large-looking sofa, balance a deeper seat with either low arms or visible legs. This keeps your space looking open instead of overwhelmed by the sofa.
Sectional without a back on one side
Does the art fit without seeming crowded? A large piece (or pieces) should hang on the wall while leaving plenty of negative, or empty, space around it. Height is just as important as width when it comes to scale. Higher ceilings call for taller pieces that anchor the space and the objects around it. A lower, longer wall can support a triptych or a single horizontal piece.
When it comes to large art, consider the following: Does it work with the space or overpower it? This can depend on the subject matter or colors and how they relate to the furnishings. The gold-and-white art pictured above the console fills the expanse perfectly, doesn’t compete with the room and doesn’t overwhelm the smaller objects in front.
1. Remember that bigger is better with large or long walls. A common decorating dilemma is the large or long wall. A big blank expanse can fool you into thinking that you need a hundred pieces of art to make it work. Although creating a gallery wall may seem like an obvious solution, it isn’t always the best one. Depending on the style of the furnishings, the proportion of the room and the amount of visual space you want occupied, a single statement piece can solve a multitude of challenges.
Unleash the power of the rug. A large rug will further anchor the main seating area, and provide the opportunity to introduce texture and color into the room. It works best to place the furniture either fully or partially on the rug rather than around it. Consider also the shape of the rug. For example, the direction in which you lay a rectangular one can have a huge effect on how you perceive the room. Your turn: How have you positioned the furniture in your living room? Are you happy with the arrangement? Please share your photos in the Comments below. See more stories about decorating the living room
9. Create a focal point. Take advantage of your living room’s diminutive size to easily create a design feature. Specifically, choose one aspect of the room to highlight with something visually interesting. The eye will be immediately drawn to this standout feature, with less emphasis on the room’s challenging size. A terrific example is to design a feature wall behind a sofa with color, texture or wall decor. Use a wall covering such as grass cloth, feature a mural or place different framed artwork and mirrors on a brightly colored wall.
6. Ditch the overstuffed college-era sofa. This may be rather obvious, but it’s important: Avoid oversized and heavy-feeling furniture. It will take over and make the room feel smaller. Instead, opt for low-profile, streamlined furniture, particularly sofas. Low-profile furniture essentially means low to the ground. A low-profile sofa, for example, means there’s a small distance from the floor to the sofa seat. From a design standpoint, this usually means smaller sofa legs, streamlined cushions or a narrow base. Use the extra wall space your low-profile sofa provides to balance the space with wall decor that starts low and goes high. Great examples are hanging a large-scale art piece or arranging a vertical row of shelves that draws the eye up.
You can experiment with painted stripes on a wall. Whether vertical or horizontal, the stripes will visually expand or elongate that featured wall.
4. Let the sun shine in. Emphasize your natural light sources to make your room brighter. A sunlit room feels more open and helps eliminate shadows that can make an enclosed area feel smaller. The simplest way to enhance natural light in a room is to place a mirror where it will reflect the light from a window. This will not only reflect light but also create the illusion of more depth in the space. When possible, place your most-used pieces of furniture — such as the sofa or your favorite cozy chair — so that they have a view of the outdoors. If natural light is minimal, consider installing track lighting. While not taking up valuable table or floor space, its bright light and flexible track heads can substitute for direct sunlight.
Fireplace built ins overall everything
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