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Tuesday, October 24th, 2017
Featured in this clean, predominantly white living room, is the Deco Reflets Cocktail Table from Fine Furniture Design.
Dictionary.com defines living room as a room in a home, used, especially by a family, for leisure activities, entertaining guests, etc. Another term for it is a parlor.
The history of the term living room dates back to the late nineteenth century. Decorative literature, back then, pointed out how this room should be the reflection of the person who designed it. This was a direct opposition to the prevailing style during the Victorian era when formal rooms were set up to receive guests.
The advent of the living room signaled the end for the more formal gathering spaces at the time.
And the Living Room Was Born
Since there is a name given to each room in a house (e.g. bathroom, bedroom, and the kitchen), it just follows that there must also be a name given to the liveliest portion of the home.
But did you know that before the living room was referred to in this term that it was actually called the Death Room?
Yes, believe it or not, the front room of houses during the Second World War, became the room where bodies were kept prior to their funeral. Influenza was widespread back then so many homes experienced deaths of loved ones.
When the conditions improved after the war, though, the Ladies Home Journal made a suggestion that the name be changed to living room. Prior to this, it was a room commonly referred to as the parlor, it being a French term parle, meaning, to speak.
This new term soon became more popular than parlor. Pretty soon, the living room became the center of parties, gatherings, and other social events. Even less formal setups for family members were done here.
The Living Room in the U.S.
In larger U.S. and Canadian homes, the living room can be reserved for quieter and more formal events. There are separate rooms for family activities and these are often referred to as the family room, den or the recreation room.
Breathing Life Into the Living Room
Remember that the living room is supposed to be a representation of who you are as the owner of that home so decorating this place means you should know what styles and colors attract you the most.
Begin by taking note of your current furniture and accessories. Get rid of outdated, damaged, and furniture pieces that are too small or too big for your home.
If you are blessed to have heirloom pieces, then find out how you can emphasize these treasures. If they don’t fit your living room, then find a new spot where they can be transferred to.
Next, pick a color palette. The colors that you choose will set the tone for your living room. A blue room will have a relaxing effect while orange or bright yellow living rooms will surely be energizing.
Be sure to build the color palette around an art piece that you need to emphasize in your living room. Choosing a color scheme means knowing which colors are warm and welcoming and which ones are calm and soothing to the eyes.
Know your style. Know the design principles for each style, for instance, traditional interior design tends to be more predictable, orderly, and classic. You won’t find any outdated furnishings in such a style. Accessories and furniture also usually come in pairs.
If these are not appealing to you, then, perhaps, you could go for contemporary or the eclectic styles. There are many designs to choose from, check our blog for them.
After determining your style, you will now have more fun designing your living room. This is the time to purchase new furniture such as the sofa, rug, as well as the entertainment center. Remember that these biggest pieces must reinforce your decorating style.
Tags: colors for the living room, decorating the living room, designing the living room, history of the living room, living room color palette, living room color scheme, living room color schemes, living room colors, living room concepts, living room design elements, living room designs, living room history, living room style, living room styles, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Interior Design Themes, Living Room Design | Comments Off on The Living Room: Turning This Space Box to a Breathing, Living Space
Thursday, July 28th, 2016
1586-10443-WH3 Swan Room Divider with File Storage is neutral-colored but the eye-popping details make it more interesting.
Wall colors have the power to impart drama or beauty in every room. What you need to do to achieve these both is to choose the colors perfectly. Sometimes, though, some homeowners use an excessive amount of bold colors on walls and other parts of their home. Among the rooms in a home, the living room tends to be overdone when it comes to paint colors.
If you don’t want to make this same mistake, then you have to know the effects of the colors that you choose for your living environment. Consider the amount of natural light when used inside the living room. Your choice of color can also be dependent on the style of the room.
If you want to achieve a calm yet elegant ambience, then settle for neutral paint colors. You can choose from creams, whites, grays, taupe, and browns. These are the classic options for the living room as they tend to please just about everyone.
Choose from monochromatic, analogous, triad, complementary, warm, split-complementary, neutral or cool hues. Apply paint that will surely highlight the living room design.
The Green Living Room
Green is a fresh color that you can use to invoke a relaxing feeling inside the living room. It is advisable to use light hues such as green because they offer a more comfortable feeling. Use a bit of white or yellow to go with your green paint as this duo will create a more dashing appeal.
Those who love natural beauty should add fresh plants or flowers as accent pieces in the living room. Put some wood furniture pieces to have an enhanced interior.
FFDM’s Antebellum Collection shows an ensemble of colorful elements.
The Yellow Living Room
Yellow has a welcoming appeal that will add to the hominess of a living room. Applying yellow paint will only be deemed effective if you choose the right design elements to go with it. Poorly-lit surfaces such as dark hallways and foyers will be brighter if you paint them with yellow. Try a medley of purple and yellow as this is the best contrast that you could come up with. Just make sure that you use one color as a dominant hue and the other only as an accent.
The Blue Living Room
Choose blue also for a cool look. If you use this color together with red and yellow, then what you achieve is the so-called triadic color. This is an awesome and interesting color to use in the living room because it is unique or one that is not used too often.
The Red Living Room
Are you bold enough to use the color red in your living room? This can comprise one statement wall – an accent wall – that will surely catch anyone’s attention.
Red is luxurious and energetic. Most restaurants use red for a good reason. Be careful in using this color as this tends to make one feel restless after quite some time. Combining green and black with red will give you a fantastic triad, too.
The Brown Living Room
Brown is a classic color, one that is reliable and is often seen in most wood furniture. The deep brown hue of most furniture pieces can match a dark green wall or any natural wood accents. What you achieve with brown and green is a natural contrast that is pleasing to the eyes.
Nearer to the color brown is orange which can also be used to add warmth and zest to the living room.
The Neutral Living Room
Are you still unsure of what color to use in your living room? Then go ahead and play safe with neutrals. The neutral palette is used extensively in many living room themes. Here, you can display colorful artworks, bright décor, and just about any hue-laden masterpiece.
Tags: colors for the living room, living room color scheme, living room color schemes, living room colors, living room hues, living room paint, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, tips, wall colors
Posted in Color Schemes, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Interior Design Themes, Living Room Design | No Comments »
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