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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 Get rid of outdated, damaged, and furniture pieces that are too small or too big for your home.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
Saturday, September 24th, 2016
7072-002CR Hamptons 3 Over 3 Sofa
Living rooms’ primary function is to gather family members in one space. Others believe that one’s identity can also be communicated through this room. There is a design criterion that needs to be met when setting up the living room. First, you have to recognize that this can be both a private and a public room. It’s a private room when you stay there with your loved ones or a public space when you’re hosting parties for friends.
Recognize that memories of your family time and moments with your friends in a living room could affect the connotation that they have for this space. After all, this space can be a place of solitude or a place for huge parties.
Know that hosting guests in a living room can include formal gathering or the more intimate scenarios.
Key Concepts
Every living room must have a sofa. Most families add a seating unit that is placed diagonally to this furniture piece. Some like placing a table in front of the sofa instead. Artwork can also be displayed on living room walls. Other objects can have the same purpose as artwork (e.g. framed photos, knickknacks, or gifts). Books are a common display on walls, too.
Not a lot of people spend moments of solitude such as writing, reading and contemplating inside the living room even when the physical elements in that space are used to foster privacy.
Tackling Living Room Design
There are two stages in designing the living room. First, take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Look at the room while it is still bare space. Next, find out how you can arrange the furnishings in the room.
Have a graphing paper and draw the room that you wish to achieve. There is no need to have a drafting degree for this kind of drawing. Have one square on the graph represent 6 inches; this means that a 10 by 8 feet space should have 20 by 16 squares.
Draw the doors, windows, furniture placements, and fireplaces, just about anything that you can move around. Now create some copies and use these as your sketchpad. You can go ahead and draw many different chair and sofa placements before anyone rearranges or sets up anything. Being able to view the room at an abstract sort of way can help you find new style options.
Figuring out the best layout for your living room means you have to prioritize flow, function as well as the focal point. The flow is the traffic pattern in a room. This is how people travel through the room and what paths are made available.
As for the room’s function, this can be defined by seeing the stuff that you will put in there. If the pieces are mainly TV, subwoofers, speakers, and such, then it’s a living room that’s mainly for entertainment. If it’s filled with shelves of books and a plush sofa plus a pair of floor lamps or a desk lamp paired with a wingbacked chair, then that living room is definitely a reading space.
A living room must also have a focal point. This if often the fireplace or a picturesque window. If you have all three – the picture window, fireplace and TV, then each should be placed on different walls. The traffic in the room must also be free-flowing.
Sometimes, it’s as easy as setting up the television. The focal point is what you and your family get to see as soon as they walk into the living room. The rest of the furniture and other design elements are arranged all around it.
Now it’s time to place the furniture at the right angles. This will offer a dynamic space. Leave no less than 36 inches of width for your living room traffic. Smaller groups of furniture should have 18 inches of space, at the very least, in front of them so that they can be accessed with ease.
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