7 Do’s and Don’ts of an Amazing Living Room Design

Some people seem to love designing room layouts. They have a natural talent for it. However, others struggle to create the look and feel they want.

That can be true anywhere in a living space, but you probably want to pay extra attention to your living room. That is presumably where your guests will spend a lot of time if you ever have a formal gathering, or an informal one, for that matter.

Other than your kitchen, a living room can be the nerve center of your home. It’s a focal point that will add to the general impression people get about where you live.

You can add something like a sliding bookcase door if you want to appear to be an individualist. That sort of feature is relatively unusual and sends the message that you’re a  bit eccentric.

You might also think about the following tips when setting up your living room. These do’s and don’ts are not written in stone, but many living room designers follow them.

Don’t Arrange the Furniture in a Way That Excludes Anyone

When you set up the available furniture in a living room, it’s helpful to envision a party you might like to have that’s going to take place there. Think about what a typical gathering of your friends, neighbors, and relatives might look like. Who will sit where? How is the conversation going to flow?

If you don’t have a living room setup that’s conducive to conversation, then that’s going to force people to drift into other rooms if they want to have a nice chat. With that in mind, you should set up the furniture in a way so that everyone who’s sitting on a couch or chair will be able to see everyone else.

Think about sight lines. Will each person be able to look directly at their neighbor, or will it be necessary to contort their bodies into awkward angles? If you arrange your available furniture in a way so that it roughly mimics a circle, that’s usually the most natural way to stimulate conversation.

Try to Avoid Having Any Furniture Directly Facing the Bathroom

Maybe you have a bathroom that’s just off of the living room. This happens in many houses and apartments.

It’s natural that someone might have to use the bathroom at some point during a friendly gathering. Everyone does it, but that’s an activity when people will logically want as much privacy as possible so they don’t feel self-conscious.

You should be mindful of that and try not to have any furniture in the living room that directly faces into the bathroom. The door may be closed when someone is in there, but it’s not exactly pleasant when someone emerges if there’s a person sitting down whose line of sight goes directly into the lavatory they just vacated.

It’s a moot point if there are other bathrooms in the house, but if you live in an apartment, there may be only one available for use. Try to position furniture in the living room so that it looks away from the bathroom if at all possible in that instance.

Add a Mirror

Adding a mirror, particularly a full-length one, is a smart move in living rooms. At a party, someone might want to glance at it to make sure their hair or makeup looks perfect.

In smaller living rooms, mirrors also add the illusion of more space. It’s nice to create that if you live in a tiny apartment. You will not actually have more room for people to use, but the mirror will trick their eyes into thinking that there is.

Don’t Discount What a Rug Adds to the Overall Effect

If you have a living room that seems plain or drab, there are various things you can do to make it more eye-catching and engaging for guests. The addition of color is often helpful.

You can do that by installing some throw rugs. They don’t usually cost very much, and there are a virtually limitless number of rugs in different sizes, shapes, and colors.

Getting some area rugs and placing them strategically in the room can add color where it is needed. You can also install carpet instead to fulfill that same purpose, though that can be more costly.

Use Books Strategically

You can always place books on the bookshelves around the room. If you have some ones you like, that might encourage people to pick them up and talk about them. They can kindle a literary discussion.

However, you might also get books with jackets or spines that are a particular color and line them up to make that color uniform. For instance, if you feel that the living room needs some red, you can look for exclusively red books at library sales or get them at Goodwill very cheaply.

You might have a nice color effect with books that’s not overpowering. It will draw the eye of people who look at it, but it’s not as forceful as painting the room in a different color.

Add Conversation Starters

You can add small art pieces to the shelves or set them on your coffee table. You might have small souvenirs from places around the country or around the world that you have visited.

This is a nice way to spark some interesting conversations. If someone asks you where you got something, you can talk to them about the vacation you took to purchase the object in question.

Feature Pieces of Art to Create the Mood You Want

You can also hang art on the walls or put it on the shelves to create a particular mood. The right painting can stimulate conversation. However, select your art with care.

If you have pieces with darker subject matter, understand the direction that might lead the conversation. Some people may not realize how much the art they have in a living space can impact their mood. This is often the case at a party as well.