| The living room is a place where the family can gather | | | | avoid it taking over the room. |
| together and catch up on daily events. It has to be | | | | 6. Accessorise the furniture with some brightly |
| designed with comfort in mind but at the same time it | | | | coloured cushions in a similar hue to the walls to lift the |
| needs to be practical and functional. It may well be the | | | | neutral furniture. This helps to give a pleasant |
| focal point for entertaining visitors so it also needs to | | | | coordinated look to the room. |
| be decorated and furnished with style. This is | | | | 7. Any clutter is bound to make the room feel smaller. |
| especially important when space is at a premium and | | | | Think about wall storage units or sideboards and |
| you need to think carefully about the sort of items with | | | | cupboards to help keep the clutter away. |
| which you will furnish your living room. With a little care | | | | 8. Go for a mix of open shelves and drawers or |
| it is quite straightforward to inject a feeling of more | | | | cupboards. You can still put things away but you can |
| space - here are ten suggestions for you to try. | | | | also leave some attractive items out on show. |
| 1. One or two large pieces of furniture can actually look | | | | 9. Have a rethink of your overall layout. Draw out a |
| less cluttered than many smaller items. Think of | | | | plan of the empty room and try to choose your |
| investing in a large corner sofa if your room allows. | | | | furniture so that the view into the room is not blocked. |
| 2. An L-shaped sofa is also ideal for families as it | | | | Allow as much floor space as you can with clear open |
| provides as much seating as two separate sofas but | | | | access from other rooms. |
| also looks more compact and streamlined. | | | | 10. When choosing your furniture, stick to pale woods |
| 3. Keep your upholstery fairly plain. Choose pale, | | | | in an open structure. This really does help to make the |
| neutral furniture to avoid things looking too busy. | | | | space feel larger as it helps more natural light to |
| 4. Think of using a textured fabric - this helps the | | | | permeate the room. |
| scheme from looking bland. | | | | Modern contemporary wooden furniture is ideal for |
| 5. A general rule of thumb is that dark colours on walls | | | | small living room designs. Pine living room furniture is a |
| will make a room feel smaller and effectively close it in. | | | | great choice as its naturally light colour gives a fresh lift |
| Whilst this is true, you could still use some deep hues | | | | to any design. |
| as long as you keep them to small areas. Just try to | | | | |