Casual Living Room Design Tips
When creating a design for your living room, keep in mind how the living room will be used. A living room with surround sound, for example, will require a particular design in order to get the full effect of that sound. Whether there is surround sound or no sound, a living room should be a room that creates a relaxing atmosphere in which one can read quietly, visit with friends, or any number of things in a comfortable manner.
Consideration of furniture is important. A casual living room will not have stiff furniture that provides no comfort when sitting. That type of furniture should be reserved for waiting rooms at a doctor's office or school rooms. A comfortable living room's couches and chairs will be made out of soft, perhaps plush fabrics that invite a person to relax on them. Their comfort will be further enhanced by soft, plush pillows of the same fabric. Some will even add pillows that contrast with the colors of the couches or chairs. This furniture is something that can be relaxed and socialized on in complete comfort.
Flooring is another important consideration for this room. Hardwood floors are very popular right now, yet they do not have to be the only choice. Hardwood is pretty and easy to clean, yet it's cold. If your home is often cold and you're looking for economical ways to keep it warmer, carpeting is one way to do that. Carpeting will hold the heat in the room better than hardwood flooring which will make the room warmer longer. This will in turn use your furnace less and your money will be saved. However, if you have allergies to dust or other airborne particles, carpeting may not be a good choice. No matter how often you vacuum, it can be very difficult to get those allergens out of the air. For this type of person, a hardwood floor would probably be the better choice because there will be less fibers in the room to hold in those allergens.
Television and sound system would also be a consideration into your design. If your television is large, it will take a large portion of area in the living room. Alternately, if it is small it won't take up as much room. Either way, the seating and sound should be surrounding the viewing area at a reasonable distance for both sight and sound. If you have surround sound, you have the advantage of bringing the sound to the seating area. Otherwise, the seating should surround the television at a distance that makes listening happen easily.
Living Room Painting
Painting living room is the starting point for living room remodeling. First, choose a living room color scheme and choose paint colors for walls, doors, trims, accessories and accents. Living room paint colors should be chosen based on the largest piece of furniture that dominates the room, the focal point of the room, the size of the room, the height of its ceiling, the amount of light that it gets, the uses the room will be put to and most importantly, the feel you want in your room. Once the living room paint colors are decided, pay attention to the living room paint finishes. Paint finish can also alter the feel of your living room.
Flat or matte paint finish with no shine is best for walls that have minor surface imperfections. These days they have good stain resistance too. Eggshell or velvet finishes with a soft glow are best for living room walls and look elegant and sophisticated. They are easier to clean too. Satin or semi-gloss paint finishes are best for doors and trims and highlighting architectural details. You may also use gloss finish for door, trims and specialty areas according to your choice. The sheen of the walls and the smoothness of the texture in semi-gloss and gloss paints make them easy to clean and scrub. For families with small children, you may want to use washable wall paints that are very easy to wipe and clean.
For living room walls, it is best to use latex or water based paint that dries up quickly and can be washed using soap and water but it is better to use oil-based alkyd paint for doors and windows as it penetrated wood better does not stick when the doors and windows are shut for longer periods of time, especially during winters. To calculate the amount of paint you will need for you living room, measure the perimeter of the living room walls by adding up their widths and the multiply it with the height of wall from floor to ceiling. Subtract the area of open areas from it such as doors, windows and archways to known the wall area that needs to be painted. Some paint types and colors may need more than one coat so take the number of coats you need to cover the walls into account too. Usually, a gallon of flat paint color covers 400 square feet but you may take paint manufacturer's instructions as your guideline.
The entrance foyer, family room and the living room are heavy traffic areas and are the first places of your house that is seen by your guests. Hence, they define the first impression about you and your personality in your guest's mind. Experiment with colors and patterns to create a stylish and great looking living room to make the right statement. Make sure that you maintain the harmony and visual flow and take into account the rooms visible from your living room. If you practically live in your living room, you may prefer to have glazed, marbleized or textured walls as they do not look dirty or show up finger marks so easily. This can be easily achieved using faux painting techniques that are so popular as living room painting ideas these days.
