Your room should have a focal point and fireplaces are the perfect natural candidate as they bring a feeling of comfort to your room, but if there is no fireplace you will need to create your centerpiece. You might hang an oversized piece of art or feature a beautiful piece of furniture. Color can be a simple solution to creating your focal point, whether it is a wall color or one just one color used as an accent around the room.
When considering lighting for your room, you’ll need to accommodate activities such as reading as well as resting activities.
Seating selection should be appropriate for everyone in your family; comfort is much more important to consider than style. Consider seating that makes everyone feel relaxed and at ease. Don’t forget to mix up the textures when you select your textiles.
Experiment with the furniture layout- If space allows, consider introducing a second seating area. A great solution to connect different areas of the room is to use backless seating such as a chaise or bench to allow viewing from one part of the room to the other.
Careful consideration should be given to storage. Be sure to plan for housing your media equipment. Not to say that the television has to be hidden, but do hide the wires! Nothing is less relaxing than mess, clutter and exposed wiring.
Is your design easy to maintain? Remember that your room is for living and not for show. Let your hair down and enjoy living your everyday life.
Commit the room’s design to paper, even if your budget doesn’t allow completion of the project all at once. You will benefit from the vision as you make future purchases.
Posted by Paula
image from flickr's tobi fairley
