Great Home Decorating Today, Issue #006, January, 2010

Welcome to Great Home Decorating Today, your source for the home decorating ideas, advice, resources and tips that will help create the unique decor that expresses you and your lifestyle!

I hope you enjoy this publication and find useful home decorating information. I’m always looking for ideas and feedback, so feel free to contact me!

Thanks, Candi

Here we are in a new year and a new decade, January 2010. It’s been a bitterly cold winter season already and we’re not done yet!

I live in southwest Florida in what is considered the sub-tropics and we’ve had the coldest weather in twenty years. Yuk.

So what can we do? I know…how about a living room redesign! Why not? Many readers are stuck indoors anyway, so may as well do something fun and productive, right?

Redesigning your living room, or living area, can spark a new life into that space, even on a limited budget.

It requires a little bit of thought and planning, and definitely some elbow grease, but the results can be well worth the time and effort.

And, you don’t have to go outside!

Here are the steps involved in living room redesign. Read all the way through before you start.

First, remove all of the clutter…stuff…whatever you want to call it. Things that don’t need to be in the living room. If you don’t use it, get rid of it.

Next, take all the accessories out of the room. This includes everything on the walls, collections on display, lamps, other miscellaneous items.

Put all of these things in another room, out of sight for now. You should have just the large pieces left in the space.

While the room is fairly empty, give it a thorough cleaning! Has your window treatment been hanging in the same place for a long, long time? If applicable, take it down and get it cleaned, or wash it.

The next step in your living room redesign is to step back and determine what the focal point is in this room.

Here are a few thoughts. Is there a lovely fireplace, a beautiful view, a soaring wall with an entertainment unit? The focal point is the area that your eye is drawn to when you enter the space.

Once the focal point has been determined, arrange your largest pieces of furniture so that anyone seated can see the focal point.

For example, if there is a lovely fireplace and a beautiful view out the windows, angle the sofa and chairs so that occupants can enjoy both.

Pull the furniture away from the walls and create interesting angles, possibly a couple of conversation areas. Try a furniture arrangement that you’ve never done before.

Find a piece of furniture, large or small, from another room in your home and bring it into the living room redesign. It can be great fun to enjoy a familiar piece of furniture in a brand new way.

Once you have created a furniture arrangement that is different, interesting and functional, it’s time to bring in the smaller items and accessories.

Try to use different lamps, pictures and accessories than were in the room prior to the redesign project. I know it’s not always possible, but think of each item as a possibility, not so much as ‘I’ve always had this lamp in the bedroom, so it’s a bedroom lamp.’

You can create a very different look and feel by using familiar pieces in different rooms, hanging in new locations, etc.

Here are some other living room redesign ideas that require a little more work, or perhaps some expenditure:

1) Paint the room a new color, or perhaps an accent wall
2) Change out the window treatments 3) Purchase an area rug to complement your creative furniture arranging 4) Purchase a new accessory or accent piece for the space

If you want a lot more detail regarding living room (or any room of your home) arrangement/design/redesign, you’ll find it in my guide, ‘Ten Simple Steps to Design Success’.

I’m not trying to do a sales job here, so please know that. This guide takes what I’ve just said in a few paragraphs and gives details, illustrations, pictures and checklists for you.

The cost is very reasonable, so consider giving it a try. Your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Thanks again, and please visit Great Home Decorating soon!

Have fun with your living room redesign, stay warm and take care!

Views: 0