Your Living/Family room is the hub of your home. I know ours is used for a variety of purposes. It’s usually the space where family members relax after a long day, play with kiddos then binge watch a favorite show but most of all it is meant for spending time with friends and family. So, since this room is the one that see to do it all, let’s talk about how to decorate a living room for your needs and style.

Decorate your living room in 5 easy steps

The best rule of thumb when designing any space in your home is the 60/30/10 rule, it creates beautiful and balanced living spaces.

Sound too easy? Nope it’s not, here are some tips to help.

1. 60% of the space should have a dominant color,
2. 30% of the secondary color or texture
3. 10% of an accent (or a “pop of color”).

Keep this rule in mind as you gather your living room ideas, shop, or raid the rest of your home to upcycle some of your favorite items.

1. Define 

Although most people know what they like & don’t like, it’s not so easy to define is with furniture and décor.  So, to make sure your design ideas come out exactly how you envisioned, pick a style and go with it.

Having trouble deciding? For me this is always the hardest part, because I can love and appreciate all types of design. Here is a fun little quiz to help you narrow it down;  style quiz.

      2.  Plan & Measure

After you define your style, the next part of your living room decorating project is measuring and planning. This includes budgeting, measuring, and determining the layout. I promise you the planning is all worth is. Plus, it will save you from breaking your back scooting your couch to 3 different places before settling on the best spot. (Since I have done that more times than I can count)

Your budget will absolutely depend on your finances as well as the size of the project on which you are taking on.

Next, we measure! Gather all of the measurements of your living room. Don’t forget any windows, doors, built-ins, air vents or other features.  This will help tons with your overall placement of furniture and a functional layout.

Once you have your budget and know how much space you have, get out your sketch pad and start planning. Think of your family and how the room will best serve their needs. Do you need space for a TV, eating meals, hosting overnight guests, craft area, or having game nights?  (Don’t forget a play area and toy storage if needed.)

Getting specific with your list will be the key to successful planning. Make sure to pinpoint what you feel is your rooms focal point. For many homes, the natural focal point of the living room is the television. If that’s the case, make sure you also make a plan for the TV area.

      3. The Walls Set the Mood

The largest element in your room is your walls. And you can go on and on with different options like paint, wallpaper, wainscoting, or a custom element that adds texture.

As for color it is always easier and safer to stick with neutral & light walls, which I talked about in my previous blog post “2023 Home Tends” It can be a bit more difficult to design a cohesive space with bright bold walls, but never impossible!

      4. Decide on your Biggest Pieces First!

Whether you are buying new pieces, upcycling garage sale find or doing a little switch-er-roo from another room, these pieces will help anchor your design. By having these chosen first, you will be able to shop for all of the other finishing touches more easily.

In a living room, the biggest pieces are usually:

• Sofa (sectional, a couch, loveseat, etc.)
• Rug
• Additional furniture (coffee table, accent chairs, entertainment center, etc.)

    5. Bring it all together

The final step if the FUN part, it is to implement your living room design. It can take some time to get all the pieces to fit together like a beautifully inviting puzzle, but it will get there! And it will be much more enjoyable and stress free with your steps in place! You Got this!!