Simple Dos and Don’ts of Living Room Decorating You May Be Missing

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As the room where most families gather each day, living room decorating requires a lot of thought. From colors to decor to area rugs, all decisions affect the overall theme, presence, and personality of a living room. Don’t rush decisions or make impromptu decor purchases before you have a plan pulled together or may just end up looking like it was thrown together in a day. Sometimes all you need are some helpful dos and don’ts so you can avoid simple living room decorating mistakes.

Use Curtains to Add Height to Any Room

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Window curtains can produce the illusion of height in a room and visually widen windows, making any room seem taller and larger than its actual size. When measuring for your curtains, add 3 to 6 inches to each side of the window frame and 4 to 6 inches above the top of the frame. Adding another 2 to 5 inches at the bottom creates a crisp, classic look by having your curtains hit the floor or hover above it no more than a half inch.

Use Area Rugs to Pull the Look of a Room Together

Living Room

An area rug can either pull a whole room together or break up its flow. Typically, the bigger the rug the better.

For large rooms with furniture that floats in the center of a room, a rug should be large enough to fit all of the furniture on it without the furniture feeling cramped.

For rooms with furniture along the walls, aim for an area rug that is large enough to have the front legs of couches or chairs on the rug. Make sure to be consistent with all of your furniture. If the front legs of the couch are on the rug, the front legs of your chairs should be, too.

With smaller living rooms, center the rug under the coffee table or use it to define a specific seating area.

Place Wall Art at Natural Eye Level

Living Room

When it comes to hanging art, let the art speak for itself. Sometimes we can get caught up in hanging wall mounted items too high or too low which breaks up the eyes’ natural flow when looking at a room. Unless you are hanging a gallery, your wall decor should be hung around eye level. You want to even it up with the room’s natural lines so that your eye moves smoothly around the room without moving up or down too much.

Use Colors in Threes

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A good rule of thumb when it comes to all things decorating is to always use odd numbers. The same goes for adding color to your living room. Choose three coordinating colors. Use one as your anchor color and two others as accents. Your anchor color, usually a neutral, creates a canvas to add brighter accent colors with more contrast to create a room with depth.

Pick the Right Pillows

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Throw pillows do so much more than add comfort. They are a way to tie a room together, add personality, or add a punch of color. If you’ve invested in a neutral-colored couch, a great way to take it to the next level is with patterned and colorful throw pillows. Make your throw pillows stand out. Forget standard throw pillow sizes, larger pillows are key to making a statement. Choosing the right filling for your pillows is a big factor in the way they look. If your budget allows, splurge on down-filled pillows to create that straight-out-of-a-magazine look for your living room.

Use a Variety of Sizes in Decor

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Don’t limit the elements of decor in your living room to just one size. Visual interest begins with variety. Including decor items of different heights produces a more natural appeal in your living room, making your decorating style seem more fluid and easy rather than calculated and coordinated. For more variety, vary the heights of your furniture, table lamps, or house plants.

Incorporate Yourself and Your Family

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In the end, you want your living room to be a place you and your family love. Through all of your decor planning, be sure that your living room is decorated to reflect your family and their interests. Use family photos as your wall or side table decor or add family favorite books and board games to show the love of your family and have an inviting space to relax.