Get The Basics Right First - Living Room

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appy Monday, sweeties, today we are talking living rooms. - The well planned sitting room should be comfortable and tranquil, but above all a reflection of you ( just like every room in your home). It`s where you can express your personality and tastes.

The photo above, is how my living room looks at this moment in time. And to a certain extent it`s a reflection of me. Adventurous and creative! Or, how I was feeling when I decided to paint the alcoves and the fire surround black. Excited but slightly apprehensive to go out of my comfort zone, because of what had happened when I used black paint in my own dining room before... (you can see it here). Luckily, I truly love my living room, it turned out way better than I had it expected at first! (Especially since it`s such a small room, and there`s not a lot that I can do with it). Although, since I`m one of those people, who are always in need to get creative, and to see which ideas I can come up with... ( just so I can make my home that little bit more special... which is a reflection of the lovely people who live here).... Once again, my living room will have the Debbie Moss treatment, to which it has become very much accustomed to, by now. "Nothing stays the same for to long..." Apart for the well chosen pieces of furniture. You see, it is a common misconception that choosing a pretty fabric or a bold wall colour will magically transform your room. Well, it won`t. The key is, if you happen to be redecorating from scratch and have to buy furniture - is to make sure to choose good-looking as well as versatile and most importantly comfortable pieces, that will last for many years to come. After all, this is a room where you more than likely will be entertaining your friends, so their comfort and pleasure, must matter!  (Like my pair of two setter leather sofas.) I bought them about 12 years ago (I think, it was that long) from DFS. They were quite expensive (for our pockets anyway...) but they have proved to be a great investment. And the best thing is, that they are getting better as they age. I`m so excited for them to have that "battered designer look". So yeah, try to buy the very best you can afford and make sure to invest your hard earned money, into the pieces that are most heavily used.

You want it to last over a decade. Also, in most sitting rooms, it is the sofa that becomes the point of focus in the room (especially if it happens to be a small room) - because it takes up the most space. So it`s crucial that you are happy with the one you have or if you are buying a new one... that you choose wisely... since it will set the entire scheme to your living room.

The other essential pieces of furniture to buy for your sitting room are: a sofa, armchair - one or a pair (depending of your room size), definitely a coffee table and maybe a bookshelf where you can be creative with it... The key to choosing these components is versatility! You need to think ahead, and ask yourself... if when you decide to re-paint your living room walls or perhaps wallpaper them, will your furniture "fit in" withing the new scheme? So, it`s therefore important to choose designs that will... And regarding the smaller item of furniture like a console table or a side chair, get the most out of your investment, by making sure that they can be moved around your home (that they are versatile). This way, you get more for your money and you can have fun creating more beautiful vignettes for your home. In terms of design for your furniture - many classics are still the best.

Just like many other things in life, as we know it!

Although if in many years time, any of these pieces aren`t rocking your boat anymore, do not feel obliged to keep them just because... I`m sure that by then, you would have had great enjoyment and use out of them, and your money`s worth too!

(Just like most pieces of furniture that I decided that they just had to go, since they were no longer suited for my living room, new style). P.S - Sorry for the bad quality on this photo, that was taken 10 years ago.

Also think about your upholstery choice. Ex: A sofa upholstered in a chintz fabric will look good when paired with a leather sofa or even five years on - with a grey one. It is only when the chintz  match with other chintz chairs and curtains than there`s a bit of a problem... unless the matchy matchy look is for you.

(Back then I was well into the chintz look, so my "plain" leather sofas adorned with pretty cushions, made a good alternative to a chintz sofa. And the good thing is, that now by having the cushions changed - they fit into this new setting also).

So, if possible do choose a neutral coloured sofa, since it provides the perfect backdrop for bright and more luxurious accessories (think curtains, cushions, rugs and art...) this way it will be easier to change or update the look of your living room, (without having to re-decorate from scratch).

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And again, do the same thing as you would do in fashion... which is, mix neutral coloured clothes with bold accessories to add unexpected interest. (What`s the fun with just having a complete neutral wardrobe, anyway)? The same applies to your living room, you should plan to have a few pieces in colour, too. Perhaps a large red sofa? Source

- That can still be adapted into the scheme that you have going at the moment...
 or,
that still will manage to "fit in" when you fancy a chance in decor.

(Both photos above are of my living room, and are about 6years old). I still managed to incorporate the red sofa into the new present setting, that I have going on at this moment in time...

 Something else to take into consideration is that the colour of your smaller items such as your side table, coffee table, display cabinets... should be easy to change, so look out for out -there-bargains / pieces of furniture that can be repainted.

(Example of my living room outdated display cabinet, that was given the updated treatment... back then).

 ( And my old coffee table on the photo above, that I`ve painted, just so it would highlight the beautiful ornate carved detail)...

And my newer replacement glass coffee table, that I bought about 5 years ago on Ebay - for the bargain price of £50.00. 

This beauty also had a little transformation. I painted the base in black gloss, instead of leaving it in the light brown that it was originally.

 And I`m considering adding the gold gilded treatment, next...?

Now that you have your essential pieces of furniture, it`s time to "dress up" your living room. And now it`s the time, to allow for as many inexpensive accessories as you wish to... and feel free to create a myriad of looks, so let your imagination run riot. Let the fun begin!

" Creating beautiful vignettes, is something that I truly enjoy doing, by the way.
It brings back so many happy memories, of when I used to own my little shop..."

Now, in terms of accessories, you have to take into consideration which is your style of decorating and take it from there. If the Eclectic (more is more) style is not your thing... and you prefer the less approach, than opt for fewer but quirkier pieces instead, so your living room doesn`t end up looking sparse and uninviting, so at least there`s one or two... focal talking points.

Source: elledecor.com

By the way this is just one of the many topics, regarding living rooms, since there`s so much more to discuss. Like choosing the right curtains, rugs, other pieces of furniture, art, lighting, accessories etc etc, so please do stay tuned in, as I hope to make posts about these subjects as I go along... with blogging! So, thanks for hanging in there, you lovely people!