The living room is the part of the home where we spend the most time, whether talking and having fun with friends and family, or just watching TV or reading. It is essential to organise the layout, traffic routes, and all the elements in the room properly, so that function and aesthetics are both equally served.
The current trend is to combine living room and dining room in the same space, breaking with the stuffy tradition of a room for each function.
Living room:
A glance at decoration ideas in magazines or catalogues will show that the focal point of a living room is usually the television, and these days, the bigger and flatter the better, whether you are a TV addict or more the type to spend hours reading by a lamp or a sunny window.
Some people prefer to slot it into a modular system, others place it on a storage piece which can hold all the accessories it needs, and others choose slim, discreet furniture to hold the TV. Whatever your preference, despite its presence in our lives, it should not dominate the room.
The next step is to place the coffee table, and sofas and chairs around it, a third important point which also helps to decide where to put side tables and additional lighting.
Dining room:
The central point will be the table where the main activity takes place. Good lighting is needed, so the light fitting will be a key factor. Comfortable dining chairs with armrests encourage relaxing chats after meals.
We should not forget to serve our guests a delicious meal, and there is a fabulous variety of dishes, cutlery and other accessories to help us do so.
Sideboards and china cabinets are the ideal items for organised storage while displaying the best pieces.