2014 Clever Furniture Arrangement Tips for Small Living Rooms

Make your small living room seem larger with these furniture arranging ideas and smart decorating tricks.

You'll love these ideas to try in 2014! I hope you find these ideas useful and inspiring to you .... Enjoy it !!!!

Choose Visually Lightweight Furniture : Pay attention to the visual weight of furniture, not just its actual size. Light color furniture or pieces with legs appear lighter than dark or boxy upholstered pieces. In this small living area, the leggy chair doesn't obstruct views of the passage or the floor, so the space feels more open. The metal and glass coffee table also consumes very little visual space.

Use Neutral Color Throughout : Using a neutral palette throughout a living room is one of the best ways to push back the walls. The eye can roam freely through a neutral palette, so the space feels more expansive.

Emphasize the Vertical : A room's space always includes more than just its horizontal dimensions. Invite the eye to move above and below eye level. In this living room, emphasis on the vertical comes by way of floor-to-ceiling draperies that hang just below the ceiling beams.

Use Small Scale Furniture : Choose furniture in a scale appropriate for the room and for the people who will use it. The sleek design and small scale of a Saarinen Tulip chair suits a small living room, as does the Parsons table. The armless chair is heftier, but its lines and shape won't make a small room feel crowded.

Play Up the Light : Take advantage of all available light to help enlarge the space. Use white or pale colors, which increase the brightness of a room by reflecting light. Keep window treatments simple and avoid blocking the windows with heavy layers of fabric.

Add Seating with a Window Seat : Turn a window niche into a mini living area with a window seat. Choose slender, leggy furniture for small spaces because they take up less visual space. The eye is fooled into thinking the space is larger because you can see under and through these pieces of furniture.

Add storage without eating up floor space by building shelves into the space between wall studs.

Enlarge Space with White : A small living room escapes feeling constrained thanks to white walls, pale floors, and white upholstery. The elements of the room are united by white, giving the space a cohesive feel.

Carve Out a Corner : In an open floor plan, stake out a section for the living room with two love seats, or one love seat and two chairs, a large coffee table, and a rug. In this space, the seating placement distinguishing a living space from the dining area beyond. Filling the floor space with a coffee table may seem counterintuitive, but using a few large pieces in a small space actually simplifies the room.

Use an Ottoman for a Coffee Table : A large upholstered ottoman doubles as a coffee table when you add trays to provide a flat surface for drink glasses or a vase of flowers.

Scale Furniture to the Space : In a small living room, a narrow bench serves as a convenient coffee table without taking up much space.

Build in Storage : Give a small space grand character and maximum function with a bank of cabinets. This unit incorporates concealed storage with open cubbies, which help the piece feel lighter in the room.

Create Clear Traffic Paths : Arrange furniture to direct traffic around the conversation core rather than through it. In this small living room, the sofa marks the beginning of the seating space. Traffic coming in from the door is directed to go on either side of the sofa, rather than directly through the conversation area.

Keep Colors Light and Soft : Pastel furnishings, white walls, and a light neutral area rug make this living room feel lighter and brighter and therefore larger. The chair offers comfortable seating, but exposed legs, they consume less visual space than a club chair would.

2014 Fast and Easy Living Room Furniture Arrangement Ideas

Looking for an Easy Update? 

Rearrange your furniture! It's fast, free, and easy, and will make your living room feel like new. Daunted by the prospect? Don't be. With these tips, you'll be arranging like a pro in no time. 

You'll love these ideas to try in 2014! I hope you find these ideas useful and inspiring to you .... Enjoy it !!!!

Arrange for Face to Face Conversation : Arranging the seating pieces to face each other over a shared coffee table makes conversation easy, and the table keeps drinks in easy reach.

Divide the Room with Furniture : Divide a large living/dining space into separate zones with furniture placement. A sofa facing away from the dining room defines the conversation area from the rest of this open layout.

Seat Four with Chairs : If you don't have room for the usual sofas and love seats, four comfy chairs will serve as well or perhaps better. In this clean, crisp setting, matching white slipcovered chairs define an orderly, compact, yet welcoming seating group.

Pull Furnishings Together with a Rug : Use a large area rug to unify a seating group within a larger space. If the rug isn't large enough to contain all of the seating pieces, make sure that those farthest from the wall are solidly anchored on the "island."

Enlarge the Space with Diagonals : Placing the furniture diagonally gives a boxy room some flavor. The diagonal also creates a welcoming pathway into the seating group. Use the sofa and coffee table to establish the diagonal axis and arrange additional seating on the same axis. To subtly anchor the seating group to the room's architecture, align the area rug with the fireplace wall.

Make Space for Lounging : In living rooms where lounging and TV-watching are the main activities, a sectional sofa offers flexible, comfortable seating. Sectionals come in a variety of units, from armless chairs to love seats, ottomans, and chaises that you can combine to fit your space. The sofa in this living room is oriented toward the TV (not shown) and the extra seating is lightweight and can be easily rearranged to face the TV.

Divide Large Spaces with Seating : If your living room is the setting for large parties, bring intimacy and a comfortable sense of scale to the room by dividing it into two conversational groupings with a path between them. Placing one sofa with its back to this path underscores the separation between the two groups, as do the area rugs anchoring them.

Focus on the View : An effective room arrangement starts with the focal point, the cornerstone of your living room design. Typically a fireplace plays this role, but in this contemporary cottage space, the view out the French doors takes center stage instead. Orient the main seating piece toward the focal point and arrange the secondary seating pieces around the main piece. In winter, the room could be rearranged to focus on the fireplace.

Create Order with Symmetry : Pairs of matching sofas, side tables, and lamps strike a perfect balance on each side of the fireplace in this contemporary living room. Symmetry imposes a sense of order on the space.

Create Activity Zones : In a large, open room, use furniture arrangement to divide the space into different activity zones. Here a table and chairs gather on one side of the room, providing a spot for informal meals or games. In the center of the room, a sofa, chairs, and ottoman form a conversational cluster anchored by a rug.

Use Chairs Instead of Sofas : In a small living room, create a sense of greater space and openness with a collection of chairs instead of using sofas or love seats. The scale of these armchairs suits the smaller living room.

Set Aside a Sunny Corner : A pair of chairs with a set of stools converts this well-lit corner into a cozy spot for two. Whether you entertain large groups or small ones, providing guests with paired seating helps ensure that everyone will have at least one conversational partner.

Arrange in an L Shape : In this large living room, a sofa and a love seat form an L framing a large coffee table. This simple arrangement provides a convenient conversational cluster. A single chair at the other side of this group can easily be moved closer to the conversation grouping.

Create Quiet Spot in a Bay : Turn a bay window into a quiet spot for two with a pair of comfortable chairs and an ottoman. Provide the chairs with a table and lamp so you'll have light for reading and a place to rest a cup of tea.

Snuggle Up to the Fireplace : The fireplace is the natural focal point of a living room. Flank each side with seating, whether it's two sofa or a sofa and pair fo chairs, and place a large coffee table in the middle.

Offer Casual Seating : If you're more likely to lounge in front of the fireplace than sit on a sofa, keep a supply of oversize floor pillows and ottomans on hand. Ottomans can move where you need them for seating, or they can stand in as side tables.

Ribbon Projects 2013 Decorating Ideas

Use ribbon to add personalized flair to furniture, accessories and more. Start with ribbons in patterns and colors that match your room's decor and get embellishing!

Strips of grosgrain ribbon add style to this small reading nook. Durable ribbon adorning the chair helps highlight its curvy figure. Apply Sealah tape (available online) in short intervals to the back of the ribbon, pressing it onto the chair as you go. Jazz up a plain lampshade with short bits of ribbon adhered to the shade in random intervals (again, use Sealah tape to affix the strips). A single strip of ribbon around the perimeter of the side table ties each piece together.

Lengths of shimmering gold ribbon used on objects throughout this office space add oodles of character. Affix bits of ribbon to the top and bottom of a plain lampshade to add stylish flair. Use the same ribbon around the base of a slipcover to tie the whole look together.

When curtain panels won't fit or aren't necessary, try a simple rectangular valence to add softness and a splash of color. Use lengths of coordinating ribbon to tie it up and add dimension.

Use this snappy project to add character to a plain journal. Simply glue one end of the ribbon (any pattern or color will do) to the bar on the buckle and wrap around the journal and through the buckle, snipping a hole for the prong. Use a no fray product to keep the hole and ribbon end from fraying.

A collection of ribbon scraps and a metal tension rod are all you'll need to re-create this wispy window treatment. Simply gather an assortment of lengths of ribbon (we chose sheer pastel fabrics) and tie them to the top of the tension rod. The pieces can be easily switched out as decorating tastes and trends change.

Breathe new life into a tired chair with this creative ribbon project. To re-create the look, remove the seat cushion and weave layers of ribbon over the top of the cushion. Secure the ends underneath the cushion with nails, glue, or heavy duty tape. When you're pleased with the placement of the ribbons, place drops of fabric glue on the underside of the ribbons to secure.

Spruce up a plain-Jane place mat with lengths of colorful ribbon. The two types of ribbon used to embellish this place mat feature hues that complement the bold colors featured on the dishware. Use fabric glue to affix the strips of ribbon to the mat.

Use up those scraps of old ribbon that are cluttering your wrapping supplies, and create a pretty tablescape in no time. Here, bits of green ribbon in varying hues work together as a funky and fun alternative to an ordinary tablecloth.

Lengths of pink, yellow, and black ribbon around the perimeter of this dining table give the piece standout style. Bits of ribbon affixed to the matte around a nearby art print unifies both pieces.

Strips of brightly colored ribbon add flair to this console table. The strips along the top and base of the table run horizontally, while the pieces on the legs run vertically to emphasize the object's height.

Colorful Outdoor Decorating For Summer 2013

With easy to please green as your backdrop, be bold and add a dash of color here and a splash of color there to take an outdoor space from dull to dazzling.
Use these creative tips and fun do it yourself projects to gather the ideas and inspiration you need to take your outdoor spaces to the next level. From adding color with paint to planning a garden, we have everything you need to breathe new life into your yard, porch, or patio this season.
I hope you like it ........... Enjoy !!!

Sunny Day Umbrellas 

Provide sun protection with style. Upgrade your patio or deck with an umbrella that sports a fun color or pattern.

Unify furnishings in a spectrum of colors with the accessories you choose. An assortment of furniture pulls together as a seating area when they share stripe pillows. An outdoor rug unifies the arrangement.

Easy Solution 

Colorful containers are a simple way to brighten an outdoor space. Choose pots in various colors, sizes, and textures.

Coordinate Color 

Look to the flowers and plants in your yard for color inspiration. Use the hues you find to accessorize your outdoor spaces. Purple pillows on this patio match the flowers blooming in the nearby containers.

Use patterns alongside color to enliven your outdoor spaces. Implement patterns in your outdoor decor the same as you do indoors.

Paint dining chairs in bright colors and arrange them around a neutral tabletop. Distressed finishes and bold accessories give this open-air dining space even more personality.

Color Upfront While outdoor living spaces in the backyard are prime for color infusions, don't forget your front stoop or porch. Use colorful pots for plants, or even add a piece of furniture or two.

Cut a Rug 

Explore outdoor rug options to make outdoor living spaces feel more like rooms. Available in a myriad of colors, patterns, and sizes, these outdoor rugs often closely resemble their indoor counterparts in looks but are fabricated to brave moisture, sunlight, and the other weather elements.

Pretty Fabrics 

Create an outdoor room with fabric. This deck's setup is similar to an indoor living room arrangement: Outdoor fabrics in pretty patterns cover the plush seat cushions, the arbor serves as a wall and ceiling, and panels hang from the arbor to mimic window treatments. Accents such as lanterns and throw pillows complete the look.

Quaint Details 

Hand painted stencils, such as the botanical motif on the surface of this pillow, are an easy way to punch up outdoor fabric.

Metal furniture is generally affordable and it gives a cool color vibe to your garden or patio. A bar cart is always ready for a party, offering up a handy serving surface.

Colorful Starting Point 

The home's exterior creates the perfect starting point for this patio's color scheme. Orange accents, such as throw pillows, hanging fabric, and an oversize letter "B," stand out against the green exterior. Wood candle holders and potted plants bring the natural elements of the yard onto the patio. With plenty of seating and multiple tables, this patio is just right for enjoying bright summer days and warm summer nights.