When you think of a living room, you automatically picture a sofa, so obviously this is where most people start when designing theirs. You begin sofa scrolling, visiting showrooms. But this is where the mistakes start. Before you spend a penny you need to know these 5 rules from us at The Living House, to save you from costly mistakes, wasted time, and regret.

Make a list and really consider how you're going to use the living room
Plan your layout before you buy a thing
Get inspired by images you love
Check which way the room faces before even picking up a paint chart
Don't overlook storage

Rule 1: Make a list and really consider how you're going to use the living room

To really know what you want from your living room, how it's going to work for everyday life, and how to make the most of the space, we recommend sitting down and writing a list. Think of all the items you would like in the room, from the sofa, side tables, coffee tables, table lamps, footstools and storage. It's basically like writing a design brief!

Think about how you use the living room in the morning, afternoon and evening. What are the different functions it needs? From being cosy and relaxing in the evenings, to having plenty of storage for when it doubles as a playroom in the daytime. Considering the real functions of the room means that when it's all done, you're not going to think weeks down the line, why didn't we add more storage, why isn't there anywhere to add a lamp or place a drink? Simple things, but what makes your living room truly function!

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Rule 2: Plan your layout before you buy a thing

Getting the layout right is crucial, and yes, that means deciding on it before you even think about buying a sofa. How else are you going to know what size sofa you need, how many people you can seat, where best to place the TV, or where you can position accent lighting with table and floor lamps? A well thought out layout will also make sure you avoid any dead space or empty corners, which can be so easy to overlook in the excitement of furnishing a room. In fact, planning the layout is where we start with every single customer project at The Living House, trialling different options to find what works best for the space before anything is bought or ordered.

Rule 3: Get inspired by images you love

Having a good look through Pinterest, Instagram and magazines is a great way to find inspiration for your living room. Collecting inspiration images should lead you to see what style direction you're most drawn to, as you'll see a pattern of similar styles, colours, textures and moods emerging. Don't worry if a room looks nothing like yours in terms of size and shape. It could be the colours you take from it, or the style of furniture that's been used. So don't take the images too literally, use them as a starting point!

Rule 4: Check which way the room faces before even picking up a paint chart

As tempting as it is to pick up the paint chart as the first thing you do when designing your living room, you need to find out which way the room faces first. North, east, south or west, the direction makes all the difference before you fall in love with a colour. The amount of light, or lack of light, your living room gets is going to impact which paint colours work best. A north facing living room will feel cool and dark, so avoid cool-toned shades as they will make it feel chilly. Instead, you'll want to warm it up with paint colours that have red or yellow undertones. Whereas a south facing room will have lots of sunlight coming in, giving you much more flexibility when choosing paint colours.

Not sure how to check which way your room faces? Check out our easy Instagram video to show you exactly how!

Rule 5: Don't overlook storage

Your living room shouldn't just be about how it looks. Of course, this is important and you want it to be visually appealing, but if it doesn't work functionally for how you live then it's not going to work for everyday life!

A living room in most family homes has to have multiple functions. It needs to be a place where you keep the arts and crafts, the toys, the books, so don't overlook storage as you will regret it later down the line. There are plenty of ways to add storage such as footstools, making the most of alcoves with built-in units, baskets and window seats to name a few. Plan in plenty of storage and it will help keep your living room tidy and organised, making it an easy space to live in that works for the whole family.

Rule 6: Get Samples of Everything

As you can imagine, as interior designers we can't say enough about how important samples are when designing your living room. Even if you have seen the fabric on the sofa in the shop or their swatch books, you need to actually see it in your own living room to avoid any costly mistakes.

Get as many samples as you can from the sofa fabric, paint, curtains/blinds, flooring, everything you can get your hands on. Not only do you want to see the samples in the natural light of your living room, but you want to see all of your samples together to see if they complement each other in terms of textures, colours and patterns. You can then use all your swatches to create a moodboard, and take them out and about with you when shopping for accessories. This will help avoid any returns!

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Designing a living room is a big task! We understand that it can feel overwhelming, from knowing where to start to simply having enough time to think about what you want the room to look like and how it needs to work. But with these rules it should make getting started a little easier.

Of course, if you'd like an expert to take it off your hands and help bring your inspiration and ideas to life, then we're here to help. See us as your design friends! We will design your living room so that it actually works for you and your family. No copy and paste design here, every scheme is truly personal and unique. Whether you're musical and need your living room to also house a piano but have no idea how to make the layout work, or your living room is half playroom, half adult retreat for the evenings, we can help!

Book a free discovery call with us today and let's chat about how we can create a living room you'll love.

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