Guidelines for Decorating Living Rooms

Color Choices

• Color is one of the elements that can help define your living room overall. Using lighter colors for smaller rooms helps give the room a more open appearance. On the other hand, if you have a larger living room and want to make it feel more cozy, a darker color will work. Your choice of color, in conjunction with the accents and decorative pieces you choose, will combine to create the overall impression of the room.

Walls and Floors

• Make use of the wall space in your living room. Walls that have plain colors can be boring. Consider painting your walls with a texture or adding art work or family photo galleries. Lighting installed on the walls, producing a softer light than overhead lighting, can be an effective way to set a mood in your living room as well as provide an elegant aesthetic touch. Don't be afraid to use mirrors on the wall, particularly if they are lighted.

  Experiment with various rugs on the floor or consider a carpet with a pattern. A patterned carpet or rugs can help add variation to a room with plain colored walls. If you have a wood floor, large throw rugs can be helpful to divide areas of the living room. For instance, a large rug beneath a couch, chair and coffee table in front of the TV can give one area of your living room a more contained appeal, with storage of DVD and music CDs set away from the entertainment area to avoid clutter. Dividing spaces is best suited to large living rooms.

Creative or Uncommon Use of Elements

• Taking an uncommon approach to decorating your living room can lend personality to the room. Use a stack of books as an end table or bring in old wooden barrels to use as tables for a more rustic appeal. A fish aquarium coffee table is a more expensive approach but can be an immediate conversation piece when you have guests. Choose items that can serve the dual purposes of functionality and appearance.

Focus on Theme

• Regardless of the decorating approach you take, focusing on a theme can help you create a consistently decorated living room suited to watching TV, relaxing, reading or visiting with friends. Some example themes include minimalistic (simple colors, no patterns, minimal decor elements), modernistic (chrome, black and glass elements with sculptures), rustic and cozy (lots of flowers, bright and dark color blends and casual use of furniture).