Do you find it difficult to choose a living room layout? This infographic put together by The FurnishedUp Blog makes it easy for anyone to decide on a practical decorating scheme. Developed around the user’s personal needs, the information below counts for quality advice when planning your house. For example, if you would like to direct attention to a particular focal point in your living room (be it a bookcase, fireplace, television set or a fantastic view), all furniture should be oriented towards that focal unit, with armchairs, pillows and ottomans creating an inviting conversation circle. If you plan on having a kids-friendly interior, setting up “areas” is considered the best way to go. Simple partitions can be used to create a distinction between the children’s space and the adults’ conversation zone. Three further options are illustrated below, feel free to “investigate” and choose what layout best suits your own living room. Be sure to also check out the kitchen layout guide, an infographic presented on Freshome in a previous post, helping you choose a kitchen design based on the fridge-oven-sink work triangle.

Styling a couch with throw pillows shouldn’t be stressful, it should be fun! With so many fun ideas circling the internet, it’s easy to find the perfect throw pillow ideas for your space. Unique throw pillow arrangements, styles, and colors can help liven up even the most boring rooms and create an inviting atmosphere. Gone are the days of drab, matching throw pillows you used to see in your grandmother’s home. Now, it’s all about mixing and matching, using a variety of colors, shapes, sizes, and textures. Don’t forget that throw pillows aren’t just for couches. Using throw pillows on your bed can create the perfect mood for your bedroom. These throw pillow ideas are sure to spark your imagination to create the perfect look for your bedroom or living room design. 1. Use One Color in Three Ways For this design, the main color is gray, but it’s used in three different ways: solid, pattern, and small stripes as an accent color. This adds a unique look when incorporating the color of your choice, without making the design look too uniform. 3. Go Bold Picking a really bright color for the theme of your throw pillows won’t look tacky if done correctly, and it’s an excellent way to draw the eye. Go for a bright turquoise, orange, or yellow, and tie the color into 3 or 4 pillow designs that contrast your furniture. 4. Mix & Match Patterns One of the biggest trends in throw pillows right now is mixing up your patterns. The key is to go for a main color, and then pick one busier pattern and one or two low-key patterns that use that main color. This set uses contrasting floral patterns with calmer dots. 5. Pick Unique Textures Who says too much texture is a bad thing? True, it can look tacky if you have too much of the same texture, like all shag pillows. But this design is done perfectly, using different beaded and flowy textures that work well together to create a sophisticated, Parisian feel. 6. Use Different Sizes & Shapes Mix and match the sizes and shapes of your throw pillows. Don’t be afraid to go for really large, fluffy pillows, as long as you don’t make them take over your sofa. Your pillows should make your sofa look inviting, rather than leave little space for sitting. 7. Mix Neutral Colors with an Accent Color This design uses neutral grays, tans, and golds with a bright pop of orange from one pillow. If you’re nervous about going too bold with color, this is the perfect way to add in an extra boost of color without letting it overthrow the rest of your color palette.

Dress up a plain drum shade with ribbon. A subtle gray-blue ribbon accents the shade in this dining room, complementing the wall color. Choose a bolder hue, such as turquoise or fuchsia, to create more contrast and add a pop of color. Design by HGTV fan tgr3gory. Paint Your Walls Add interest and pattern to your walls with a striped paint treatment. For this dining room, HGTV fan creativelydreaming uses leftover paint from her living room makeover to take her dining room walls from boring to beautiful. Update Lighting Modernize your dining room with industrial-style lighting. Balance their streamlined look by combining the lighting with natural furnishings, like distressed wood tables and wicker chairs. Design by HGTV fan Rethink Design Studio. Add Slipcovers Tired of your chairs? Slipcovers are an easy solution for changing the look of any upholstered chair. For added sophistication, have slipcovers made with your monogram. Design by HGTV fan ebonie. Display a Collection Make a style statement by displaying a favorite collection of dishes. HGTV fan Tetbury paints the hallway leading up to the dining room a deep blue, perfectly accenting her vintage Staffordshire dish grouping. Create a Stunning Ceiling Don't forget the fifth wall – the ceiling. Add architectural details, paint a unique design or do both, like HGTV fan CasaSmithDesigns, who creates an Old World-inspired ceiling with rustic beams and custom artwork in muted primary hues. Go all out With Lighting Eye-catching chandeliers are the hallmark of a well-designed dining room. HGTV fan matq dresses up this contemporary space with a glamorous chandelier. Eclectic Seating Mix and match your seating. Turn a nook into a cozy, casual dining area with banquette seating and even a wingback chair. Design by HGTV fan TABCAD Be Creative Make a statement in your dining room with bold, complementary colors like pink and green. In this dining room designed by Shelly Riehl David, the bright, patterned draperies, contrasted with an enameled walnut credenza and gilded buffet lamps celebrate a creative style. Update With Wallpaper It's not your grandmother's wallpaper anymore. Today's wallpaper options range from updated florals to cool graphics, like the geometric print designer Brian Patrick Flynn used in this dining room. Combine Patterns Ikat chairs and modern floral wallpaper live harmoniously in this contemporary dining room. Designer Kate Ridder combined the loud patterns with robin's egg blue to ground the space. Add Coziness Bring elegance and warmth to your dining room with an ornate area rug. Designer Ron Nathan incorporated hand-painted wallpaper, floor-to-ceiling draperies and an intricate China cabinet for an extra luxurious touch. Personalize Your Space Find something that's uniquely you and display front and center like designer Jennifer Dyer did with the horse mural. A transitional buffet has a high-contrast finish that fits with the room's crisp, up-to-date aesthetic, and a comfy upholstered arm chair is an unexpected touch at the head of the table. Add Natural Elements Bring life to your dining area with houseplants. Succulents are easy to care for and make the perfect centerpiece year-round.

Make your home into a space you love with furniture, storage and decorative accents Whether you're redesigning an entire room or just need new lighting or curtains, LTD has the home decor style and home goods selection you need to make the most out of your space. You'll also discover a large array of storage options for every room of the home, plus the garden and garage. Add texture to the kitchen and entryway with plush rugs and mats. They help a room feel unified and add an essential splash of color. Looking for living room ideas? Give a couch or chair an instant makeover with a new slipcover or accent pillows. These simple elements instantly update your interior design without hurting your wallet. Don't forget the furniture! We have home entertainment centers, TV stands and console tables for flat screen TVs and DVD players, plus storage units and shelves to organize books, DVDs and games. Looking to create a modern home office? We offer affordable furniture, computer accessories and other office essentials to help you stay on task and productive. Find everything you need for affordable home decor at LTD.

One of the most important things to consider when shopping for in-wall or in-ceiling speakers is where you're going to place them. The guidelines below can help you get a speaker setup that sounds good and works with the build and design of your room. Placement for home theater These guidelines will help you get as close to ideal as possible. Not every tip will apply to every system. But the more you can implement, the better your system will sound. In general, try to place speakers at least 2 feet away from corners and other surfaces that might interfere with or reflect sound, such as tall or bulky furniture. In-wall speakers in 5.1 and 7.1 systems: Place the front left and right speakers so that they're at or slightly above ear level when you're seated, both equidistant from the main listening position. If the speakers are in a wall that's 10 feet from your chair, place them no more than 10 feet and no less than 5 feet apart from each other to maintain a good stereo effect. Place the center channel speaker so that it's at ear level when you're seated. If your television is wall-mounted, place the center channel speaker slightly below. If your TV rests on a stand or table, place the center channel speaker just above it, and angle the tweeters down towards seated ear level if possible. Place the surround speakers above seated ear level (as high as standing ear level). If the rear surround speakers are placed at seated ear level, they will overwhelm the sound coming from your front speakers, resulting in muddied and inaccurate surround sound. However, if your system will incorporate Dolby Atmos® surround sound, we recommend placing all in-wall or on-wall surround sound speakers at seated ear level to ensure optimum Atmos height effects. For Atmos home theaters, Dolby recommends using four ceiling speakers, with one pair located in front of your listening position and a second pair behind it. They also suggest using in-ceiling speakers with a wide dispersion pattern, or speakers with aimable drivers that can be angled slightly toward your listening position. If your system can only accommodate one pair of in-ceiling speakers, mount them slightly in front of where you’ll be listening. Don’t worry if your speaker placement isn’t perfect, your Atmos-enabled receiver’s auto calibration system will help dial in the sound for optimum performance. For a 5-speaker setup, the right and left surrounds should be to the right and left side of your main seating position. For a 6-speaker setup, the center back speaker should go directly behind the main listening position, in line with the front center channel speaker. It should be about as high as the left and right surrounds. For a 7-speaker setup, the two additional back surround speakers should be placed behind the main listing position, at equal distances from the main listening seat, and about half as far apart as the right and left surrounds. They should be about as high as the left and right surrounds. In-ceiling speakers in 5.1 and 7.1 systems: Place the front left and right speakers at an equal distance from your main listening position, in front of your TV, about 2-3 feet away from the wall. If the speakers are 10 feet from your chair, place them no more than 10 feet and no less than 5 feet apart from each other to maintain a good stereo effect. Measure the distance from the speakers to your chair in a level, horizontal line — i.e. don't measure upwards from your seat to the speakers in the ceiling. If your speaker's tweeters can swivel, aim them towards your seating position. This can help create a realistic soundfield — you'll be able to hear objects on the screen as they move from left to right. As you're choosing speaker locations, also keep in mind the effects of reflected sound. Even if you angle the tweeters toward you, you'll still hear the sound that's reflected off the wall behind the speakers. Ideally, that reflection should be at the same level as your TV screen. You can figure out how far away from the wall you should place your in-ceiling speakers by using a mirror. Mark the spot on the ceiling where you think the speaker should go, then sit in your favorite listening position. Ask a helper to hold a mirror up to the wall, moving it up or down until you can see the mark on the ceiling reflected in the mirror. That's where the sound will reflect off the wall. If the speakers are too close to the wall, the reflection will be too high; too far away from the wall, and the reflection will be too low. In some setups, you may find that you prefer to aim the tweeters directly at that spot wall to get more reflected sound. If your in-ceiling speakers have that feature, experiment with aiming your tweeter before you put the grille on. Place the center channel speaker right in the middle of the front left and right speakers. Also aim its tweeter (if possible) directly towards your seating position. See the images below for placement of surround speakers in 5-, 6-, and 7-speaker setups. If you have aimable tweeters in your surround speakers, you'll generally also want to aim those towards your seating position. You may also position these speakers closer to the adjoining wall than the front speakers. The sound will reflect off of a higher point on the wall, which is generally desirable for surround speakers. A Dolby Atmos surround sound system incorporating only in-ceiling speakers is not recommended. For a 5-speaker setup, the left and right surrounds should be to the left and right of your main seating position, as far apart as your front left and right speakers. For a 7-speaker setup, the rear left and right surrounds should be placed behind the main listening position, at equal distances from that seat. They should be about half as far apart as the right and left surround speakers positioned on the sides.

Many people use the terms “modern” and “contemporary” interchangeably, but in the design world, the two words have different connotations. In design, the term “modern” refers to a particular era, which is from the 1920s to the 1950s, while the word “contemporary” indicates a style that is current now. In living room design, consider the size of your space, color preferences and favorite design elements before deciding whether to decorate in a modern or contemporary style. The Modern Living Room Today, design experts often refer to modern décor as retro styling. A modern living room design is likely to feature clean, simple lines combined with monochromatic hues and a punch or two of your favorite color. To create this design style in your home, place a basic, raised leather sofa with a rounded back in the space, and add a minimalistic wood or glass coffee table. Modern fireplaces may feature an art deco design that includes bold lines and geometric patterning or basic columns with a tiered mantle. The Contemporary Living Room Since contemporary design is styling that’s popular today, it frequently borrows furniture pieces and styles from multiple eras. Contemporary is often eclectic, so if you decorate in this design, then you can combine current furniture with classic elements like craftsman style wall moldings, traditional wainscoting or ornate chandeliers. Today, unique and distinctive features are popular. Contemporary fireplaces can fit the unique requirement. Modern-day styles include corner and freestanding fireplaces as well as ones that are flush with the wall or centrally located.

Take advantage of Free Shipping on best-selling mirrors, and add decorator style to your dining room and every room of the house. In small places, such as an entryway or a small living room, mirrors add depth and dimension by visually doubling the size of your space. For added style, consider using decorative mirrors in the living room, where larger designs are sure to impress with their bold, oversized looks. There are a few helpful terms to know before you shop. Frameless decor mirrors offer a light, clean look for modern interiors. Beveled edge glass is an attractive angled-cut side that offers a finished look; decorative mirrors for bedrooms and sitting areas often utilize this feature. For traditional and transitional dining rooms, sunburst frames incorporate a round shape with rays extending outward from the center - whether gold or silver, ornate or minimalist, they're always sure to please! With over 1000 mirrors to choose from, have fun, shop around, and find a look that best reflects you.

The generous size of this open-concept home offers plenty of options for space planning and decorating. A floating furniture plan allows fluid movement between the breakfast nook and living room, while a solid color scheme unites all surrounding spaces. Make an Entrance Since most entryways open directly into open living rooms, keep the color schemes and styles complementary. The same coral paint used in the entryway carries throughout the living room, so all areas work together. Smart Home Touches An updated thermostat can make a world of difference in a beautifully designed home. Swap out old, dated thermostats for more attractive options, like this programmable system. Breakfast Nook To give the space between the living room and eat-in kitchen a practical use, it was designed as a casual breakfast nook. A round table and rug keep traffic flowing easily between the two spaces. Anytime you're working with a boxy space, consider adding rounded pieces to soften the hard lines. Statement Lighting To define different zones in a living room, statement lighting is the way to go. Since the breakfast nook is used a lot by kids, a fun pendant fixture made of rustic twigs was added directly above the table. For a curated look, consider using light fixtures to introduce interesting textures and materials into the living room. This will help break up monotony in color while also adding depth. Pedestal Table When space is at a premium, round pedestal tables are the best option. Since the pedestal is centered under the table, it offers more space around the table to accommodate additional chairs. Task Spaces Living rooms occupied by busy families need all the extra function and storage solutions they can get. This streamlined console table is situated just off the breakfast nook and offers concealed storage and an extra spot to pull up a chair and do homework. Pendant Lighting The home's kitchen is grounded by a trio of polished chrome and frosted glass pendants that are graphic in shape and coordinate with many of the round accents used throughout each area. Most designers recommend installing pendants in groups of odd numbers for proper visual balance. Color Palette Color is the most efficient design trick for unifying different areas within an open-concept home. From the entryway all the way into the living room and through the kitchen, the same shade of coral paint was used on the walls. Similarly, the same accent colors of hot pink and spring green were used in the accessories and furniture. In addition to keeping the overall look consistent, this uniform use of color makes the entire living space feel larger. Office Nook With more and more people starting to work from home or telecommute during the week, multipurpose spaces are becoming increasingly popular. Workspace nooks have taken the place of formal home offices for today's more relaxed work culture. With just enough space to work from a laptop, these nooks offer a designated spot for housing your work materials without cluttering other areas of your living space. Workspace Surfaces To keep a consistent look between the kitchen and workspace, consider using the same countertop surfaces. In addition to creating a more uniform look, this will also allow an extra spot for food preparation, which becomes especially helpful during the holidays. Everyday Entry With an open-concept home, simply closing the door on a messy space isn't always an option. Set up areas that are typically prone to clutter, like mudrooms, so organization is second nature. Label baskets and hooks for each family member to create a seamless and more efficient routine for the entire family.

Because they make your home more elegant and more interesting, every home should have a bay window! Bay windows can make or break the overall look of your room, because their unique shape also makes them very difficult to decorate. If you place a couch or other piece of furniture in front of these windows, it can take away from the window's beautiful impact. A bay window that is over-decorated and screams for attention can definitely overwhelm a room. There is a very fine line between decorating and over-decorating a Bay window, which you'll find out when you are faced with the decision - what to do with that window? So how do you enhance your bay window so it will add beauty and value to that lovely nook in your home? Here are some tips: How to Decorate a Bay Window Have the Right Window Accents . Bay windows definitely have architectural and aesthetic appeal. You really don't need to add too many window accents such as lace, curtains, blinds, etc., because bay windows are beautiful on their own. If you aren't overly concerned about privacy, you might just want to keep your bay window as is, so the light will pour into your room. On the other hand, if you need privacy, there are some simple things you can do. Consider installing shades if you must. You could choose something simple but elegant - rolling or Roman shades. Stay away from Venetian blinds because their horizontal lines might make your bay window look too "busy". Consider Café Window Panels . You can try placing a pressure bar halfway up the window and hanging a cute curtain panel on it. By doing this, you allow some light to flow through the window's upper portion and still achieve the privacy you need. Try not to hang swooping valances, large and heavy curtain panels, or ornate treatments unless you want your room to look extremely formal. You can enhance your bay window by adding the right pieces of furniture. A sofa, an armoire, or any other large piece of furniture won't be suitable, as they can easily block the light from entering through the window. Go instead for a small, but comfortable, piece that you can place in one corner of the window. A side round table complete with a plant and a floor lamp make great additions to achieve a cozy reading corner that will not distract from the aesthetic value of the bay window. To create a breakfast nook, simply add two cute chairs. Accentuate with a window seat . One of the best things you can do to decorate your bay window is put up a window seat. You can do this by adding a bench, a cushion, and completing it with some throw pillows. Although window seats are fairly expensive additions, you can actually create an improvised one out of your inexpensive cabinetry. Window seats not only improve the look of your bay window, but they also provide additional seating and more storage for your room as well. Bay windows are perfect for your home. Designing this place is not as hard as you think. Whether you use your bay window as a cohesive part of your home or you simply want to leave it to stand on its own, bay windows will certainly add some flair to the overall look of your home. Importance of Decorating a Bay Window: Ideas and Benefits of Having a Bay Window According to interior designers, having a stunning house entails a lot of work. One of the things that homeowners pay a lot of attention to is maintaining the interior of their home. They also try to stay up-to-date with various interior design trends. Although it seems as if designing a home requires a lot of money, it's still possible for homeowners to stay within a relatively low budget without compromising the quality of work, and the finished look. There are a lot of homeowners who incorporate a bay window into their home, which not only adds a beautiful design element to the interior of their home, but accentuates the exterior look of the house. Primarily, bay windows are incorporated into house designs because of their beauty and the amount of light they let into the house. Bay windows are available in various shapes. There are simple rectangular bay windows, those that are polygonal in shape and bay windows that arch at the top. An Oriel window is a style of bay window that projects from the wall of a house or building, but does not extend to the ground. It's important to make sure the shape of their bay window complements the style of the home, both inside and out. Perks of Having a Bay Window Bay windows are not only meant to improve the aesthetics of a particular room, but they increase the value of your home, and improve the efficiency by adding passive heat in the winter. Because a bay window protrudes from the structure's outer wall, it gives the illusion the inside of the house is larger than it actually is. Although it does give the room the bay window is in a bit more space, there is also the added bonus that the recess of the bay windows tricks the eyes into believe the entire wall is farther out than it is. Primarily, the space for the bay windows can be used for storage or sitting, and it will modify the ambiance within the room. The shape of the bay window will also modify and enhance the window itself. Typically, regular windows only have single, simple glass panels. However, the bay window has three or more glass panels, which are linked together at different angles. The light comes in from different angles, and thus, they reflect against one another. Due to the element of light, the inside of the structure feels more open, more welcoming, and of course, brighter.

Steps Determine how the living room will be used. This will help you decide what furniture to buy and what theme/color scheme to choose. Determine how many people will be using the living room on a regular basis so that you can buy the appropriate sized couch and include the right number of seats, if applicable. Account for the practical as well as the aesthetic uses of the room. Consider how you will use the room as well as how you want it to look. Keep both in mind as you plan your decorating budget. Decide whether or not you want to have a television set. If you do, then decide on where the television set will be placed before decorating; avoid placing it in a spot with excessive window glare. You may also need to buy an entertainment system or armoire to hold the television. Choose a color scheme and style. Having a theme in mind is important when picking out new furniture so that you can achieve your desired aesthetic. You might also want to consider changing the color of your walls to match your preferences. Consider the following ideas for living room themes: Warm tones. Paint your walls cucumber-green and buy yellow and orange accent pieces, which include arm chairs, throw pillows, and pieces of artwork. This color scheme creates a warm, playful environment that is both colorful and settled. English country. This includes green, blue, red, or gray toile-patterned wallpaper, chintz-patterned accent pieces, shabby-chic furniture, and elegant china. Offset the splashes of color with neutral tones to avoid a living room that is too busy. French country. Like English country, this style combines colorful patterns like stripes and checkers with neutral tones. Find vintage neutral-toned French-provincial pieces, and add deep red and blue accents. For a more formal look, add elegant drapes and a glass chandelier. Modern/contemporary style. Modern design is very minimalist; stick with neutral tones like beige, gray, and dark brown, and choose furniture with straight lines and smooth surfaces (stay away from detailed embroidery or carvings). Try a long, L-shaped couch in beige with dark gray throw-pillows and a dark wooden rectangular coffee table. Take measurements. Before buying any furniture, you should measure the length and width of your living room. Determine where you want to position each piece of furniture and the proper measurements for that area. You should also measure the height of your ceiling if you plan on buying a bookcase or armoire. Get the essentials. Regardless of what style or color scheme you choose, you will need the following items to complete your living room: A couch. Consider getting one longer couch (seating 4-5) and one smaller one (seating 2-3). Place them perpendicular to one another. Coffee table. This will serve as the centerpiece of the room, and can be used for magazines, books, television remotes, etc. The couches should be placed around the coffee table. Accent chair(s). These add splashes of color and provide additional seating. Television or fireplace. These serve as points of reference to determine what direction to point your furniture in. If you don't have either of these items, then face your couches and chairs toward one another with a coffee table in the middle. Add embellishments. Once you have gotten the essentials, you will need to add some smaller, decorative items. Find artwork for the walls, and decorate your mantelpiece with figurines, candles, and picture frames. You might also need one or more lamps to provide additional lighting. Other items include a bowl of fruit for the coffee table, potted plants, vases with flowers, and various books or magazines. Consider hanging window drapes or getting blinds for your windows, particularly if windows face out into the street. If you have wooden floors, consider getting a large rug to cover your floors.