How to Renovate Your Living Rooms
Main living areas are busy places and often serve more than one purpose, acting as a play space, dining room and study, as well as somewhere to relax. So before the lids come off the paint pots it’s important to consider your needs carefully.
Maximizing Options
Obviously, seating will be your first priority. The chances are that this will relate to where the television is, but even in an average-sized room there will probably be two or three ways in which furniture can be organized. Arranging furniture to create discreet zones for different activities will bring a sense of order and make a room look more spacious. Consider likely traffic routes – from door to sofa, from sofa to audio equipment – and aim for a layout that allows people to move around with ease.
Windows
A sitting or dining room is the best place to experiment with a grand scheme, especially if it has large windows. Window dressings can be costly, but don’t skimp on fabric or it could spoil the end result – far better to be generous with a cheaper fabric than mean with an expensive one. Lace panels, sheer voiles or a simple roller blind can be used to provide privacy without having to disturb carefully arranged or tied-back drapes. For a more contemporary feel, keep curtains simple – plain fabrics hung from poles with tab, ring or clip headings look fashionably neat and can be closed easily. Alternatively, forgo curtains altogether and opt for a blind – roman blinds look particularly at home in a sitting room or dining room.
Flooring
When choosing a floor covering for a living area, consider comfort and how easy it will be to keep clean, as well as the style. Easy-care alternatives that can be just as comfortable underfoot, though not quite as cosy, include wood, wood-look laminates, cork and linoleum, all of which adapt well to both traditional and modern settings and look wonderful with rugs. Old floorboards may also be worth renovating.
If warmth and comfort underfoot are your priority, carpet is hard to beat – but make sure it is hardwearing and a colour that masks dirt. For durability, the best choice is an 80:20 wool/synthetic blend, while a 50:50 mix is a good compromise between quality and cost. In a dining room, a stain-resistant synthetic pile will shrug off spills.
Lighting
Living rooms need a variety of lighting: gentle ambient light for overall comfort, pools of concentrated task lighting and accent lighting to give depth and character. Overhead light is often too harsh for sitting rooms and casts gloomy shadows. Wall lights, especially uplighters, produce a comfortable background light that creates subtle contours on walls and ceilings; in contemporary rooms, spotlights can be used. Recessed downlighters will illuminate the whole room with pinpoints of light or form accent lights to highlight foliage, a picture or a sculpture. Table and floor-standing lamps boost light levels and provide lighting for reading, while lights secreted in a glass cabinet or behind a pelmet create atmosphere. In eating areas, the focal point should always be the table. Sparkling glass fittings look fabulous over a formal dining table, but a rise-and-fall fitting will provide an intimate, glare-free pool of light.