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designer living room

Your living room is the focal point of your home so you will want to make a statement in its design.

With careful planning and design, it is possible to achieve extravagance in the living room without breaking the bank.

The cost

Think interior design and the question of cost inevitably arises but achieving a beautiful and sophisticated look for your living room does not mean having to put a strain on your finances.  Decorating on a budget is easily achieved especially if you have existing pieces of furniture that simply need a new lease of life. Repurpose a table top or shelves with self-adhesive contact paper, which is available in many different designs and colours. You can get a chair or sofa upholstered by a specialist if you so choose but a single piece of fabric and some new cushions can transform the existing look of your chair or sofa in an instant and not break the bank. Older items of furniture may look out of place in a revamped room but there is nothing that a can of paint will not fix and a splash of colour on an old bookcase or coffee table makes them like new and helps them fit seamlessly into the overall look of the room.

Shop clever

If you want to add new items of furniture to your living room, rather than go to potentially expensive furniture stores you should visit local charity shops, or look at sale and exchange sites online for unwanted furniture that may still be in great condition. If you are going for a vintage or even rustic décor style, then trawling the charity shops and searching online is bound to help you unearth some suitable items. Of course, keeping to a budget does not mean that you are not entitled to splash out, but reserve some of your money for a big-ticket item that makes a real statement and will become the centrepiece of your living room.

Redesigning windows

One aspect of interior design and décor that can be overlooked is windows. Blinds and curtains are the most popular ways in which to dress up windows; however, an alternative is to use shutters, and there are some great shutter styles to choose from. When it comes to choosing a shutter style for your living room think carefully about what it is you are hoping to achieve.

Shutters have a practical purpose as well as a design function and are a great way of controlling the amount of light let into a room. For instance, a cafe style shutter allows you to control privacy and maximize light at the same time with a layout that covers the lower portion of a window only. In contrast, a full height shutter covers the entire window space yet its clean and simple look may better suit a room layout that has the same characteristics. If a living area can blend seamlessly with the outside it can add a real sense of space to the room but by using shutters you stop your furnishings being exposed unnecessarily to the fading effects of bright sunshine. The use of MDF or wood to manufacture shutters means they can be coloured or stained to match your living room look.

Be practical 

A living room is the one part of a house that you and other members of your family are going to spend a lot of your time in so any overall design plan is going to require a practical element to it.  That is not to say that a room practical for family life cannot be elegant and beautiful at the same time. The practical features can be made to fit around the elegance. Furniture can be durable without compromising on style. If you have young children, a white or cream sofa is impractical but a cool blue, deep brown or another dark colour may suit your décor just as well.

Wooden floors offer a classic, elegant look and are also easy to clean.  A large rug in the middle of a wooden floor adds a sense of cosiness to the room that might otherwise be absent.  Avoid the clutter of family life with elegant but practical storage solutions, whether it is low-level shelving units or patterned storage boxes. Soft furnishings and warm colours create a welcoming atmosphere that adds to family life and makes guests feel at home when they come to visit.

Make a real statement with a beautiful and extravagant living room design that reflects your day-to-day needs yet adds a wow factor at the same time.