Tips on Picking the Right Throw Pillow for Your Living Rooms

Does your living room look a little dull and boring? Do you feel like your room needs some finishing touches that can help upgrade the overall look of your home? Decorative pillows placed on top of leather sofas, armchairs or even on the floor can help you resolve this issue.

Throw pillows can be used to accent the theme of a room and to add texture to your interior design. Functionally, it’s used to make contemporary living room furniture set more comfortable and cozy for your guest and for the members of the family. With the right design, you can add personality to your living room without spending too much time and money in quick makeovers. Thinking of buying new pillows for the living room?  

Read our tips below and see how you can apply it in decorating your home.

1. Get the right shape and size for your sofa

When buying a throw pillow, it’s best to get the right size that can snugly fit on your living room furniture set. Bigger cushions look great on larger furniture with wider seating room, but if you have smaller couch, a small pillow can be more desirable.

2. Decide on an overall look you want to achieve

Look around your home for inspiration and decide what kind of energy or ambiance you want to feel in your living room. You can go vintage, classic, chic or modern depending on your personal preference. Look around your home and find inspiration from other things like paintings, curtains, or vases so you can pick a pillow with a complementing design to other items around your home. 

3. Choose the right material for your pillows

Living room is the most used area in your home. It’s also where members of the family stay together to do different activities. Because of this, you have to make sure that the materials or the fabric you use in your living room won’t cause discomfort. Go for cotton, silk or velvet to make your pillow more huggable and comfortable for everyone.

4. Don’t be afraid to be unique

As we have mentioned above, pillows can be used to add personality to your living room so don’t be scared to use pillow cases that has unique designs or details. If you’re on tour abroad or you went to a trade fair where you find something that you thought could fit in your living room furniture set, go for it!

Change the cover of your throw pillows every once in a while to give your room a fresh and vibrant feeling. Shop for unique pillows that complement your living room furniture set to come up with a homier look for your living room. 

Image Credits: ladesignfurniture

Should Contemporary Furniture Pieces Always Be Expensive?

Furnishing a living room of a new house can be quite challenging especially when you have a limited budget. Furniture pieces, especially those with modern designs can be expensive and would cut a huge chunk on your contemporary living room furniture set budget. The question now is are there any alternatives to this or do we have a choice to be able to get more affordable pieces for our living room.

Most contemporary pieces are indeed expensive for the following reasons:

•    Paying for the design – These new contemporary designs are usually conceptualized by famous furniture designers. So what you are paying for a particular piece is actually the brand name aside from the design and quality of the furniture piece.

•    Expensive material – Of course, if you go for an all leather living room furniture set, then be prepared to pay a lot of for it.  The cost of production is high because of the material that is used.

Of course, decorating your room need not be very expensive.  There are alternatives that you can get from other stores and even online.  There are contemporary coffee tables that you can get for less than $600 and end tables for less than $300. 

There are also sites that offer leather living room furniture sets for a discounted price.  If you are too tired to go out and shop, you can always go online to check out some bargain items that are offered. It is convenient and hassle-free shopping for your furniture.

Can You Do Loud Colors on Your Contemporary Living Room?

Shopping for new furniture can be fun and exciting. Surely everyone in the family would be able to contribute an idea on what to do with it and in choosing the items.  This way, the place becomes more welcoming and homey for everyone. Choosing a new brightly colored living room furniture set may be the key to give the place a new look.

Before, people usually prefer subdued colors like gray, brown or white when it comes to the color of the living room. However, times have changed and a splash of color in the living room is now widely accepted. So, to answer the question if loud colors can be done in a contemporary living room. The answer is partly yes and partly no.

Definitely, unless you want your living room to look like a circus or give anyone who sees it a headache, you may want to avoid having all the pieces in shock colors like magenta, fuchsia, or neon variations. That said, it is perfectly all right to introduce a pop of loud colors into some accent pieces, a fabric draped into a couch, or in some parts that would still look tasteful, like a rug.

Why is it partly okay to add loud colors?    

•    Adds more life to the room: A bold color in a wall will definitely change your room’s mood.  It can become livelier instead of drab and boring.

•    A good conversation piece: Choosing an unusual color like vibrant red or sunny yellow, as the main color scheme of your living room will definitely be a conversation piece when you invite people over. Not a lot of people have the guts to implement this.

•    Definitely makes the room modern-looking: Old houses used to be painted in drab colors like white or brown.  So by using a new color would definitely make your living room stand out.  

•    Sets the tone of whole place: A splash of bright and bold colors would definitely set the vibe for your living room.  Contemporary colors like yellow, orange and blue are now preferred over the usual white washed walls of yesteryears.

Using loud colors on your living room is possible. You can start of with one wall as an accent or draping a red cloth on your living room furniture set if you are not yet sure of the idea.  You can always go from there. But just remember a couple of things:

•    Use loud colors to make something pop in your living room. This means be cautious and don’t go overboard.
•    Do not use loud colors as the predominant theme of your living room, unless you want your living space to look tacky or you want anyone seeing your house to get migraines.

Things to Do to Prepare Your Home for Holiday Visitors

So you just got news that your family from other city will be coming over this Holiday! What to do?!  Well, actually there’s quite a lot. You have to do some cleaning, hang holiday decorations, cook food and wrap gifts for your visitors.

But for a starter, how about doing some quick cleaning and makeover especially in your living room? It doesn’t have to be a grand project. Sometimes a simple thing like moving your living room furniture set around your living room can give your space a new look.

Put on your working clothes and start working your way towards a holiday ready living room! 

Here is a short list of things to do keep you guided.

1. Put away clutter and unnecessary things

Look around your living room. Do you see anything that seems to be out of place? Well then it’s time to take it out of your living room and put it where it is supposed to be. Put away any personal things and important documents that may be laying around your receiving room. If you have monthly subscriptions of adult magazines, those things belong to your bedroom so let’s keep it that way.

2. Replace furniture cover and pillow cases

Spruce up your living room furniture set by putting fresh and clean covers and throw pillow cases. If you can afford it, why not visit a home depot store in your area and buy a new set with cute holiday accents. As much as possible, match the print and style of your covers with item in your home to make it look more stylish and organized.

3. Dust light fixtures

When was the last time you dusted your lamp or chandeliers? Maybe it’s time to touch it up with a soft brush or feather duster to make it look like brand new. Plus, don’t forget to replace busted light bulbs to keep every part of your home properly illuminated.

4. Stylize your home entrance

Put on holiday themed welcome rags, decorate with holiday ornament and most importantly, give your porch or home exterior a quick cleaning. Set off a pleasant first impression by making your home look more sophisticated and cared for at first glance.

5. Add extra seats or conversation zones

If your living room is only good for your and your partner and your pet dog, maybe you should consider bringing extra living room furniture in your living room. Look for something that won’t occupy too much space but will help keep visitors have a comfortable time at home.

After completing this list, you can then proceed to clearing out the kitchen, preparing your guest room and cleaning the comfort room. Don’t be too overwhelmed with the task at hand. Get your partner help with all the housework and turn it into your bonding moment. You will be surprise at how much can be done in a very short period of time.

5 Ways to Create a Winter Ready Living Room

As the weather gets colder and it becomes almost impossible to drive because of the snow-filled roads, the next best thing to do is to stay at home and snuggle in your living room. With a good book on your right hand and a delicious coffee on the left, you can actually say, “life is good” despite the weather outside.

To create a cozy living space during your stay, moving around your living room furniture set design, or installing some decorations can easily do the trick. 

Image Credit: Echo Valley Ranch

Here are other home decorating tips to make your living space more accommodating this season.

1. Cover cold floors with rugs

If you’re suffering from cold toes, you can easily feel better by putting large rug on your living room floors. You can use carpet, woolen, knitted or any other thick floor rugs to instantly make your space cozier and more comfortable. Make sure to match the colors of your rugs by using warmer colors of red, dark yellows, oranges or olive green for that appealing look.

2. Move furniture closer together

In summer, spacious living room may be more desirable, but in winter it can look cold and empty. When hanging out with your loved ones during winter, you may want to have them closer to make room for cool and relaxing conversations. Move living room furniture set closer together or add love seat or bean bag in your sitting room to make it more warm and intimate.

3. Go for velvet, suede, or wool

Warm fabrics made from these materials makes living room more relaxed and comfortable. Use it in cushion covers or table runners instead of using polyester or silk materials. You can also hang thick curtains to keep living room look cozier and prevent draft at night. Just make sure to fully open the curtain to allow sunlight to enter the room in the morning.

4. Cozy up with lights and candles

Nothing makes a room more relaxing by the enchanting whiff of scented candles. Make living rooms more romantic by installing lamps and scattering decorative candles on different places inside your home. Just make sure to keep them away your living room furniture set, curtains, table covers and other flammable materials to avoid any fire accident.

With little home make over, you can come up with a comfortable living room face that can look and feel more accommodating to your family and guests. Snuggle up while hugging your favorite throw pillows and enjoy a relaxing living room this winter season.

Guests are coming! Prepare Your Home with these Simple Tips

In a span of two weeks, people will be coming in and out or your home bringing presents, paying a quick visit or just joining your party. Is granny, auntie, or cousins from another state coming over the weekend? How about your old buddies from a nearby city? Plus your office mates also invited themselves to try your home cooked holiday dish! Are you ready to welcome them inside your home? 

Preparing your home this Christmas to receive guests over the holidays can be challenging and a little unnerving. From scheduling visits, to buying new living room furniture set to accommodate more visitors, to deciding what food to serve, there are definitely a lot of things to do to keep your home more comfortable for your guests!

Don’t get overwhelmed!

Here are some helpful tricks to welcoming guests this Holiday season.

Write Down Your Plans

Get a small piece of paper or keep a notebook handy so you can always write down notes, lists of things to do or items to buy. If you can’t rely on your mental notes, also list down names, contact information and date of visit so you can keep track of who to expect everyday.

Call a Professional Cleaner

Your modern living room furniture set, drapes, or carpet needs some cleaning to keep them looking their best. If you don’t have enough time to give your home a deep cleaning, you can always dial a professional cleaner to make your home spotless clean. Make sure to schedule in advance so they can attend to your home before holiday guests come marching through your door.

Think Safety

After kids unwrap their presents, chances are they will be rushing to play with their toys even before you can catch them. The best you can do is to keep your home safe and accident free as much as possible.

Keep your porch, hallways, bedrooms and the whole living room properly lighted to avoid accidents especially after sun down. Make sure to position your living room furniture set in such a way that it won’t hinder the natural foot traffic in your home to avoid bumping into sofas or tables. Also make sure all fire exits and extinguishers are functional in case of emergency.

Give Entryways an Upgrade

Squeaking door or rusty screens can be a real turn off. Ask your handy man to tighten screws, or oil hinges to prevent squeaks. He can also help in installing additional racks or hooks for coats and hats while you’re clearing the doorway from shoes, umbrellas and other clutter. Decorate entryways with holiday ornaments, rags or lamps for that nostalgic and heartwarming look. 

Image Credits:  David DeHetre, Dave

Give Your Living Room a Holiday Makeover!

Holiday is a time of the year where people travel from all over the country to stay with their families or visit friends and loved ones. While most of us will be busy shopping for gifts and cooking a feast for the whole family, we should also not forget to prepare our living room to make it more accommodating to incoming guests.

Greet visitors with a warm and cheerful holiday greetings by simply hanging different decorative items or adjusting your contemporary living room furniture set to make more space for fun and dancing.

Giving your living room a makeover doesn’t need to take your whole weekend. With the available materials in your home or closet, you can instantly create a cozier atmosphere fit for this time of the year.

Show off Your DIY Skills

Have you been pinning different Holiday decorating ideas on Pinterest? It’s the best time to try your hands on some Do it yourself projects! Use your creativity to craft a unique decoration for a more personalized celebration. Check out diy instruction or videos to create holiday wreath, oversized socks and other ornaments.

Decide on a Theme

Choosing a theme for your overall holiday decoration will keep the accessories and ornaments coordinated and organized. To make it more exciting, you can choose a different theme each year instead of just recreating the same look every year. You can go modern, festive, classic, or magical Christmas depending on your taste or expected visitors. If kids will be coming over for the holidays, you can add some cute figurines or images to decorate your living toom.

Enhance Living Room Entrance

Greet your guests stylishly by draping your porch or doorstep with garlands, decorative gifts and colorful holiday traditional items. Set their mood before they even step inside your home. Make sure to match the decoration in your living room area by using similar or complementing items.

Check Traffic Patterns Before Moving Furniture

One easy way to give a fresh look to a living room is by simply moving your living room furniture set. A simple change on the angle or the placement of your sofa can help make your living room look more spacious and neat. Remember to consider natural traffic pattern before moving any item or placing decorations like Christmas trees, corner tables or extra seats.

Dress Up Your Furniture

Pick up a Holiday themed furniture covers to spice up your living room furniture set. You can also put bright table runners to spice up your everyday living room. Spread the holiday decoration around your house by putting wrapped gifts or small holiday items in shelves, desks or tabletop vases.

Make receiving guests and small parties more exciting with these tips!