Living & Dining Room Area Tips

● In interior design, a focal point is important in every room. It could be a large window or painting or an interesting art piece. In your living room, arrange your furniture around a focal point. Put your biggest piece of furniture first (like the sofa) then continue with the smaller pieces of furniture down to your accent pieces.

● Consider the size of your living room when you buy the furniture. Don't buy over sized pieces if your room is not that big. It will make your room smaller and cramped. And also don't buy tall furniture if your ceiling is low, they will make the ceiling appear lower. Visit websites for ideas.

● Also, the type, color and style of your flooring material should be considered in relation to the design style and size of the room. If the room is quite small, do not choose flooring with big bold designs as it will make the room smaller. Consider porcelain tile type flooring, hard woods and heavy duty types for living rooms and dining rooms if you expect heavy traffic on these areas.

● If you plan to put several picture frames on the walls. it is a good idea to group them together by theme and arrange them inside an imaginary frame. They can be the focal point of the room.

● Before you buy you dining room set, take a good look at your space. Be sure that there is ample room to walk around the dining set even if all the seats are occupied. Interior design has a lot to do with ergonometrics, not just appearance.  

● If your living and dining area is on the same room, you may use a different flooring material on the dining area to delineate the  space from the living area. Or you may put an area rug on your dining area for definition. A free standing screen is another good option.

● Avoid using fluorescent (white) lighting in the living and dining areas. Food looks more inviting under incandescent (yellow) light  and people's complexion too look better under yellow light. But if you really like to use fluorescent light, combine both white & yellow light at the same time.

● If you plan to put a chandelier above your dinning table, don't put it up so high. Lower it 3 to 4 feet from the table top.

● Aside from your direct light source above the dining table (a chandelier for example), add some pin lights around the room and a dimmer switch to make your surroundings more pleasing to the eye. Do the same with your living room.

● It is okay to put family pictures on the living room but don't put so many, specially school diplomas and trophies. They are better put in your bedroom.