A well-balanced and carefully constructed living room brings the house into alignment by creating the perfect welcoming space for friends and family. Whether you’re entertaining a crowd or planning a date night for two, pack your living room with all of the comforts to relax and all of the amenities to bond.
Furniture
To kick back and unwind in your living room, you’ll need furniture that can comfortably fit your family and friends. Consider getting a pair of sofas or a sofa and loveseat to place perpendicular to one another and ease the flow of conversation. Add a coffee table and end tables on the sides of the furniture to hold snacks, beverages and games. Once you’ve got the basic furniture elements down, focus on all of those extras that make the room feel homey. Think pillows, chairs, throws and a carpet. Furniture can get pricey, but flat-pack outlets and discount stores do allow you to save when shopping.
TV
Whether you’re a gamer, foreign film buff or prime-timer who wouldn’t dream of missing Monday Night Football, a television is essential to your living room. Picking out the perfect TV like a 3D TV helps make make the room a staple for movies, games and other activities. Take the size of the room and the distance from the seating areas to the screen into account when shopping for your new TV. An overly large television can dwarf your room, while a too-tiny screen won’t engage. Buy a TV from a reliable brand, such as Sony or Panasonic. A budget television is too big of a gamble.
Shelving
Shelving for games, books, collections and entertainment media make it easy to keep your new living room free of clutter. When picking out shelving, choose from freestanding or wall-mounted units. Storage that slides underneath your coffee table or sofa adds additional places to put things without cluttering the room. If you’re a film buff or if you love rewatching your favorite television shows at home, you’ll need somewhere for your movies to live.
Games and Electronics
What you’ll need really depends on your family. If you’re a big gamer, you’ll need multiple gaming systems and plenty of room to organize your gaming library. You may need storage space for ancillary equipment, such as Rock Band instruments or Wii Fit pads. Of course, board games, card games and novelty games bring the family together and deserve a space in your living room. Think cards, poker chips, classics like Scrabble or Monopoly, puzzle games like Jenga, and gaming tables. If you have the space for it, foosball or air hockey allow all-ages fun and can be great on bro nights.
Sound System
It can be easy to forget about a sound system; these tend to be small and designed to store out-of-the-way. But a sounds system delivers big when you want to host a house party or root for your favorite team during playoffs. When picking out a sound system, know the dimensions of your room. It would be a pain to spend a lot on a killer system that just doesn’t fill the space or to avoid utilizing your system to capacity because it’s overkill.
As with all home renovation projects, a budget is key to successful project completion. Start with what you can afford and build on from there. A sofa is far more necessary in the early stages than a pool table or PlayStation. If there are any elements or features that you just can’t miss when planning your ideal living room, what are they?
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