Design Essentials: The Living Room

Have you ever walked into a room and felt as if it just didn’t feel complete? That it didn’t give you the warm fuzzies or that sense of delight? It is most likely because it is missing a key element to the design, if not several key elements. In this series, we will be discussing design essentials for every room in your home! Whenever Asha Maía Design is hired for a project, we consider a specific set of elements in each design. Because room size, shape, and/or design style vary, not every project always calls for each specific item; however, it is still our goal to incorporate these essentials into each finished project.

The living room is often times the heart of the home. Depending on the home’s size and style, there may be a living room and a family room. In those cases, the family room then typically takes place as the heart. It is the place where the family gathers, relaxes, and creates memories. Curling up for movie night, hosting a game night, reading, entertaining, celebrating holidays, and other activities all happen in this space and require specific furnishings to make them successful and feel complete. We believe a successfully designed room has three main categories of furnishings 1.) Furniture 2.) Lighting and 3.) Styling. Each of these categories is important to a full and cohesive end result. The furniture sets the foundation, lighting (as well as color) sets the mood, and the styling brings everything together and creates a sense of home.

Here is our list of our essentials for an impeccably designed living room:

Furniture:

Sofa(s) or Sectional
Occasional Chairs - To provide alternative seating to a sofa or sectional.
Accent Chair - A chair that adds an opportunity to showcase style and ancillary seating.
Coffee Table
Side Tables
Drink Table - A smaller accent table usually placed between occasional chairs to offer a place for setting down drinks.
Media Console or Sideboard - If the room does not have a television, we like to include a cabinet that offers storage for board games, blankets, etc.

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Lighting:

Table Lamps - Table lamps offer task lighting for activities like reading and also offer accent lighting to a space.
Floor Lamps - Floor lamps can serve as task lighting as well as overall room lighting.
Overhead Lighting (Chandelier)

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Styling:

Area Rug(s)
Drapery
Throw Pillows
Throw Blankets
Art
Books
Plants
Candles
Other Styling Accessories

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We’d love to hear from you! Let us know your thoughts on this list and if there is anything you’d add!

Discover our Design Essentials for other rooms in your home…