Alternative Uses For Your Living Room
Like most colonials, our home has a house room and a living room. And like most homeowners, we spend a lot more time in our house room than our living room. In fact, my 7 year old still gets confused when I use the term "living" room. It's now just known as the "red" room in our house.
Alternative Uses For Your Living Room
Alternative Uses For Your Living Room
Alternative Uses For Your Living Room
Alternative Uses For Your Living Room
With some minor changes and a lot of inspiration, you can turn your living room into something you'd verily live in! Here are some potential uses and compose tips to help you get started:
Home office - Home Office means separate things to separate people. It could be a place to pay bills and file paperwork, or a place for kids to do homework, or you may run a enterprise out of your home. Anything your definition, focus your compose nearby the function of the room.
Provide a clear face on which to work. It's easy for a desk or table to come to be overrun with "stuff" resulting in no place to verily work. Tight for space? How about a table that drops down from the wall when needed (like a Murphy bed)?
Add a comfortable desk chair that is adjustable and doesn't squeak (trust me on this one!). If your room has carpet, reconsider a plastic floor protector to help you wheel nearby easier.
Add lots of underground storage, but be sure to clearly label your storehouse units so you know where to find things.
Lighting is key! You will need overhead as well as good task lighting. If there is no overhead light, add some up-lighting.
Select functional accessories that add personality by do not cutter the space. But be faithful not to make it too institutional - it's still your home, after all!
Keep the palate light and interesting to inspire energy.
Minimize and fetch cords as much as possible. Go wireless wherever possible.
Library - Love to read? Have a great book collection? Turn your living room into a cozy place to curl up with a good book! It's like having your own coffee house.
Add lots of shelving. Rather than just adding bookcases, reconsider customized bookshelves built nearby a window to generate a window box seat. Not only will you get added storage, you'll add a marvelous focal point to the room.
Instead of a traditional sofa or loveseat, opt for two or three comfy club chairs (depending on space). fetch those chairs nearby a round glass-top coffee table with a wood shelf underneath to show off some of your popular coffee table books.
Provide task lighting for each reading chair. Pharmacy lamps are great for this. Make sure you also have adequate lighting to see the books on the shelves.
As a library, you can comfortably use darker paint to generate warmth.
Accessories - add a warm toned rug, soft throw blankets, and pepper the walls with black and white photography to generate a coffee house feel.
Toy room - A toy room can be a great compromise in the middle of parents and kids in the eternal battle of toy clutter!
Opt for shelving with interesting bins that can hide the clutter inside them, and allow for pick-up in less than 5 minutes. Open storehouse looks messy, even when the room is picked up. Avoid a range of mis-matched toy organizers - they look tacky!
Make sure the room is comfortable for grown ups as well as kids -add a comfortable chair or loveseat.
Add a kid-sized table and chairs. Tip: put a machine washable rug underneath to survive craft time!
Keep the room interesting with cheerful colors, but avoid "cutesy" - save that for their bedrooms.
If your kids enjoy movies, add a Tv and Dvd player.
Set clear rules for cleanup, and stick to them!
Media room - Do you enjoy watching movies? generate your own movie theater in the ease of your own home!
Add French or pocket doors and light-blocking shades to generate a dark, quiet environment on demand.
Add a large screen Tv with surround sound.
Add a dimmer switch to great control the lighting. Add task lighting to allow for discreet multi-tasking while watching a movie.
Depending on how many habitancy will be watching the movies, add adequate comfortable seating. Tip: use two loveseats angled at the corners of the room opposite the Tv, and toss a consolidate bean bag chairs behind them for extra seating when necessary.
For decor, just frame a few of your popular movie posters and hang them on the walls.
Don't forget the Dvd organizer and a handy remote control holder!
Mud Room -Depending on the layout of your house, you could change your living room into an oversized "holding cell" to adapt coats, back packs, shoes, calendars, cleaning supplies, dog bed, pet food and much more. You get the idea!
Assign a "locker" to each house member (don't forget the house pet). Lockers supply vertical storehouse that makes good use of the space while hiding its cluttered contents. It's a great storehouse explication for jackets, purses, backpacks, and more. Lockers can be wood or metal, whichever you prefer.
Add wall hooks for guest coats, umbrellas, etc.
Add a shoe rack for wet or dirty shoes. Place vinyl placemats underneath to safe your floor.
Create a mail box for each member of the house to control mail flow.
Add a credenza or file cabinet to file all that mysterious paperwork that wanders into the house.
Create a message center by painting a wall (or part of a wall) with magnetic and/or chalkboard paint. Make it "pop" by adding a large empty gold leaf frame!
Add a colorful rug. Rather than get one large rug, opt for a consolidate smaller rugs that are machine washable.
How about a small drop-leaf table and a consolidate chairs for small projects, or for putting boots on?
Stag room - What can I say? If you must have one, here are some ideas:
Add a pool table, and a dart board (if room).
Include a bar and some bar stools.
Opt for a darker paint color that won't show wear and tear.
Display your popular neon bar sign, deer head, or other prized possession.
Add a juke box in the angle if you like.
Don't forget the traditional "dogs playing poker" print!
Overwhelmed? Call an Interior Re-designer in your area. They specialize in production rooms work using what you already have. It's a very cost-effective way to bring new life to your old room.
It's time to start verily living in your "living" room!
Alternative Uses For Your Living Room