- Start with your ‘Big Picture’ in mind – decide on the overall look and feel you want to create
- Start an Ideas Folder of finishes, fabrics and paint colours and narrow them down until you have your ideal colour scheme and style for the living room
- Select furniture pieces for their design merit and don’t follow trends – classic designed pieces are always going to be a sound investment as they won’t date
- Consider the proportions of the space and select the scale of furniture to suit
- Think about the number of people you want to seat at any one time
- Consider the size of the occupants of the house when selecting sofa size and depth –
- Custom made furniture is a great option and not necessarily more expensive
- Measure length and width of your room and draw a simple plan with dimensions
- Take your plan to the furniture showroom to see if the furniture fits before buying!
- Layout 1: Use Tape Measures and Masking Tape to size and tape out in positions on the floor to see how much space sofas and armchairs will take up
- Layout 2: Measure newspaper to size and lay out in positions on the floor to get a visual representation of the area sofas and armchairs will take up
- Start with a focal point to the room such as a fireplace, entertainment unit or a view and plan furniture placement accordingly
- Ottomans are a great addition to a furniture scheme – pulled up to a sofa to stretch out and watch a movie, extra seats when there’s a crowd or used as a coffee table
- Colour, pattern & texture in fabrics are all important considerations – Sofas and/or armchairs upholstered in bold colours or prints create interest in a room
- Furniture pieces upholstered in neutral fabrics can be instantly lifted with contrasting cushion fabrics in plains or patterns
