How to Furnish a Fantastic Modern Living Room

Here's an easy way to successfully furnish a fantastic modern living room!

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Imagination

1. 
    
   Before

   Have a clear vision of the look you are after. Look through magazines and at photos online. Be honest with yourself. Trends are tempting; but will you still love the look a few years from now? Keep these photos with you at all times as a guide.

2. Look at the bones of your project. In this project the carpeting and the walls were drab. We changed the carpeting from a flecked Berber to a solid one and then choose a warm celery color for the walls that was used throughout the whole apartment. A small space feels larger and more unified with one color.

3. Furniture first - the rest later. You might be inspired by a pillow, but that should not be your first purchase. Select your furniture and then move on to pillows, window treatments and accessories. They are the icing on the cake.

4. Be patient - If you you find a sofa and chairs you love at a great price, but you have to wait a couple of months for delivery, then wait it out. So many people will drive themselves crazy for the next two months looking for a replacement that can be delivered immediately, only to come back to the original choice in the end.

5. 
    
   After

   Great design is in the details. This project is 3 years old, but you would never know it.

Tips & Warnings

• The custom-made draperies shown are white cotton panels with silver grommets. Lately I have seen many low-cost imitations at JCPenney, Restoration Hardware and Linens-N-Things.
• One of my great designer secrets is that Crate and Barrel has a phenomenal selection of pillows with down fillers at great prices.

Resources

• My Design Secrets

[Pixie1976]

on 6/27/2008 You're right, furniture first. Wisdom.

[acole]

on 6/25/2008 I love modern looks and the "beach" look. It's fun to decorate, I have a few articles on decorating and using color. Check them out and rate them. Thanks!