How to Decorate Your Living Room

Decorating a living room so that you will love it does not require years of decorating experience or a degree from a design school. All it takes is paying attention to your own likes and dislikes and when necessary those of your family.

There are many decorating styles, from tradition to modern to southwestern, but everyone is far from the same and decorating your living room should be done to create a look that is uniquely you! You may want to add elements from styles you like but don't feel compelled to stick with one style alone unless you love it.

Here are a few tips to decorate your living room so that you will love it!

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• an artist's notebook with blank pages
• lots of magazines
• scissors
• glue stick

1. Cut & Paste Pictures from Magazines

   DISCOVER WHAT YOU LOVE

   Before you buy a thing, the first thing you want to do is to figure out what you like. One of the very best ways to do this is by gathering a pile of magazines and a pair of scissors. As you look through the magazine, cut out any picture that gives you a good feeling. The magazines do not have to be decorating magazines although it will be helpful to have some.

   Don't put too much thought into what you select. Do this exercise quickly and impulsively. Cut only pictures that make you feel good. Cut as many pictures as you want until you have a reasonably sized stack.

2. Buy a Large Sketch Book

   PASTE YOUR PICTURE INTO A LARGE SKETCH BOOK

   Using at least an 11 inch artists notebook, begin pasting your pictures onto a 2 page spread. Arrange them in anyway you like. When you are done, close the notebook and walk away. Let it sit for a day or two, or a week.

3. Your Decorating Taste will Emerge

   LOOK AT YOUR DECORATING NOTEBOOK

   After some time has passed go back to your notebook and look at it. In most cases you will see color trends and the pages will be totally you in both colors and textures. This is where you will begin the decorating process.

4. Collect Samples of Fabric and Paint

   TAKE YOUR DECORATING NOTEBOOK WITH YOU WINDOW SHOPPING

   Take your notebook and begin to window shop for fabrics, paint and furniture to decorate your living room. Use your notebook only as a guide. Add swatches and samples to another 2 page spread. If you find a piece of furniture you like, ask for a brochure or take a picture of it and include it in your notebook. Pick up samples of wallpaper if you see something you love, even if you don't plan to use wallpaper. It will give you color combination that work well together.

5. Use the wall paint as a foil when decorating your living room

   TAKE YOUR TIME AND ENJOY THE PLANING PROCESS OF DECORATING YOUR LIVING ROOM

   Using this technique set your creativity free and take all the time you need to put together the perfect selection of items. Choose your paint color carefully and unless you want your walls to be a focal point in your decorating scheme choose a color that will create a foil for the rest of your living room decor.

6. Decorating Your Living Room Doesn't Have to Empty Your Bank Account

   TAKE YOUR TIME WHEN SHOPPING FOR LIVING ROOM FURNITURE & DECOR

   We all look forward to having our living room decorating finished, so that we can sit back and enjoy it. But if you can allow your room to be an ongoing creative endeavor, adding items slowly as you find them, you will create a room that is uniquely you and in which you will only have things you love. If you buy something you do not love, replace it as soon as possible. Sell the couch, or lamp, or painting on Craig's List or Ebay, and find something you do love.

   By all means consider buying used to begin with. You will find great quality furniture on Craig's List if you take your time to wait until you find what you're looking for. Until you are absolutely sure of what you want, buying used can save you a ton of money.

Resources

• The Home Improvement Coach
• HGTV Decorating & Design
• Decorating your Living Room
• Living Room Inspiration
• Design & Decorating Ideas
• Real Simple Decorating Tips
• Home Decorating Made Easy
• Home & Family Network
• Country Living Decorating Ideas for Living Rooms
• Tips for Decorating Your Living Room
• Decorator's Secrets