While many people resolve to move their bodies (to the gym) for the New Year, I directed my energy to moving my furniture around instead. Last weekend, after taking down the Christmas tree and decorations that had livened up our living room for the last several weeks, the room looked bare and well, boring. To mix things up, I thought it would be fun to change the layout and rearrange things. My husband did not think this was quite as *fun* as I did, but still graciously agreed to help me with the big items. (I gave him a break from the smaller pieces as I spent a good amount of time moving them back and forth again and again, and it was the last day of the holiday break, after all.)
This weekend, if you want to mix things up in your home for the new year, why not pick a room and change the layout? It’s a satisfying way to refresh your decor without making any major investments. Here are some tips on rearranging your living room.
1. First, figure out where to put the sofa. Our living room is the shape of a rectangle and the sofa has always sat against the back, longer wall in between two floor-length windows. I decided to try to move it 90 degrees to face the adjacent fireplace, but it made the room feel less spacious and so we moved it back to its original place. Sometimes there is a single best place to put a piece of furniture. If your room is square, you will have more options. Some layout options to consider…
2. Now that you have your sofa in place, think about how you want to use the room. We don’t keep a TV in our living room and it is typically used for conversational gatherings, so I like to have one big seating area so people can see and talk with each other easily. If your living room serves more than one purpose, consider breaking it up into two or more areas for different functions.
3. Once you’ve moved the seating around, test it out before deciding whether to keep or change it. Sit down, take it in, and give it a chance. It’s harder to get a feel while standing. Take a seat (or all of them) and look at the room from different angles, especially from the main point of entry. A living room, especially, should be inviting. After trying one alternative layout and rejecting it, I consulted my trusty Domino Book of Decorating for room-by-room advice.
4. Move your lighting and accessories to match the new layout. Look at your space and see if pieces are too heavy on one side or too light on another. It’s also nice to have a well-lit room. Check out our recent suggestions if you find, as I did, your new arrangement requires more lighting.
5. Grab a loved one, a book, a glass of wine, put up your feet and to enjoy your *new* room!
