Living Room Ideas -
The traditional three-piece suite is far too big and cumbersome for most living rooms, because if you want a good-size sofa you get two hefty armchairs as well. If there's space for only one large piece of furniture, you're far better off splashing out on exactly the sofa you -want and then adding smaller-scale chairs and stools.
Low fabric-covered footstools or higher piano-stool designs can be kept out of the way beneath a table when not in use, and plain wooden stools will double as occasional tables too. And because they're not part of a set, their use is far more flexible - you can always move one of them on to a bedroom or wherever else it's needed.
Don't feel constrained to stick to the three-piece suite 'triangle' either. You probably won't have much choice about where you put the sofa, but think practically about where the other chairs will look best and be most help.
Consider which areas of the room will get most use, and the places people will need to reach. And don't be tempted to arrange all the seating facing the television - it makes a very unattractive focal point!
Remember that if your sofa is also a sleeper, it needs to be positioned where you can fold out the bed without having to move other furniture. Don't box it in between pieces that are too heavy to shift easily.
Another option when considering living room ideas is to do without a sofa altogether. A mix of chairs in different styles and fabrics looks just as good, and makes more use of the space. Or you can use a chaise-lounge or day bed as an alternative sofa.
Location: When thinking about home theater design, consider that an ideal location for a dedicated home theater room is a room that is isolated from the rest of the home, such as a basement. You do not want people walking in and out of the room when you are trying to enjoy your favorite movie. It is also important to keep in mind the surrounding rooms. If you share a wall with a neighbor, your new subwoofer that is the pride and joy of your home theater system may shake the pictures off their wall during intense action scenes. Of course if they have a dog that sneaks over into your yard to do his business this may be a good way to get even.
2. Acoustics - Acoustics are what help determine the sound qualities of your home theater. The goal is to both absorb and reflect your sound. A room with too little reflection would resemble having your theater outside and would be dull and lacking bass. If your home theater design includes too much reflection the sound will echo, resembling an old stone cathedral. The goal is to include sound absorption between the screen and the seating area. This can be in the form of professional sound absorption materials or it could be in the form of drapes, carpet or bookshelves.
3. Shape of Room - The shape of the room is important for a number of reasons. One reason is for sound quality. Bass and mid range sound can be distorted near the walls and corners. Avoid rooms that are cubic such as 8' x 8' x 8' as well as rooms where 2 of the 3 dimensions of the same. Another consideration is for the room to be as enclosed as possible and not have an open space shared with other rooms.
