LA Furniture Blog

Points to consider when purchasing area

The size of the area rug

The size of your living room will determine the size of the area rug that you need. Therefore, you need to get the dimension of your living room. Remember to leave an open space of about 4 x 8 inches around the rug. Choose from the various sizes of area rugs ranging from 6 x 9, 8 x 10 and 9 x 12 feet and can be bought from online furniture stores and physical shops.

You can also go to stores that sell rugs per your requirements. This may be expensive but you will be able to get the exact specifications, material and color that you want for your rug.

The color and pattern of the area rug

This must blend with your living room theme to create balance look in your living room.

Choose an area rug with geometrical patterns and colors if your walls and furniture are in neutral colors. This will add zest to the room so as not to create a boring look. It is also advisable because the patterns will camouflage stains.

Choose brown or beige if you prefer to have a rug without geometrical patterns to have a bit of diversity in your living room.

Create a lighthearted appeal in your living room by choosing an area rug with a splatter of colors making sure it blends with the other colors in the room. Contradicting colors will give your living room a crowded look.

The quality and texture of the area rug

Touch and feel the rug. It is not enough to just look at it. Some online furniture stores have 3-D features where you can see every bit of the rug to help you make a decision. Nevertheless, I would still suggest that you visit the store to check on it physically. Rugs are made in different materials so they naturally would have a different feel. Rugs that are smooth are made of wool and provide warmth particularly during winter. Those that feel coarse and uneven are made of natural fibers. Jute and sisal are the natural materials used to make area rugs. Elegant, luxurious and soft to touch are area rugs made of silk. Silk are pricey and difficult to maintain, though.

Buying a house these days entail having a big amount of money. This has prompted a lot of individuals to live in small areas like condos, townhouses and apartments. The question of what furniture to purchase for these small homes is what besets these individuals. Big furniture is a no-no with a limited amount of space that drives these people to choose the small pieces of furniture. The kitchen and dining area are commonly put together. In some instances, they are separated but the space is small. Faced with the issue of having a small space, homeowners are finding a hard time buying furniture for their abodes.

One of the good options that you can have when living in small dwelling places is to buy bar stools. Modified to suit the requirements of each individual, furniture manufacturers have redesigned bar stools. They are no longer seen in the pubs. Bar stools have been redesigned to suit more modern homes. With the new designs, bar stools have gotten a new name for which they can now be called counter stools. Still very much accessible are traditional wooden stools with three legs, rounded seat and armless and backless. Excellent choices for home use are those that were given a contemporary design.

The modern and contemporary designs of bar stools feature the following:

• wide seats with arm, back and feet support
• can be swiveled up to 360 degrees making it easier to turn your back
• adjustable height
• upholstered seat either in leather or fabric

Bar stools were made to be more functional to the user. Legs are not limited to the conventional three legs. You can find stools that have four legs with some having only a single stand.

Using them in your living room, bar stools provide you additional seating furniture. Those with hydraulics are better making it easy to modify their heights.

Use them in your dining/kitchen together with a counter and this can serve as your dining area in place of the usual dining tables and chairs. They will provide more space just make sure that they have adequate space between each other. The ideal space in between the stools should be 26 – 30 inches.

Nevertheless, you need to consider comfort when buying bar stools. The people who will use it should also be considered as well as the frequency of use. If they are to be used frequently, choose those made of sturdy materials. If they are only to be used occasionally, you can pick those that are with complex designs and styles. They should also blend with your room theme.

Making the most of your small patio space. Having a large patio is indeed nice for you can invite all your friends or host big family gatherings. However, there is no need to envy your friend’s big patio space, as you can still conduct entertainment activities on a limited patio space. Several people opt to choose to live in apartments and condos that have a small deck in these times because of the high cost of real estate. By choosing the compact patio furniture pieces, you can make the most of your patio space to have comfort during these activities.

Measure the space of your patio. If you will not do this, you will not be 100% sure that the furniture you saw online or in a catalog will fit in your patio. Some online furniture stores though include the measurements of the furniture which is a big help on your part. Nevertheless, you still need to measure your area.

Mark the places where your patio furniture will be placed. A masking tape can serve this purpose. Put a tape on the floor and write down the furniture for each space. Ensure that you have some walking space to prevent people from standing up from their seats to let someone from the back of the table.

Pick small tables and chairs. One good alternative is to have a bar set. Bar sets come with a selection of table shapes – square, rectangle and round. Bars are compact and come with stools. Otherwise, you can opt to have small patio tables.

You can add additional chairs and tables. Arrange them in such a way that they look practical and functional. You can group them or have a table with 2 or 3 chairs.

For small and narrow patios, get tables that are rectangular or oval-shaped. You can push one side of the rectangular table against the wall. Benches are good seating options in the patio, too.

Have some foldable chairs and tables. These will give you extra tables and chairs in the event that you need to seat more people. They are easy to set up and they can be kept in your garage or shed. They are also light in weight.

Choose light-colored materials for a small patio to make it look bigger. Glass top tables will also make the room look bigger since glass reflects light. Minimize your furnishings. Display only those that are quite good. Do not crowd your patio with so many items.

Brown signifies stability and security. Light tan, beige and subdued mocha are the recommended shades of brown to be used for a living room. Reserve the bolder shades for your accentuation and decorations. Dark shades of brown will make your room look smaller; hence, it should not be used if your space is limited.

The space, proportion and placement of furniture must be taken into account when designing a living room with brown-colored walls to achieve harmony.

Create contrast by putting a green wall paper if your walls were painted in brown. The combination of these two colors is nice and pleasing to the eyes. Have wooden furniture to go with this blend of colors.

Choose lighter shades of brown for your furniture if the wall was painted in dark brown. Remember, though, not to have big brown furniture for walls that are painted in dark brown. This can affect the equilibrium of your living room.

Sofas, shelves, coffee table and media stands or center must be in the same shade.

Brown walls will blend well with teal or greenish blue colored furniture. Choose unfinished furniture and paint it in greenish blue. Do the painting yourself and have greenish blue cushions. Throw pillows must be in solid teal or brown color.

You can likewise have white furniture for your brown walls. White is a neutral color and can be paired with other colors.

Clear acrylic and chrome chairs will also harmonize with the brown walls of your living room.

Have your table lamp in a neutral color like beige, white or cream.

Get drapes or curtains in brown, blue stripes or prints. Cream-colored curtains are also a perfect choice.

Use your creativity with your decorations to go with your brown-colored living room. Choose from the three tones of brown: dark, medium and light tones. Your big furniture must have the principal color. Apply the colors for your accessories that can range from photo frames, wall posters, paintings, throw pillows, vases, jars, rugs, etc.

Choose two styles of patterns for your decorations. For instance, you can have solid hues for your photo frames and jars while your rugs or table runners can have loop outlines. The patterns will catch the attention of your guests so they do not just concentrate on the solid hues of brown.

Lastly, blend the creamy tone of brown with various shades of blue such as teal or aqua. This will make your living room lovelier and superb.

What you need is to let your creativity and imagination work together to use your small space to the fullest. A good decision in your choice of furniture will solve what seems to be a very restricted area and make your home comfortable and presentable.

What small homes need is furniture that is pragmatic and functional. These pieces of furniture will provide you the needed storage space you need for your home. Modern and contemporary designed furniture features these qualities and acquiring them will make your home look bigger.

Buy small scale furniture. Big furniture will drown your space. To make sure you will not buy furniture that is not appropriate for your home, get a copy of the floor plan. This has the correct measurement or you can measure it yourself. Settle for small-sized sectional sofas or a few pieces of comfortable chairs. Modern sofas feature a wooden ledge that can be used as a table. This is sometimes located on its side or by turning over one of the back cushions. Some feature an extended base to serve as a table, too. You can also find some modern sofas that have drawers and open shelves.

A bench with underside cabinets will serve as seating areas as well as provide you with storage spaces. Place a cushion on top and have some throw pillows in geometric patterns.

For your coffee table, pick one that offers plenty of storage. Modern coffee tables offer plenty of designs and styles that are functional at the same time. Some have a disc-like design which can be rotated and revealing niches for small items. Others are designed to be a bar and coffee table in one. You can also find some that are circular in shape with side drawers.

Choose wall type TV stands to save on space. Pick one that has shelves to accommodate your other media items.

For your bedroom, get beds that have underneath drawers to store bed linens, curtains and bedroom stuff. You can find beds that have built-in nightstands.

Select a wardrobe with sliding doors to have more walking space amid the bed and the wardrobe. Ensure that it has shelves or drawers to keep your accessories. A dresser with a fitted mirror and drawer would be ideal, too.

A small kitchen will look more presentable and orderly if you get a kitchen counter. Pair this with bar stools and you have your kitchen and dining area. Kitchen counters are equipped with cabinets and drawers where you can keep your cooking utensils and other kitchen and dining wares. Have wall type cabinets in vertical position where you can put your appliances such as toaster, coffee maker and blender together. Provide hooks and hang your frequently used cooking utensils.

If you opt to have a separate dining table, get an expandable one that has a rectangular or oval shape. These shapes are more appropriate for small spaces than the square and round shapes.

The space under the stairs can be used as storeroom if you are living in a 2-story abode. Cleaning materials, play things and other items can be kept in this space.

Other furniture that is ideal for small living spaces includes folding chairs and tables.