Lighting Basics for Your Living Room

When you're putting together your living room you will have two main categories of lighting to use within your room - natural and artificial.

Natural Light
Natural light comes from three main sources.Sunlight is the most common and less common elements used in rooms are the effects from the illumination of candles and also even more rarely used, fireplaces. When you plan your interior decor, make allowances for natural light coming in. You can maximize your natural light using a trick that ancient people from the early Greeks to the Egyptians knew, the use of mirrors. Experiment with mirrors in your room and you'll find the walls that they catch and carry the light around the room, making even more use of your daylight. Daylight can change the entire mood of a room from dank and boring to cozy and alive with sunlight shining in through a window. Candles can be placed around a room to bring a decidedly romantic mood to a room and fireplaces will lend a cozy air with their gentle illumination.

Artificial Light
After dark, most of your lighting will consist of this type of lighting. Table lamps, floor lamps, hanging fixtures and sconce lamps are all forms of artificial lighting. You can get a different look for your room by using different lamps for various areas of your room. If you to highlight an artwork or tall plant - use wall sconce lights shining up or down to bring a spotlight effect. For the rest of your room, table lamps or floor lamps will provide more than adequate lighting without compromising space.

Labels: interior-decor, lighting, living-room

 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Feeling Eclectic?

Eclectic is an often misused term that applies to a range of interior design. There are certain elements that apply to all types of eclecticism.

Defining the Eclectic Design
Basically, it is a blend of furnishing styles from a mixture of sources and time periods. In an eclectic room you may have an antique Louis XIV table with a statue of an 18th century Buddha sitting in full repose. The statue and the table may be separated with a woven tapestry from Holland from the turn of last century. Somehow, it looks fantastic and that's the basis of an eclectic style. A bird cage lantern set illuminating your room will look like a throwback to the 1800's and a little random, however there is nothing random about the design style of eclectic - that goal however is that it looks random.

When you put together an eclectic room, you need to consider the color and texture of every time as it relates to whatever it is immediately next to. This will enable you to create a room that is uniquely "you" and has elements of your individual style and also looks great.

Natural and neutral backdrops are great for highlighting items such as large over-stuffed couches with a tapestry throw from India or a furry throw from England to cuddle up on chilly nights. Use antiques sparingly in your room but they are very permissible to use in an eclectic design. Usual colors used are white, cream, gray, black, brown, taupe, and putty. Contrasting colors can literally be any color you choose, just look at the item the contrast will be used with to determine if it is a good match.

Labels: interior-decor

 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Making the Contemporary Room Comfortable

When you choose a contemporary design for your room, one thing that many people struggle with is to keep their oh so clean and modern from getting a "lived in" look.

If you have children, it can seem difficult to have a room where toys and other signs of life aren't left out and your dilemma is that you want your family to be comfortable in the room without it becoming a wreck from day-to-day living.

Getting rid of clutter will go a long way towards keeping your modern room looking modern. Your children will want to play in all rooms in your home so instead of making it a battle, make it convenient. Put in clean black lacquered trunk in a corner of your room and let your children keep their toys they use the most such as rolling toys or board games in the trunk, then they can use the toys they want and also put them up when they are done. Make the rule that no new toy can be taken out until the other toy is put up and your kids can play and your room will be not only functional but stay looking clean.

Other slick modes of storage come in the form of sectional units with side and bottom storage. Shelving needs to stay as clean as possible in a modern room, however a cleanly designed cabinet with doors that can close off the clutter will go a long way to contributing slick lines to your room as well as keeping your clutter under wraps.

It's easy to have a great looking contemporary decor that your family can live in, play in and enjoy the beauty of your interior design.

Labels: contemporary, interior-decor

 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Accent, Task or Illuminating?

Now that you know the two basic types of lighting in your room, you will need to choose the types of artificial lighting for your room to give it the feel you want and also have a functional room.

Accent Lighting
This type of lighting will be used around your home to highlight different objects such as artworks, small tables or make a corner brighter. Accent lighting does just what the name says, it adds an accent around your room. Use small wall recessed lights or sconce lights above a tall plant or under an artwork, making it stand out as if by a spotlight in your room.

Task Lighting
If you have a desk you do your personal paperwork or pay your bills; you will make good use of task lighting. You need good lighting from a lamp to do hobbies such as needlepoint, cross-stitch and beading. Task lighting is usually more direct light over a very limited area to ensure that you have good illumination for whatever task you're doing; whether for business or pleasure.

Illuminating Your Room
The last type of interior lighting does the functional job of simply lighting up your space. Whether you choose to use a floor lamp over a couch or love seat area or you want to use a pair of table lamps on each side of a sofa to lend an air of balance to your room; the idea is to create light that continues softly around your room.

It's easy to know what type of light to put where in your room. Where the light begins to go dim, add another form of light - just consider what you'll be doing most in that area of the room and you'll be able to quickly decide if you need accent, task or illuminating lighting in your living space.
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Aiming For a Contemporary Look?

One of the cleanest, smoothest styles you can get in your interior decor, is a contemporary look. Think modern, think clean - and you have the basics of a the contemporary interior decor look.

Colors to Use
Contemporary style uses clean colors and you won't see prints unless they are geometric in style. Florals and country scenes are generally not part of a contemporary decor style. Common colors that are used in a contemporary designed room include whites, creams, and darker shades including brown, taupe and mauves. You aren't stuck in this palette however; add a vibrant red chair by your white sofa for a splash of color that will wake up your room . Accents of color can also be brought in through the use of pillows, candlesticks and area rugs.

Textures in Your Room
The most common texture in a contemporary room will be shiny metal and highly polished (often black lacquered) wood. Flooring is usually either highly polished wood or tile. These textures can leave your room feeling cold if you don't "warm" them, up thought the use of color coordinated throws, rugs and make your window treatments all consist of "warming" fabrics such as velvets, velours, silks, faux fur and other clashing textures that will take away the cold feel and leave your room with a modern cozy feel.

Room Surfaces
The overall exterior of a contemporary room is clean and uncluttered. A contemporary room will still have photos of you and your favorite travel buddy looking like goofs on the beach in Rio, however they will displayed in slick black frames and grouped in a geometric design.

Labels: interior-decor

 posted by Allure Furniture Designs