Armed with the knowledge and advice of an experienced designer, which we will share today, you can become a real expert in choosing interior items. Choosing furniture is a challenging task for a beginner in this business. When you want to furnish an empty room, you expect it to fit a lot of everything that seems to be needed precisely as long as it is not purchased.
But let’s not scare you; on the contrary, we will share with you information from professionals. They know precisely what, how, and why to buy. Or don’t buy. All you need to do then is follow the rules of common sense and the advice of experienced designers and decorators.
Asya Bondareva, interior designer:
– I recommend choosing furniture first of all with a concept, decide what kind of atmosphere you want to create in your interior. This is very important – if you correctly formulate the idea for yourself, then selecting items for the interior will be much easier, and you will be able to avoid random things. Functionality is no less important in choosing pieces of furniture – I prefer chunks of furniture that are beautiful and useful. You should not compromise and give preference to cheaper models that do not take into account your actual needs – then, most likely, you will regret that you saved.
The following important nuance is the budget distribution because furniture is the most expensive item in the entire project called “repair,” and there must be enough money for everything; otherwise, there will be no joy from work done.
1- Choosing the center of the composition
The choice of the center of the future composition of the equipped room is significant. Please do not confuse with the center of the room itself! Imagine that a guest who will be here for the first time enters the room. Where will his gaze immediately fell?
That’s right, to the visual focal point, to the most conspicuous place – this is precisely the center of the composition. It can be a table with bright accents or unusual chairs, a window decorated with stunning curtains, a built-in decorative fireplace, or its imitation…
Around this compositional center, you will decorate the entire room’s decor. And the rest of the furniture will also be placed around it and tied to it.
2- Don’t stick to the walls!
The room area will dictate how far from the walls you can place pieces of furniture, but in any case, including a small space, you must leave at least 10-15 centimeters between the wall and the backs of sofas and chairs.
Such foresight will allow, if necessary, to get something that has rolled into an inaccessible corner, will not leave a chance for dust and litter, and the space itself will make it look more voluminous. If you are a happy owner of a vast living room, by all means, arrange a composition of several objects right, in its center, leaving a meter or two between the walls and furniture. The size and shape of the table depending on the room’s size.
Asya Bondareva, interior designer:
– Immediately, I recommend understanding which room is the most used for you. If you love to cook and your family gathers in the kitchen, then the lion’s share of the budget will have to be spent in the kitchen. Everything is necessary here: the materials of the facades and countertops, the quality and durability of chairs and tables, and the convenience of kitchen fittings. This does not mean that you have to choose an expensive kitchen manufacturer. It means that you need to foresee a lot, use the space to the maximum, in which you can combine all the necessary functions.
3- Create social zones
Of course, it is not very comfortable to communicate with your loved ones and guests while sitting on a new sofa, but at too great a distance from each other. Raise your voice and turn your neck to hear the interlocutor or be heard by him? It doesn’t suit you. Then arrange sofas and armchairs, if not opposite, then close enough to have a pleasant, quiet conversation.
If the room is enormous, you can create several communication zones. And in this case, it is better to choose massive furniture, allowing you to sit comfortably, without embarrassing yourself and each other.
4- Looking for a balance
The balance in the design of the room is created in several ways. For example, you can combine large pieces of furniture with small ones to produce different compositions so that there is visual balance. You should not group pieces of furniture according to the principle “large to large, and small to small.” Do not forget about the variety in their form.
If the guest chairs are in a row, place an oval coffee table next to it, and a square one will look great in a semicircle of chairs.
Asya Bondareva, interior designer:
– Living room. This room is designed to gather guests and spend time with the whole family. It is also essential to think about functionality here. If you often have guests, be sure to provide comfortable beds. In this case, you need to lay a decent budget for the sofa because cheaper options quickly become obscene and then spoil the whole look of your interior. Armchairs in the living room should not be chosen from the same series as the sofa. Headsets are irrevocably a thing of the past. Combine objects of different shapes, choose different upholstery for upholstered furniture that blend well with each other. All other items in the living room may not necessarily be expensive; the main thing is to provide for all the family’s needs. If you have a lot of books or have some collections, think about permanent storage places in advance.
Bedroom. Here I recommend not to skimp on a high-quality mattress first of all. Still, it’s better not to spend money on an expensive bed – you can make a custom-made headboard and upholster the base with the same fabric. This will significantly save the budget and, at the same time, get an excellent option for sleeping. Bedside tables, dressers in the bedroom are also items for reasonable savings; the main thing is that they are functional and fit into your concept.
I prefer to use wardrobes as a last resort if making a dressing room is impossible. In the dressing rooms, the main thing is well-thought-out functions, the filling itself can be bought simple, the main thing is that all your needs are taken into account.
– Children’s. Do not make the nursery for growth. The child should have a childhood, select furniture according to age, just provide opportunities for installing a desk and a full-fledged bed later. But this does not mean that you can save on the nursery – all furniture for the nursery should be robust, durable, environmentally friendly. Developing the taste of the child from infancy is essential.
Entrance area. This place will welcome you and your guests. Make sure that it always pleases you. This means that all things should be hidden to the maximum in closets or dressing rooms, and you should be greeted with beauty in the form of a beautiful console, a comfortable bench, and something else pleasing to the eye.
5- The passage must remain free
Neither you nor your family or friends who come to visit you will be delighted if they trip over furniture or bump into each other in the cramped living room. Consider in advance some distance between the sofa and the coffee table, as well as between the chairs.
Our opinion:
– It is far from always possible to follow these recommendations – the limited space of the room will not allow it. In this case, transforming furniture is appropriate, which you can lay out and push apart before the arrival of guests and return to a compact state after they leave.
6- Correct size rug
Regardless of their size, rugs and carpets must lie on the floor correctly. Instead, the furniture should stand on them perfectly, that is, ultimately, without going beyond the edge. You don’t have to try to carpet the entire floor area, but if you want to place a specific group of furniture on it, do it according to the rules of good decor. In extreme cases, the chairs’ rear legs may protrude “outside the frame,” but the legs of the person sitting in the chair must be placed on the carpet.
Our opinion:
“There are always exceptions to any rule. Let’s say you see an adorable rug that perfectly matches your decor in color or hue, but is too small to fit a dining group. Buy! Put it where it will be visible to you and guests! The advantage of this solution is that the rug can be shifted from place to place to change the situation and search for a spectacular option.
7- A big table is better
When choosing a coffee table, a large model is preferred, and professional designers even say that the larger the coffee table, the better. A large table in the middle of the living room perfectly satisfies aesthetic and functional needs. It acts as an “anchor” for the space and leaves plenty of room for people to move freely around it as needed. Haven’t found the perfect large coffee table for you and your home? Take two small ones; they can be a suitable replacement for the one not yet discovered.
8- Height matters
Sitting on a sofa or armchair, you and your friends should have easy access to any table, whether in the middle of the composition or on the side. It is inconvenient to reach out to put, for example, a cup of tea on the table or to take an apple from a vase. The table’s surface should be approximately at the level of the armrests of the chair next to it, or slightly lower, but in no case higher.
9- The more light, the better
Light is one of the essential items in any room decor. Try to combine the possibilities of overhead lighting, floor, table lamps, and sconces. An elegant floor lamp behind a sofa or by an armchair accents the interior, not to mention the direct function of lighting the guest area. Light sources should be placed at different heights; this will help to properly balance the lighting of the entire space in any situation.
10- Accessories and paint complete the picture
Things that hang on the wall, be it art, mirrors, collection items, should be harmoniously placed concerning the furniture. Don’t hang a tiny photo behind your sofa. Either use a substantial single image, about two-thirds of the sofa’s length, or create a composition with many items. If you are determined to use paintings or drawings for interior decor, but these items are small, place them in the middle of large frames, and cover the empty part with matte paper. The effect will pleasantly surprise you.
