When it comes to decorating the family room, people often have trouble with arranging the furniture to maximize the potential of the room. When the furniture is arranged properly, the room will seem stylish, but also natural and comfortable. Here are 5 suggestions for making the most out of your room’s potential when arranging your furnishings.

1. Consider the Location of the Doorways
There is only one doorway in some family rooms, while others may have two. Keep the locations of these doorways in mind when arranging your furniture, as this will ensure that the room has a good flow. For a family room with two doorways, try to place the furniture so that people don’t cross the “conversational area,” as they walk across the room. A major consideration for those rooms with one doorway is to be sure people can easily access the furniture without have to navigate through the whole room in order to sit down.

2. Take into Consideration the Walls
If you have a long wall in the family room, that is a great area to place your big sofa or other major piece of furniture like a mission tv  stand. That wall can also be made into a focal point for the room by placing something like an entertainment center there. The other furniture in the room can then be arranged around this wall.

3. Leave Plenty of Space between the Furniture Pieces
When arranging the family room furniture, you need to make sure that you leave plenty of walking space in between each piece. You want people to have adequate space in which to walk around the room but still have things close enough so the space is intimate. If you’re able to strike a balance, then people will have a comfortable amount of space to walk, but when seated, they won’t be so far away that the space isn’t intimate anymore. No one wants to be bumping into furniture right and left when walking around. But on the other hand, you also don’t want people to have to shout in order to talk to one another.

4. Make Sure the Furniture Balances Properly
One common mistake is to put all the large pieces of furniture on the same side of the room, leaving the space looking completely off balance. For instance, don’t place a large sofa next to a large recliner, and then put a small chair and oak end table across the room. Try your best to achieve both horizontal and vertical balance in the room by mixing up your larger and smaller pieces.

5. The Furniture Arrangement Should Be Functional
When arranging the furniture in the family room, you need to be sure to keep it functional. You want to make sure the family room serves its purpose as a more casual, sort of hangout room. Thus, if you’ve designated this space as a place for your family to watch movies together, then you need to be sure that enough of the seating faces the television screen so that everyone is comfortable. It doesn’t matter how stylish the family room is. If it’s not functional, the space will be completely wasted.

Arranging the family room furnishing should go much more smoothly when you follow these simple tips. What will result is a family room that’s stylish, yet also comfortable and functional.

One great way to utilize that basement space in your home is to transform it into a home theater for you and your family. A drab and boring basement can easily be converted into a stylish family space where everyone can get together to watch movies, play games, and just hang out. Before you start this decorating project, here are some important things you should know.

Be Sure Your Basement Is Waterproofed
Before you do anything else, you first need to be sure your basement is properly waterproofed. It’s fairly common that as homes get older, the walls and foundations weaken and start to crack. Once this happens, all it may take is a small storm for water to start pouring into your basement. You’re not going to want all your valuables in your home theater ruined by water damage. Thus, be sure your basement is waterproofed.

Design Your Home Theater with Both Comfort and Style in Mind
It’s a common misperception that for a room to be stylish it has to be uncomfortable, but that’s not the case at all. There are a variety of ways to have a stylish and cool home theater that’s still a relaxing and comfortable spot in your home. The key is to choose furniture that’s comfortable and that will easily fit into the space you have. Some people may end up using the floor as their sitting area, so be sure to choose a nice carpet for the room.

Measure the Area of the Room Before Buying Anything
If you’re really excited about this project, just be sure you don’t run out and start buying items before you even draw up the design plans. If you start buying larger items, like a wooden tv stand, leather sofas, or a wood coffee table, before you measure the room, this can create some problems. One thing you don’t want to do with a home theater room is cramp it with tons of items. Part of using your space properly involves being sure the seating area is far enough away from the television that a movie can be comfortably viewed. If you make sure there’s plenty of room in the sitting area to walk around in, then you won’t have to go through a maze just to sit down.

Pick Whatever Theme You Want
Just because you are creating a home theater doesn’t mean it needs to be decorated like a movie theater. Whatever style you decide on for the room will work well. Of course, you can always go with an old Hollywood or Broadway theme for the room if you decide you want to stick to an entertainment style. Whatever style you decide on, get creative and keep things comfortable.

Converting your basement into a home theater room should be fun, not stressful. Decorate it with your own sense of style, as you would in any other room in your home. You’ll probably end up spending a lot of time down there, so just be sure to make things as comfortable as possible.

Oftentimes people believe that in order to change the look of a room, they have to do a drastic redecorating project. However, this is not true at all. Here are some simple and easy steps you can take to create an instant makeover in just about any room in your home.

Paint the Walls of the Room
One of the most popular way to give a room an instant facelift is to paint the walls a completely different color. The color that’s on the walls of a room basically styles the whole room. If you paint a blue room tan, for instance, that color change will alter the light in the room. This, in turn, affects the way all the other objects in the room appear. The great thing about painting is that it’s not hard to do. That fact that it’s a do-it-yourself project makes it quite inexpensive. Make this a weekend project. By Monday morning, you will have a whole new look in that room.

Use Slipcovers on the Furniture
If you love your furniture but are tired of the fabric, slipcover may be just the solution for an instant makeover. When you add a slipcover to a piece of furniture, you can dramatically change the décor. Some of the most dominant objects in any room tends to be the furnishing, and thus when you change the pieces, it will be very noticeable. Even better, it only takes about ten minutes to install slipcovers. Slipcovers come in a range of prices, but for the nicer ones, you may have to spend a little bit more money.

Hang a Piece of Art on the Wall
If you have a large bare wall in the room or one you don’t like very much, you can change the look by hanging a large piece of art there. By adding a large piece of artwork, you can really change the entire focus and style of the room. The piece of art can actually become your new focal point. The art will also cover much of the color on that wall, which can also work to change the look of the room. Just be sure you don’t waste your money on any old piece. Be sure you invest in something you really like and want to have around for a while.

Rearrange the Furniture
When you simply rearrange the furniture in a room, changing the layout, you can give that room an instant makeover. Begin by looking for a new focal point in the room and working from there. You can completely change the dynamic of the room by changing the focal point from the entertainment center to the window or fireplace. You’ll be much happier with the results if you take the time to sketch out on paper what you want before you go moving furniture and heavy objects around.

All of these are simple and easy ways to give any room in your home an instant makeover. If you’re looking for a totally different look, you might even try putting two or three of these suggestions together.

It can be difficult to decide how to utilize bookshelf space, whether you have a built-in bookshelf or just have a large freestanding one. Most people prefer their bookshelves to not only be a storage place for their books but also an area that adds style and personality to the décor. Here are some different ideas on easy ways to utilize a bookshelf and make it part of your décor.

Decorate the Bookshelf with Books
Placing books on your bookcases might seem like a simple common-sense thing to do, but this doesn’t mean you randomly place your library up on the shelves. As a matter of fact, you may discover you’re not even using the bookshelf for most of your books. A great way to decorate a bookshelf is to use interesting and antique books, as these will lend the space a lot of personality. These might even be old books you uncover at a used bookstore or even a flea market. You might also consider using modern-day coffee books or art books. Use the books that best fit the kind of style you’re going for.

You also need to consider where you’re going to place the books. If you don’t want the whole bookshelf to just be books, then just pick out certain areas of the shelf where you can arrange and display interesting books. You can hold the books in place with stylish bookends. One way to get really creative is to arrange some books horizontally and others vertically. Or you can take another approach and arrange the books by color or size. Whatever you decide to do, be sure to create an atmosphere.

Decorate the Bookshelf with Picture Frames
Depending on what style you’re going for, you can put actual photographs on the bookshelf or framed works of art. Some people may prefer to put photos of their family up on the shelves, whereas others will opt for framed paintings and professional photographs. Just be sure to use frames that match the style of the room.

Decorate the Bookshelf with Figurines
There are thousands of different ways to use figurines to decorate a bookshelf. You want to choose figurines for this space that fit in with the style of the rest of the room. You can use the figurines to hold up books on the shelf, or you might use them for display only. You want to find figurines that appear to go together, but at the same time you don’t want them to be exactly the same. The term “figurine” is a general one and includes such things as little knickknacks, statues, and craft pieces.

Decorate the Bookshelf with Plants and Flowers
A great bookshelf accent is a simple vase filled with flowers or even a small houseplant. This is a great way to add some different colors to the area. It also works to lighten up the space. You don’t want to ruin anything else on the shelves with leaking water or forgotten leaves, so if you use real flowers and plants, just be sure you’re taking care of them.

Decorate the Bookshelf by Adjusting the Shelves
You can really create a distinct space that has a personal touch by adjusting the shelves of your bookshelf to varying heights. For instance, create a shelf or two that are big enough so you can fit taller books or even a plant. You might have a small space just right for smaller books or figurines on another spot on the bookshelf. Whatever you decide to do, adjusting the shelves is one of the best ways to add some real style to the space.

Remember, a bookshelf doesn’t have to be boring. Use your creativity and you can create a unique bookshelf for any room in your home.

There are many homeowners who like to change the décor and decorate their home according to the different seasons. When it comes to winter decorating, there are many creative ideas you can try. Although many people use the wintertime to decorate for the holidays, there are plenty of other ways you can simply decorate for the winter season. Following are some great tips for winter decorating in your home.
Decorate Your Home in Winter White
As wintertime approaches, you can turn your home into a white winter wonderland by bringing out your white décor items. Since winter days and nights tend to be dark and dreary, white décor items can also work to add some much needed light to your home. Especially in winter, white also reminds of beautiful snowfalls. Some easy ways to add more white to your winter décor include white tablecloths, white candles, and white throws slung over chairs and couches.

Hang a Winter Wreath in Your Home
Wreaths are not just for Christmas and actually make a great winter decoration that you can display from December to March. Consider making your own greenery wreath. Another option is to buy a pre-made one that matches the style of your home. Find items associated with winter to decorate the wreath with, such as pinecones, white or flannel ribbon, and silver charms. The wreath can then be hung on the wall. Do be sure that the wreath and the wall are comparable in size. You don’t want a tiny wreath hung on a huge wall that has a great deal of blank space, nor do you want a huge wreath on a tiny wall.

Change Your Furniture for Winter
Changing your furniture for a winter décor doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go out and buy a new set of furniture for every season. You just might have to add or take away some items. One great way to change your furniture for winter is to add some slipcovers. Heavier-material slipcovers in a wintery color will look great on your couches and chairs. You might also decorate the furniture using winter-themed pillows. These pillows can be solid-colored or plaid. Or you might find some with snowflake or snowman pictures on them. Another simple way to add some winter style to a room is by adding a heavy throw to the back of a couch or chair.

Change Your Artwork in Your Home for Winter
If you are trying to create a winter décor, you may not want pictures of bright flowers hanging on your walls. Consider storing these pictures away for the spring and summer, and hanging different pieces of art that give your home more of a wintertime feel. Any black and white photographs of nature, such as snow, trees, rivers, and mountains, are a perfect addition to a winter décor. You might also replace those bright and cheery flowers with hand-painted pictures of country snowfalls. You can also find paintings that use rich colors that fit better with winter.

These are just a few ideas of how to create a winter décor in your home. It’s fun to change the look of your home to celebrate the different seasons of the year.

When it comes to figuring out the color sc heme of a room, a monochromatic color scheme is one option. A monochromatic color scheme involves using one color in the room for almost all the surfaces. Contrast is added to the room by using different shades of the color, from light to dark. If you decide to go with a monochromatic look in your home, follow these tips to create the best look possible.

Add White or a Neutral Color to the Room
When you pair the color with white or another neutral, you will avoid ending up with a room that looks like it’s too matched or boring. Rather than having the neutral color be the main focus in the room, you want to use it as an accent. If you have a blue monochromatic scheme, you might include a blue and white rug where the rest of the items (the walls and furniture) are all blue. Another way to add a neutral is to paint the trim in the room white.

Choose the Color of the Room Wisely
When you decorate a room with a monochromatic color scheme, it’s important that you really put some thought into the color choice. After all, if you go with a color you’re not crazy about, you will most likely not end up very happy with the finished look of the room. Thus, it’s important to pick out a color that you really like to look at. If you are new to the monochromatic look, you may also want to avoid bold colors, such as red and orange. You need to remember that once you choose a monochromatic look, it’s going to be much harder to change the décor of the room, since everything in the room is going to be in some shade of that same color. Therefore, it’s really important that you think carefully about your color choice. Don’t just go rushing into a hasty decision that you may end up regretting.

Mix Up the Shades of the Color
The best way to determine different shades of the color you’ve chosen is to visit a paint store and collect some color swatches. With these swatches, you can see the different shades of the color that you should work with. You want to be sure that the walls are not painted the exact same shade as the furniture or that your floor isn’t the same exact shade as the walls. Mixing up the shades of color always adds character and interest to a room, giving it a better overall look. You can also use accessories like pillows, curtains, baskets, and candles that are completely different shades from the rest of the room.

It isn’t always easy to pull off a monochromatic color scheme in a room. You definitely need to spend some time planning out the décor so that everything flows well and you end up with the perfect balance of color.

If you have a large living room in your house, sometimes it can be challenging to properly decorate that massive space. Large spaces present their own decorating troubles, just as small spaces do. Here are some tips to keep in mind if you’re having trouble decorating your large living room.

Use Dark Colors to Decorate
Typically, using dark colors when decorating makes a space appear smaller. You can get the room to appear smaller by simply painting the walls a few shades darker than you normally would.

If you’re not looking for the entire room to appear smaller, you can give it less of a large feeling by using darker colors to accessorize. By using dark-colored furniture or even carpet in your large living room, you’ll make the room feel slightly smaller and not so big and open.

Use the Space in the Living Room Accordingly
Depending on how large your living room is, you’re going to want to plan out the space accordingly. Among other things, this means that all the seating shouldn’t be right on top of each other.

The furniture should be spaced out so that it looks evenly distributed across the room. There should also be an adequate amount of space left between the couch and the coffee table so that people are able to walk in between the two. With the proper utilization of space, you can prevent a large room from looking too cold and open, instead making it feel more comfortable and quaint.

Use Large Pieces of Art to Decorate the Walls
Before you choose a piece of art for your wall, you need to consider the area of blank space you are working with. For instance, you don’t want to hang a 5×7 picture on a very large blank wall. Rather, hang a portrait or some other piece that will take up most of the upper half of the wall. If a larger piece of art is out of your price range, you might try making a pattern or collage on the wall with several pieces of smaller artwork. Remember, though, that the artwork needs to be spaced out so that it covers the majority of the wall.

Buy a Large Piece of Furniture
If you don’t already have one, you may want to consider purchasing a large piece of furniture for your living room. You might look for an entertainment center a bookcase, a large couch, or even something like a piano or pool table.

By placing a large furnishing in the room, the large room will appear smaller and everything will seem more in proportion. You can also use this oversized furnishing as a focal point and decorate the rest of the room around it.

When it comes to decorating a large living room, you need to focus on properly utilizing the space in the room. By only using a small area of the room, the room will then look massive and not very appealing. Instead, if you use the space, including the walls, as much as possible, your large living room will be very appealing, with perhaps even a quaint and comfortable feel to it.

When decorating a room in your home, you want it to be stylish with lots of character, but you also want it to be functional. The furniture takes up the bulk of the space in most rooms, whether it’s in your bedroom or the living room. This is why when you go to decorate your home, it’s important to properly plan where you want to place the furnishings.

Typically, the way you arrange your furniture depends on several different factors. Of course, the type of room you are decorating will be a factor, but so will what furniture you are working with and what style you are going for in your décor. Each room is going to be different when it comes to arranging furniture. However, here are some basic tips to follow when decorating your home.

Choose the Focal Point of the Room
You’re not going to be able to arrange your furniture until you’ve decided where the focal point is going to be in your room. The room might have a natural focal point, such as a bay window or fireplace, or you might choose one of the furnishings you have and build the room around that.

To choose your focal point, pay attention to where your eyes are drawn when you first walk into the room. Wherever that is, you want to focus on that part of the room. Once you’ve determined the focal point, you can now rearrange the furniture in order to emphasize that place in the room.

Plan Your Design
It’s not uncommon for homeowners to play around with a room’s design before they get it the way they like. It’s best to start by arranging the largest pieces of furniture first.

If you’ve already chosen one of your larger pieces of furniture to be the focal point, then that will be easy to place. The largest pieces need to be arranged first since they are going to take up the most space and be more dominant than the smaller pieces in the room. In a bedroom, this might mean figuring out where your bed goes first. In a family room, it may mean planning where the sofa will go.

Your furniture should be placed in relation to the focal point you’ve chosen. Not everything needs to be facing the focal point, but the furnishings should be arranged so that they show off the importance of the focal point. You need to also be sure that you are not putting all the larger pieces together, as it will throw off the balance of the room. After you’ve place the larger pieces, then move on to the smaller ones, such as side tables and chairs.

Consider the Purpose of the Room
You need to consider the purpose of the room when arranging the furniture. In your dining room, for example, you need to pay attention as to whether there’s enough space for people to comfortably pass bytable when others are seated there. In your living room, on the other hand, you want to be sure the seating is close enough together so that people aren’t shouting in order to hear one another. Functionality and purpose are key things to keep in mind when arranging the furniture in any room.

The great thing about arranging furniture in your home is that it’s not set in stone. Once you get the furniture in place, you can always leave it there for a couple of weeks to see how it works out. If in the end you don’t like it or it’s not working, you can always start over again and come up with a different arrangement for the room.

The Barn Furniture (1945) on Sepulveda Blvd. one block south of Victory Blvd.

This picture was taken in 1945 soon after the Tubermans bought the business from an unfinished and patio furniture shop owner for $8,000 inclusive of land and inventory. Phil Tuberman brought his experience in the bicycle business and Millie Tuberman brought her love for design to The Barn Furniture and the two made an unstoppable team.

In the early years, redwood patio furniture was a significant portion of the business due to its durability and rot-resistant properties. However, because cutting redwood was not ecologically safe and considerably expensive, The Barn drifted away from this west coast wood. Fortunately, The Barn Furniture has recently found that east coast red cedar provides the same rot-resistant properties that the redwood provided without the same shortage.

If you have a dog or a cat for a pet, you know that not every interior decorating idea is going to work. Just like those with young children in the home, you have to take your pets into consideration when you decorate. Fortunately, these days those in search of pet-friendly décor have plenty of options.

Pet-Friendly Flooring Ideas
Even with the most well-trained animals, things like mud tracks and bathroom accidents are bound to happen. In this situation, you’re best off going with a low-maintenance flooring option in your home.

Carpet is probably the worst flooring options for households with pets. Both animal hair and dander are hard to remove and thus tend to stay in the carpet for a long time. Likewise, mud, urine, and other pet stains are also harder to remove from carpet than other flooring options.

For households with pets, the best flooring options are hardwood floors, laminate flooring, and ceramic tile. Not only are these types of floors easy to clean, but they can endure more traffic from your pets.

If you do decide to go with a hardwood floor, be sure to put a finish on the floor to protect it from your pet’s nails. Otherwise, you need to be sure to trim your pet’s nails on a regular basis. Add some area rugs to these types of floors for more color and comfort. Just be sure they can easily be cleaned in the washer and dryer.

Pet-Friendly Home Fabrics
Your choice of fabrics is another huge décor consideration that comes into play when you have pets in the home. This is especially important if you have any kind of pet that goes on the furniture, whether it’s a dog or a cat or even another pet like a bird or a lizard.

For pets like dogs and cats, be sure to choose a fabric that’s easy to clean so you don’t have to worry about pet hair being a constant problem. If pet hair tends to be a problem for you, then select fabrics that are close to the color of your pet. This way, you can avoid having to clean the couches every day. If you already have a black-haired dog or cat in your home, a white or tan couch might not be such a good idea.

Another important thing to consider is how easy the fabric is to clean. Microfibers tend to be much easier to clean than other fabrics. Woven, textured fabrics are harder to remove stains from and will actually trap any pet hair.

If you decide to get new furniture, you might also consider putting a stain guard on your furniture. Then stains can easily be lifted off by following the manufacturer’s directions.

If you have a pet in your home, everything about the décor is going to be influenced in one way or another. For example, if you want to put a flower arrangement in your living room, like on a wood coffee table or oak end table, you need to be sure to find a place that your pet will not be able to access. Thus when it comes to pet-friendly decorating, be sure to not only pay attention to the flooring and fabrics but to the smaller details, like flowers and candle placement.