Here’s what you should consider when you’re planning a living room renovation.
The time has come and you’ve finally decided to give your living room the renovation it’s been waiting for. Such an exciting time! But where do you start, and how do you know if you’re doing everything correctly?
Trust us, we know… there is A LOT to think about and cover. It can be stressful and overwhelming and maybe even a bit confusing. But remodelling your living space should be fun and exciting for you and your family.
Before you set out looking for the latest living room renovation ideas, we want to share with you some key things you should consider if you’re looking to remodel your living space.
What do you really use your living room for? Is it a place to veg out and watch Netflix? A place to entertain friends and family, while sipping on some cocktails? A place for the kids to play and make memories? Is it all these things mixed into one multi-functional space?
Asking yourself these types of questions is key when you’re looking to renovate your living room and is definitely something we always suggest you do first.
Here’s everything you need to consider before remodelling your living space, to help you feel super excited while you take on this big project… and to help you avoid common mistakes that people tend to make.
The time has come and you’ve finally decided to give your living room the renovation it’s been waiting for. Such an exciting time! But where do you start, and how do you know if you’re doing everything correctly?
Images via Pinterest.
Trust us, we know… there is A LOT to think about and cover. It can be stressful and overwhelming and maybe even a bit confusing. But remodelling your living space should be fun and exciting for you and your family.
Before you set out looking for the latest living room renovation ideas, we want to share with you some key things you should consider if you’re looking to remodel your living space.
What do you really use your living room for? Is it a place to veg out and watch Netflix? A place to entertain friends and family, while sipping on some cocktails? A place for the kids to play and make memories? Is it all these things mixed into one multi-functional space?
Asking yourself these types of questions is key when you’re looking to renovate your living room and is definitely something we always suggest you do first.
Here’s everything you need to consider before remodelling your living space, to help you feel super excited while you take on this big project… and to help you avoid common mistakes that people tend to make.
Images via Pinterest.
Start with the Function
As we said earlier, let’s start with the function of your space.
Understanding how you will use your space is key to making sure you create the perfect space for you and your family. It’s really important to think through this when you’re renovating your living room.
For example, if you like to entertain, you’ll need lots of seating, a good layout for moving around and conversing and of course, tables to put those cocktails on!
We suggest you draw out a floor plan incorporating a layout for your furniture placement. You don’t need to have nailed down the exact sofa and accent chairs you need. Just do a bit of research to understand the average dimensions of the items you need.
Let’s look at an example to illustrate what we mean.
If you know that you want a 85” TV, then you need to consider the viewing distance for that TV. Which wall will the TV go on and where will you place the seating you need to watch TV or play video games.
Let’s imagine you’re already thinking about cocktail parties you’ll be hosting in your new space. And you want to be able to seat 6-8 people comfortably. Do you have enough space for a sofa and 4 accent chairs?
Are there windows across from where you’ll be placing a TV. Or are there too many windows on the wall where you want the TV? That would mean you would need to put the TV on a console instead of hanging it on the wall.
Thinking about these things in advance of the start of your reno project will help you avoid headaches when you start to furnish your space.
If your space is used as a dual living room/playroom combo, you might need lots of storage so that all the fun toys can be easily hidden when it’s time to throw that cocktail party.
All in all, what we want to highlight here is the importance of understanding the function you want your space to serve. After grasping what your living room is used for you’ll be able to make better decisions on the overall design of the room for your reno.
Images via Pinterest.
Plan Your Lighting and Power Outlets
Next up, consider lighting and power.
First, think through what kind of lighting you will need in order for your space to look, feel and function the way you want it to.We always stress how important it is to layer lighting.
This is not just for aesthetics, layering lights allows you to use different types of lighting depending on different functions of this room.
For example, if you enjoy reading, working or playing games in your space you will need task lighting that is bright enough to see what you are doing. Do you need a pendant light in your living room in addition to the pot lights you are planning? (The answer is always yes!)
What about wall sconces to add some style? It’s essential to consider these things before making any decisions about your living room renovation.
You will also need to consider where the power source is coming from for light sources like your floor and table lamps. Will your sconces be hard wired into the wall?
Lighting can be overwhelming… relax, take a deep breath and circle back to our first main point; understand the function of the room, then narrow down the lighting you need for the look, feel and function of the room.
Lighting can also be super fun, and truly has the ability to completely transform a space. Check out our other blog post on Lighting Dos and Don’ts here.
Images via Pinterest.
Create Your Focal Point
Lastly, we want to touch on a very crucial part of every living room renovation… the focal point! The focal point is the star of the room, the emphasis in the space and where viewers eyes should land first.
It is important to consider where your focal point will be and what it will consist of. A lot of popular focal points in living spaces include things like fireplaces, built-in shelving units, windows or even a beautiful piece of art.
Focal points need to be the centre of attention and are usually placed on the wall that is seen when walking directly into the room. This is why it is essential to consider where your focal point will be and how you wish to create it.
For example if you want to have beautiful built-in shelves with lovely decor as your focal point, you’ll want them to be constructed on the wall that is seen first when walking in so that you can really shine the light on your focal point.
This is something to keep in the back of your head before making any big decisions, we would hate for your stunning fireplace or your beautiful bay windows to NOT be the center of attention!
Really pay attention to this feature if you’re planning windows on this wall. Make sure the window placements make sense with what you have in mind for the wall design.
Images via Pinterest.
Making the decision to remodel a room in your home can be daunting but at the end of the day it should be fun and exciting for you and your family!
Before finalising any decisions, it is so very important to sit down and really understand what you want your space to look like, and how you want it to function.
Then you can start thinking about your lighting and focal points. From there, you’ll feel a lot more comfortable in making decisions and moving forward with your new space!
