A living room becomes a living room only when people breathe life into it, otherwise, it’s just an underutilized space. The concept of a living room has come from the west. In the western world, the concept of a fireplace and an open kitchen invited everyone for more warmth from the stove and the fireplace during cold winters and this may have created a need for an area between the two for people to sit and enjoy the warmth.

In India, the kitchen is a very sacred place, no one wears shoes inside it (sometimes not even in the house ). If you observe the science behind it, then you will realize that one is bringing all the dirt and bacteria in the house and in the kitchen where food is prepared with the utmost care.

The living room used to be a space where guests were entertained. The guests would not come inside the main house. This concept has now changed with time as a result of exposure to different cultures. Now that we have a prime place in our house for entertaining guests, we need to make it look tidy and aesthetic.

While designing the living room, I have two main concerns in mind. One, the cost of per square feet is going higher than it once was, so we need to make the best use of each square inch. Second, the purpose of having a living room should be well thought of and the look of the room should blend in with the aesthetic of whole house.

Amitabh Bachchan has his own living style. He inspires people to dream big. He is an art enthusiast and every item in his house speaks of opulence, his interests, and achievements. The study cum library shows a lot about his passion for reading and writing. Whatever he is, his house demonstrates it.

Vibrant!

This is Pareeniti Chopra’s house. This house speaks of her personality- young, vibrant, and cheerful. It also has a memorabilia wall filled with various photos. The entire house runs on the same theme of color, pattern, and textures.

We come to the basics of design again

• Theme: Theme is the type of look and feel that you would like in your house. The theme should be matching to the entire house. If you have an ethnic look in your mind then the choice of furniture and upholstery should also be the same in this room. For example, an ethnic house will use cotton, earthy colors, and vibrant embroideries.

• Purpose: We have to be crystal clear about the purpose of this space in our house. If we want a room where we sit and watch tv as a family and have our meals on the couch, then we need to have all the furniture and furnishing according to it. The furnishing should be easy to clean, it should either have removable covers that can be washed frequently or it should be made of leather/faux leather which can be wiped easily.

Functionality: The room should have a practical and definite need for it as well. If we need a clean and isolated room which is required for guests, then we should also consider how well it can be used as an alternative room when there are no guests. Maybe a console table doubling as a chess table or a study table. Can the carpet area be used as a yoga space or as a confined space to put the baby on the floor with a boundary? These are questions we need to answer and then make changes. Can the dining table be for four instead of six?  If the space is too small then can a floor seating more feasible?

Whenever you design a part of your house, you should look around your house for color, textures, and materials used. Start placing the bigger things like furniture and then go to minor items for example pots, decoration items. First select everything in the store or online, if you have all items available, only then go for it. If you just go and find a rug and later try to match a material for the sofa, then it will be a tough call.

First make the picture and then make it picture perfect !