Making ROOM

The Q&A
The first step is “to de-clutter the mind”,says Gupta and this involves asking yourself basic questions: How many people are living in the home? How old are they? What is the purpose of the room? What is your lifestyle? Do you want your living room for formal or casual entertaining? Would you prefer a lounge or an uptight setting? How many people visit you and how often? These pointers help identify what you need. Jot down these questions and the answers to each of them on a piece of paper. 

Layout plans
Measure the walls of your living room with an inch tape. Draw these measurements on a blank white paper or a graphic sheet. Also,draw the doors and the windows on the paper according to the actual positions and width measurements. Then,take a cardboard sheet and cut out pieces for sofas,chairs,centre table,bookshelf and whatever else you wish to keep in your living room. Place these cardboard chunks where you want on the paper,trying various permutations and combinations. This way,you can also figure out that placing a sofa close to the door could be inappropriate—this saves you from actually doing it and then undoing it.  

This exercise,says Gupta,also helps you identify how you can optimise the use of space. “For instance,if you have a door in the centre,you can shift it to the right or left of the room allowing for more space—provided you can afford it,” she says. Try not to overcrowd it. “Always start with less furniture and add on later. Furniture is not a T-shirt that you can easily discard if you don’t like it. Furniture stays with you for around 15 to 20 years and needs to be bought after planning,” says Gupta. Besides,some empty space in the room allows for more movement and fluidity. Keep the television out of the living room as it disrupts conversation.

Get civil
After the layout,it is the time for what Gupta calls ‘the civil changes’—modifications,if any,to be made to the floor,wall,ceiling,doors,windows and lights. According to your budget and taste,decide what kind of floor you want. If you have a mosaic floor,for instance,you can go for laminated wooden flooring on top of it for a change. In this phase ,you can also implement the changes from the previous stage—like shifting the doors from their original positions. 

As for the windows,it’s always better to have them large and long to bring fresh air and sunlight to the room. “If your window is 2.5 feet above the floor,bring it lower,” advises Gupta. The walls—depending on your budget and liking—could be painted (which is the cheapest option),textured (POP,wood or veneer) or be done up with a wallpaper.
Lights are critical. “A bad lighting arrangement can be disastrous,” says Gupta. “It’s best to have yellow light in the living room because it’s formal. Avoid white light,which should be used in the bathroom or the study room because that’s where we perform tasks,” says Gupta.  

Accessorise it
Cushions,couch upholstery,curtains,blinds,carpets—all spice up your living room once you are done with the structural changes.
For the sofas,try neutral colours such as beige,cream,off-white,sand and camel,and add brightly coloured cushions. “You can change your cushions every year but you can’t do that with upholstery. So,instead of a red sofa with cream cushions,go for a cream sofa with red cushions,” suggests Gupta. 

Matching every colour is not necessary. “When you wear a red sari,you don’t necessarily wear red earrings and red sandals. The same holds true for interior decoration. The upholstery and cushions/curtains/rug should be of the same family of colours,not the same colour. If your sofa is of camel colour,take an off-white curtain. While the sofa upholstery is a thick material,the curtain is a light fabric,” she explains. 

Too much of matching also introduces monotony in the living room. For instance,if you have a striped wall paper,do not go for striped cushions or upholstery. You can re-jig your existing furniture too. For instance,get an old bench re-polished. The furniture should be user-friendly too. If you have old people at home,avoid low-floor sitting. If you have small children,avoid furniture with sharp edges.

If you have a dining set in your living room,demarcate the dining area from the living area with a sideboard or a storage counter on which you can place crockery. Demarcation prevents disturbance between the two areas,and provides some privacy.
Keep indoor plants only if you have enough sunlight coming into the room. “Foliage of any kind—plants or dried flowers helps uplift the mood. Flowers worth Rs 500 would add more to your room than a statute worth Rs 5 lakh,like any natural product would,” says Gupta.  

Profile perfect
Gupta also gives tips about how the interiors can be designed around people’s profiles. She says,“A young couple’s living room should be multi-purpose and reflect their personalities—if you are into reading,place a bookshelf. If you like music,get a music system in the living room. If you are an artist,hang a painting on the wall. The living room should have colour,memories and souvenirs.”

After a long day,if the couple seeks comfort or cosiness in the living room,they can go for “mood lights” such as three lamps hanging in the corner and candles on the sideboard,says Gupta. “ The upholstery could be a warm colour such as buttercup yellow or mint green,with a lot of cushions thrown in,” she says.