A Soulful Home is a place that not only looks good but is well-loved and has an energy of happiness. Where does that energy come from? It comes from joy, and that comes from two other things; Being surrounded by that which makes you feel alive and doing the things you love. That which makes you feel alive is your ‘aesthetic’ and doing the things you love is your “lifestyle.”
‘What does the room want?’ That’s a question that should be applied to every room in your home. Today, we are going to focus on the living room.
The living room, of all rooms, most completely balances function with aesthetic. Because it’s wide open with possibility, it can also be one of the most baffling rooms in the house.
What is your style? What is your lifestyle?
Before you buy new Living Room furniture – say, a sofa and two chairs, or a sectional and an ottoman – you need to ask yourself some questions:
1. What do I want to do in this living room?
2. What does the room want?
3. What timeless and classic furniture fits my style and lifestyle?
What do I want to do in this living room?
What things do you need, want, or yearn to be able to do in this living space?
Some examples are:
• Read a book
• Visit with friends and family
• Give parties (How many people? Is there food and drink involved?)
• Watch TV or movies
• Sit before the fire
What does the room want?
This depends on the type of room that you have! See the illustration below of three of the most common types of living spaces: The Loft, the Family Room, and the Great Room. Which one of these does your living space most resemble? Or is it a hybrid? Does your room have a focal point, such as a TV wall or a fireplace, which the furniture should gather around?
Loft
• A Loft type space is pretty economical, often shared with living and kitchen.
• It may not have a natural focal point, such as a fireplace or built-ins. Its “focal point” may be lots of windows on walls shared by the furniture
• A loft wants you to DECIDE the one thing you want to be doing in there the most, and make that happen. If you want lots of seating, you may have to go with a sectional, and forgo a traditional TV media wall/find a creative alternative such as a laptop.
Family Room
• A Family Room will have enough room for a focal point, such as a fireplace, a TV wall, or artwork.
• There is enough circulation space within it for you to have some choices: whether to group sofas and chairs, or whether to land a large sectional in it.
• The Family Room wants to invite people in, to sit and stay awhile. It still needs for you to decide what you will mainly be doing: Do you want to lounge before the TV, or do you want to gather and talk
Great Room
• The Great Room is like the Family Room, only it has a lot of circulation space, not just within the seating area, but also around it.
• It can have a fireplace and a TV if it wants, or no TV; that may just happen in the Bonus Room or Movie Room.
• The Great Room wants to entertain. It can handle a lot of traffic and activity in and out of the other parts of the house and possibly outdoors. Often, there are multiple seating areas so that people can gather in different ways. to gather and talk
What timeless and classic furniture fits my style and lifestyle?
Do you have pets? Young children? A life partner who refuses to keep their feet off the sofa? A white sofa is not the best choice for this lifestyle. Maybe a nice slipcover is the answer. If you would like to learn more about choosing a great sofa or sectional check out my Sofa Disasters post here.
Do you feel like you have a better handle on how to create a room that you and your family will enjoy? If you would like to learn more about creating a Soulful Home I invite you to attend my workshop- The Soulful Home: Discovering Your Own Style.
