As the name suggests, a living room is one of the main rooms that you will spend time in. This is a room for entertaining and relaxing, a place to spend time with family and friends.
Open plan living is a popular option creating an easy flow of space throughout the house. Heating and cooling can be more expensive in larger spaces and it can be difficult to keep the noise down if you need to. Room dividers can be a way to open up space and close it off when you need to.
If you can face your living area to the north you can take advantage of the free heating the winter sun will provide. Eaves will give you some protection from the direct sun in the summer time helping with cooling costs.
Windows on opposite sides of the room can allow a breeze to flow through in summer and double glazing can keep you snug and save on power bills in the winter time.
Think about how you are going to use the space, particularly if you have a family to share it with. Clever design can have a number of areas to cater for different family activities.
Different lighting at night can change the whole look of a room in an instant. Lamps and dimmers can create a welcoming and relaxed feel to a room with brighter task lighting used where it is needed.
Experiment with different lighting to change how the living room works at different times for you and your family.
