Hi there! Have we met yet? I am Kayla Goldstein, interior designer for moms. And you are?

I have been doing this series that goes through the different rooms in your home, teaching you how to make them all calm spaces, and today were doing the living room! Thought I would share 🙂 Click on the video to watch the whole thing, or read the bullet points below! Either way, I hope you implement at least one new thing that you have learned. Let me know!

• First off, lets start from the bottom up. Living rooms are areas that should be grounded and make people want to stay in it. That is accomplished by pulling everything down with focus on the rug, rather than up with focus on the ceiling. So, flooring. Try to incorporate some sort of area rug, carpet, or other soft material into your living room to designate the space where the “hanging out” will be happening. Try picking out the rug first as then you can pull the colors for the rest of the room from the rug, and the room will feel perfectly grounded. Personally, I enjoy area rugs more than carpets because they are easier to clean up. For some reason, clearing off the rug, is less overwhelming than cleaning the living room. You feel me?
• Next up, couches- the style of the couches depends on you and your style, (for help with that check out the style quiz here) so for example if you like cosy and bohemian, go with low and deep couches, if you want airy and open and inviting go for urban modern. What does matter though, is the layout. We want to make sure that all seats are easily accessible, that all pathways have at least 2′ wide clearance, and that we have an amazing conversation circle. So that the seats are positioned in a way that makes conversation flow easily. Coffee tables do come into the equation here, but honestly, as a mom, I feel like they’re a source of head bangs and clutter – so I don’t use them.
• Now we have the end tables, bookcases, storage etc. Again, it’s all up to you and your style, your budget, and the size of the room. However, there are some must-haves. Make sure you have somewhere to put your coffee down if youre sitting on the couch, somewhere to hide the mess, and not too much clutter that it feels like the walls are bearing down on you. Little secret, pretty storage is a mamas best friend and makes us love our living room a little more,  I mean who doesn’t love a box to throw all the toys in at the end of the day?
• We can’t forget about lighting- although that happens quite often. I would suggest to have at least two levels of lighting, ceiling and lamps, to service both moods that happen in the living room. Family hanging out, and mom and dad relaxing. Try to make sure each seat has light from some source and that the light switch is easily accessible, (I’m planning on making a whole video on how to fix lighting on a budget so subscribe to be notified when that comes out)
• Last but not least we have accesories. This once completely depends on you, because this is where you bring the room to life and give it the personal touch a lot of rooms lack. Thing textures, pillows, throws, art, greenery (big one). Now step back, look at the room with fresh eyes, balance out what needs balancing and voila! You have a beautiful living room.

       Did you enjoy this? Let me know!

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Love ya! Kayla