Living Room Outdated? Update Your Furniture And Draperies

Home & Garden Blog

If you have not updated your living room for a long time, now is the time to bring it up to the right century. Changing the furniture and adding new draperies can have a big impact and is a good place to start. When you are finished, you will have a new living room that you and your family can enjoy spending time in.

Furniture

If it is not in your budget to purchase all new furniture, reupholster it instead. You can do this yourself, or you can hire a reupholster specialist. In most cases, they will cut separate pieces of fabric and staple them to the furniture in different sections. They may make a slip cover also.  Some fabrics you may want to consider include:

  • Linen: This works well if you have a formal living room because it wrinkles easily. It will also start to fade and pill over time.
  • Cotton: Cotton is a natural fiber that does not fade. You also do not have to worry about it pilling, and can put up with a lot of wear and tear. 
  • Vinyl: This type of fabric works well if you and your family spend a lot of time in the living room, as it is very durable.
  • Wool: Durable and study, and has a good resistant to soiling, wrinkling, fading, and pilling

To save even more money, you can use old draperies instead of purchasing new fabric. This works well if you are replacing your current draperies when updating your living room.

Draperies

Changing your draperies can make a big impact on the way your living room looks. Before you can buy new draperies, you will need to measure your windows to ensure they fit well. When considering the type of draperies to purchase, decide if you want them lined or unlined. If you do not want to let a lot of sunshine in the room and have more privacy, lined draperies work well. They also act as an insulator to keep your home cooler or warmer. Lined draperies will cost you more money, so choose unlined if you do not mind some sunlight shining into the room.

The texture of the draperies is important. If the living room is formal, velvet or heavy silk draperies work well. For a well-used living room, cotton sateen or silk rayon blends are a good choice.

You also need to think about the color. What you choose will depend on if you want your draperies to blend in with the living room's decor or if you want your draperies to stand out.  For draperies that blend with your decor, choose colors that are a little darker than your walls or your carpeting. Choose a bold color to make a big statement. 

Visit a drapery store such as Frieda Ross Draperies, Blinds and Fabrics to see the many options you have. The employees at the store can help you choose the best type of draperies for the look you want to achieve.

To make your living room more intimate, consider pushing your furniture a few inches or feet from the wall to put everyone closer together. 

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29 July 2015

Double Up: Bunks Beds as a Small Room Solution

Having to place children's furniture in a small bedroom presented a problem for me. With two growing kids, I needed a dresser to accommodate both boys, as well as two beds. With two beds, desk and chair, toy chest and floor lamp, the room seemed overly crowded. My solution came with a highly functional bunk bed. Bunk beds take up minimal space. Better yet, my choice was a bunk that included a storage drawer. This compartment is used for storing the boys' small toys and other necessities. I didn't have to have a separate toy chest, so I reduced clutter which was great! When you have multiple children all in one room, you need all the help you can get!