celebratingour 2 0 thyear - The Parklander Magazine

HOME DESIGNIn this smaller living room, to control the usageof space, the sofa is placed against the wall.Small touches of colors have been distributedthrough the use of throw pillows, art and accessories.• All seating in aconversationgrouping shouldsit on top of the area rug.• The legs of the sofa and chairs should not sitany more than 12 to 18 inches from the edge ofthe area rug.Accessories on tabletops work best when used inodd numbers, such as one box, one vase and onebowl. Also, use items of various heights and mix thematerials such as stone, glass and wood.Wall art is an excellent concept to bring color intoyour room. Wall art should always balance the wall inwhich it is hung. Wall art should also balance thefurniture item below it. The size of the art should bebetween one-half and three-quarters of the size of thewall and the furniture below.Art and accessories are not considered functional homeitems because you cannot sit on them, sleep on them, orstore items in these gems. However, the importance ofthem cannot be measured. Art and accessories will giveyour living room class and character.Visit Cecil Hayes at www.cecilhayes.com.carry more weight visually than wooden framed chairs. End tablescome in many styles and size, I call them accent charmers. If morethan one end table is used in a space, I prefer not to have them amatched set–that is the charmer. The only must when selecting endtables is that it be at least half the depth of the seating next to it.Coffee tables and sofas have a partnership; coffee tables should behalf the size of the sofa.In order for your living room conversation grouping to be functionalthere are two basic rules:• The distance from the end of the sofa seat to the edge of thecoffee table should be between 15 and 18 inches.• The maximum distance from the back of the sofa to the backof the side chairs should be no more than 8 feet.The finishing touches for your living room are art and accessories. Ifyour living room has a hard surface floor, an area rug should be yourfirst art selection. Area rugs are considered floor art and it pulls theconversation grouping together.The size of the furniture arrangementwill determine the size of the area rug. Use either of these concepts todetermine the size of your area rug:COLOR IS VERY PERSONAL, it is important that you select thecolors that you love for your living room. Color is not a problemfor most, but the location and usage of color can create a lookyou either love or hate. Below are simple rules for colordistribution and balance that will apply throughout your home.Rule #1:Color should be found throughout a room, not on just one item.Whatever color you use on the right side of the room, place a touch ofit on the left side and the middle of the room. Color can be addedwith throw pillows, art and accessories.Rule #2Use a maximum of three colors per room; this does not apply toshades of a color or neutrals such as beige, black, gray and brown.Rule #3Select one color that can be used throughout several rooms in yourhome. This will pull the entire decorating scheme together. Thereis one rule my mother taught me about color selection for the livingroom, light colors such as white or beige are perfect palettes forthe “hello room”.36 MAY 2010