Your living room is probably the most important room in your home. It's where you unwind, where you entertain your friends, and where you spend lazy days relaxing in front of your fireplace. The way you decorate your living room will really say a lot about you. Is it formal or relaxed. Do you have antique furniture or modern. When it comes time to redecorate your living room, the most important piece of furniture is your sofa. Once you pick out a couch that will compliment your style and how you want to use your living room, everything else is easy.

If your style is casual and you want to entertain friends in your living room, consider a sectional sofa. The sectional is perfect for when you or your friends want to kick back and relax while having a great conversation or watching some TV. It's great for family time too. There are a couple ways to use a sectional. You can put it in the corner of the room, so you maximize your living space. This is great if you want to use your sofa while watching TV. Or, you can place it so that the back of the sofa splits the room in half, so to speak. That way, you create a cozy little area for conversation. If you don't have a television or fireplace in your living room, add a recliner or loveseat facing the couch. That helps further create the sociable atmosphere.

If you're looking for a more formal feeling for your living room, the standard three person sofa is one way to go. These sofas typically have a more traditional look to them. However, you can still have the seating capacity of a sectional. Pair your sofa up with a loveseat or a second sofa. Depending on how formal you want your living room, you may not have a television. But if you have a fireplace, you want your main sofa facing it. Arrange your loveseat or second sofa off to its side moving towards the fireplace. If you don't have a fireplace, you have the opportunity to design the perfect area for friends and family to gather and catch up with each other. Placing your two sofas directly opposite each other crates a nice warm gathering spot. For some, however, this may seem a little stuffy and old fashioned. If so, you can place a second sofa running diagonally on one side and other chairs or loveseat on the other side running diagonally as well. Do this so you create a triangle instead of a square, with your sofa table in the middle. This way, you can get a formal look yet contemporary feel at the same time.

So it is possible to combine formal and contemporary, you just need to use your imagination. Once you have you're couch, you can finish decorating your living room by finding pieces that match. A table with family photos or a fresh cut flowers will go with either formal or informal d'cor. A hutch for treasured knick knacks will also go well. Art work or a mirror for your walls. But it all starts with your sofa. Once you pick out the one that's right for you, everything else will fall into place.

Copyright 2006 Marge Snow