Furnishing a new living room? Start by thinking about how you’ll use the space

The moving boxes have been unpacked, the furniture is in place and you can finally sink into the sofa. Yet the living room might not quite feel the way you’d hoped. The television is in an awkward spot, the lighting is too bright, or you realise that the seating area isn’t actually all that cosy. It’s precisely after a move that you realise how important good interior design is.

A cosy living room doesn’t have to be big or expensively furnished. What matters most is that the space suits what you like to do there. And that’s different for everyone.

Start with your own living habits

A common mistake when furnishing a new home is assigning furniture a fixed position straight away. The television goes against the largest wall, the sofa opposite it, and the coffee table in between. That seems logical, but it isn’t always the most pleasant layout.

First, take a look at how you actually use your living room. Do you enjoy sitting at the table with friends? Do you watch films regularly? Or do you prefer to read in a quiet corner by the window?

If you enjoy watching television, for example, it’s best to take the light into account. A screen directly opposite a large window often causes annoying reflections during the day. The distance between the sofa and the television also determines how comfortable you are whilst watching.

If you have a smaller living room, multi-functional furniture can be useful. Think of a pouffe that doubles as an extra seat or a coffee table with storage space. This leaves more room to move about freely.

Turn your living room into a place where you can truly relax

After a busy day at work, it’s nice not to have to be constantly on the go when you get home. A comfortable sofa, a warm lamp and a tidy environment can be all you need to unwind.

What you do next depends on your own preferences. Some people enjoy watching a gripping TV series, whilst others prefer to play a board game or play chess online. Digital games can be part of such an evening, but it’s important to distinguish between ordinary games and games of chance where money is staked.

Live casino games include, for example, roulette and blackjack, where the outcome is partly determined by chance. If you’d like to know what a live casino is, read on and find out more about the different types of games. Unlike with a regular board game, you can lose your stake here.

Of course, you don’t need games like these for a pleasant evening at home. What’s far more important is that your living room invites you to do whatever you enjoy.

Lighting and sound make a big difference

A living room can be lovely during the day, but feel rather uninviting in the evening. This is often down to the lighting. You can light up the whole room with a single bright ceiling light, but the atmosphere changes when you use multiple light sources.

A floor lamp next to the sofa is ideal for reading. A small table lamp provides softer light when you’re watching a film. With dimmable lighting, you can adjust the amount of light without having to switch lights on and off all the time.

Acoustics also deserve attention. Homes with hard floors, lots of glass and few soft materials in particular can sound quite hollow. Curtains, a rug and upholstered furniture help to reduce the echo.

Do you live in a flat or a terraced house? If so, be mindful of the noise affecting your neighbours. A television with heavy bass can cause more disturbance through walls and floors than you might expect.

Give yourself time to settle into your new home

After moving house, many people want to get everything sorted as quickly as possible. However, it’s wise not to buy every piece of furniture straight away. It’s only once you’ve lived in the property for a while that you’ll discover which areas you use most.

You might find that the armchair is better placed by the window. Or you might realise that a smaller coffee table is much more practical because it leaves more space to walk around.

So feel free to try out different layouts. After all, a living room isn’t a showroom. Above all, the space should be comfortable for the people who live there.