New Year's Resolutions for your Living Room

The first of 4 Living's 'New Year's Resolutions for the Home' looks at the heart of the home – The living room. Technically, I would say that these are more tips than resolutions, but t's my list, so it's my rules!

Hide all of the wires- I'll try not to harp on about this too much but, in most modern homes, the living room has become 'the technology room'. Of course we all enjoy relaxing with a movie or some TV, but it shouldn't be the most dominant influence on the design of your living room. The easiest way to minimise the impact of intricate matrix of different wires is to get a big bag of 'zip ties' and make sure they are all tidied away. Out of sight, out of mind!

Don't point all of your seating towards the TV

Ok, one more thing about technology... It seems logical to put your sofas and chairs in a good spot for watching TV, but it can't be the be-all and end-all. Here's why: If you are sitting in your living room with some friends or family, the seating arrangement is not conducive to conversation or even paying attention to other human beings. Aiming every set at the TV is a death sentence if you want to create a relaxing and sociable living room environment. Using a coffee table as a focal point will draw the attention to one central point, which is ideal. If you really don't want to talk to your mother in-law, you have permission to face the TV.

Add some lower level lighting – In most homes, lights have two settings: 'on' and 'off'. This may be enough illuminate a room and prevent you stubbing your toe, but it isn't necessarily the path to a warm and comfortable living room. Table lamps and large floor lamps are a great way of achieving a warmer and more intimate level of light. It's actually quite astounding just how much of a difference it makes to switch of main lighting in favour of smaller lamps. If you have a dimmer switch, you might want to un-read what you just read.

Add some Candles – As an extension of adding warmer lighting to your living room, adding some candles will provide the space with a much more calming and tranquil touch. It's hard to tell why candles are so relaxing, but they just seem to hit the spot.

Display book, not DVD's – If you, like me, are a film fanatic, you'll be struggling to find somewhere to keep all of your DVD's. Having them all out on display is fine, but the array of different shiny plastic cases can be quite an eye-sore. Storing your DVD's in a chest of drawers is a)a better use of space because you can stack them more creatively and b) an opportunity to display books in your living room. Books are both better looking and a more traditional option.

A few well placed LED's – January and February are the most miserable months of the year. The opening months of the year seem to be determined to put you in a bad mood. This year, it's time to beat the blues! It's hardly groundbreaking, but adding a few LED lights to little alcoves or mantles is a great way of brightening up and energising your living room. Once all the Christmas decorations come down and the sky becomes permanently grey, these little shining stars make the day at least 0.75% better.

Make a statement with a rug or coffee table – When I say “make a statement with a rug or coffee table”, what I really mean is “don't make a statement with an accent wall”. Accent walls are cool and everything, but they've been kind of over done, and you'll probably regret making such a large statement in a few months. Coffee tables, rugs, curtains and other movable pieces are a far more dynamic and individual way to give your living room a focal point.