How to Decorate My Formal Dining & Living Room

Decorating a formal living and dining room may seem like a daunting task because those are usually the first two rooms a guest sees when entering your home. If you plan out the decor in small steps, however, there isn't much to it. Think about how you use the rooms, your decorating style and preferences. Your entire house should reflect you and your family, your personalities and your lives---not what a magazine or someone else says it should look like. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Select a color scheme or basic theme and decorating style to use in the two rooms. Each room should have something distinct to identify the activities that take place there, but they should also flow together harmoniously in their decor. That's where color and style come in. For example, a modern white, dark brown and lime color scheme could work in both rooms, but the actual furniture and accessories would be different in each room.

2

Paint the walls in the lighter or neutral color in your color scheme. The color should flow through both rooms and not detract from the color of the rest of the house. If the entire house is painted in the same neutral color, consider painting one wall in the dining and living room a different color as an accent wall.

3

Position the furniture in each room for optimal use and entertaining. For example, if your formal living room is a place for adults to gather and talk, arrange sofas and chairs in groupings that allow for easy conversation. The furniture should also be positioned in a manner that allows for an easy and natural flow of traffic. Common formal living room furniture includes seating, tables and sometimes bookshelves. Formal dining rooms can consist of a dining table, chairs and china cabinet or buffet.

4

Add other basic elements to each room. These include rugs, window treatments and lighting. The light fixtures should adhere to the type of furniture you have and your decorating style. For example, a grand, antique chandelier would look out of place over a sleek, modern dining table. Rugs, if you include them, should pick up any colors that you're concentrating on in the decor of the two rooms. Window treatments should match other elements, even if they are smaller accessories.

5

Accessorize both rooms to pull the decor together. If you're using a formal red and gold color scheme, for example, hang prints or artwork that incorporate those colors, place red and gold pillows on the sofa and use red and gold place mats, dishes and candles on the dining table. Common accessories for a formal living and dining room include houseplants (silk is fine), candles, artwork, mirrors, vases, flowers, pillows, statues and other decorative items.