Designing a comfortable and vibrant living room

So, you’ve decided to make some changes in your home and you’re planning to get some help from a designer. But how do you go about finding the RIGHT designer for you?

When a new client reaches out to me for help, my first priority is to establish common ground. That’s why, before our first meeting, I always start by asking five key questions.

Read on to find out how my client’s answers to those questions helped me create what’s now their favourite room in the house!

1 What kind of activities would you like to do in this room?

It may seem obvious, but I often gain important information about my clients through this question. For example, one person might do a lot of entertaining in their living room, where another really needs a dedicated space for yoga or exercise rather than a formal living room.

For this makeover, my clients told me that they wanted a comfortable and colourful space where they can hang out as a family and entertain friends. To achieve this, I chose versatile neutrals for the large upholstered pieces and injected colourful accents with paint and accessories.

2 How many people would you like this room to sit comfortably?

Seating is an often overlooked element of a design plan. Of course, the amount of seating can be limited by the size of the room, but there are many other considerations too. A room used for napping or curling up to read will require a different type of chair than a room that is used for entertaining.

My clients wanted to maximize seating in their living room, since they’d often have five people in the room and up to eight people for holidays and special occasions. With a full size sofa, two comfortable swivel chairs, and a double-duty ottoman/coffee table, we incorporated plenty of seating options.

3 Can you show me a piece of art or a room in your home that you love?

This is one of my favourite questions! During our first meeting, I ask my clients to take me on a tour of their home. It’s often easier for them to show me things they like than to tell me about them.

When we toured this home, my client showed me a colourful piece of art that was in their powder room. She pointed to the colours that she loved in the art, specifically the vibrant blues. It gave me the perfect inspiration for the colour palette for this project – and I knew she would love it!

4 How much would you like to invest in the solutions for your room?

Budget can be a tricky subject, but it’s also one of the most important topics to discuss before a project gets started.

Clients often tell me that they don’t know what would be a reasonable budget for their project. Our exclusive LIVV Home Collection has high quality options at a variety of price points, so I can provide ranges for each piece that is needed to complete the room. This makes it easy to establish a budget up front.

5 What would be an extra bonus in this room?

I always like to try and give my clients a little something extra to really make their room shine. That’s why I ask this question. An extra bonus in this case was an extra wide chair near a lamp to curl up and read. 

With the help of these five questions, this living room really came to life! 

Here’s what my clients had to say about their new living room:

Natalie brought new life to our living room with colour and texture. Convenience and collaboration were the best parts of the process!

Debbie and Dave Hancock, Orleans