Kitchen and Living Room Design: Creating Sightlines

Posted on March 19, 2020 by Ellecor

You love the open floor plan of your home. It makes a spacious feeling, increases natural light, and allows for easier movement from room to room. How do you keep your sightlines clear? Ellecor Design explains how to create sightlines as part of kitchen and living room design.

Sightlines Explained

Sightlines take advantage of open spaces to allow people to see (or not see) various elements in your home. One key advantage to sightlines in an open floor plan is that you can keep an eye on small children playing in the living room while you’re cooking in the kitchen. You can also watch TV while you’re prepping dinner, or relax in the living room when you’re listening for the oven to beep. There are several ways to create clean sightlines in kitchen and living room design.

Stay Low

Keep your furniture and accessories lower, around 4 feet or less. Avoid floor lamps or table lamps that block the TV while you’re in the kitchen. Forget high-backed chairs, tall pieces of art, or freestanding shelves. You can have these items in your living room design, but consider them as corner pieces that are out of the way.

Rearrange Furniture

One handy part of an open floor plan is the easy path to walk from room to room. Rearrange your furniture to make a cohesive path that goes from your living room, through the dining room, and to the kitchen. You might have a hallway that stretches down from the living room towards the bedrooms. Think about aligning that hallway with your open floor plan’s living room design. You could have a space that allows you to see from your kitchen to the end of the hallway!

Think of Straight Edges

Maintain straight lines with your furniture to have a clear sightline. Align the back of your couch or comfy chair with the edge of the dining room table to create a longer line of sight. Imagine lining up a pool shot in billiards or measuring a piece of wood to cut. You want your line to be as straight as possible in living room design.

Avoid These Sightlines

Some sightlines should be avoided in living room design, just because they are unseemly and you want to maintain some aspects of privacy in your home. Try not to make a sightline where it’s easy to see dirty dishes in the kitchen, the toilet when the bathroom door is open, or the interior of a bedroom. Dirty dishes don’t look pleasant, and the bathroom and bedroom should be places of privacy in your home.

Living Room Design by Ellecor

An open floor plan is a great way to create an inviting space for your family and friends. The Ellecor Design team has suggestions, tips, tricks, furniture, and accessories to take full advantage of your kitchen and living room design. Contact Ellecor Design today or call (417) 720-2602 for more information.

Rugs: Picking the Right Material

Posted on December 31, 2019December 16, 2019 by Ellecor

Rugs are often the centerpiece of the living room, tying the other design elements together. They come in countless patterns, textures, colors, and materials to give you endless combinations of living room designs. One aspect of a rug that can make or break your aesthetic is the material. Wool rugs can make your home feel warm and cozy, while bamboo slat rugs can bring a natural aesthetic to any room. Today, Ellecor Interior Design helps you pick the perfect rug for your living room design.

Types of Rug Material

Rugs come in a wide variety of materials to match any desired feel in your home design. Some of these styles of rugs can be plush and soft, giving a warm look to the room, while some are durable and sleek for a more industrial feel. Your living room design should be cohesive, so not just any rug material will work! Some common rug materials are:

Wool
Cotton
Polyester
Silk and Viscose
Jute and Sisal
Bamboo Slat and Seagrass
Nylon
Polypropylene

Each of these materials brings a new element to your living room design. Take factors such as texture, durability, and aesthetic into consideration before buying your next rug!

Match Your Living Room Design

Living rooms are often the main gathering spot in a home. A rug is a subtle centerpiece that will be one of the main focus points of the room. It is essential to ensure it compliments the color scheme and design of furniture and decor. It’s not uncommon to plan an entire living room design around the pattern, color, and material of a rug! Contacting an interior designer is a great place to start if you are unsure about a rug. These designers can offer advice on how to make the right decision to tie the room together.

Finding the Perfect Spot

Before deciding on a material, you need to know where you plan on putting the rug. Depending on where you place it, you will need to purchase a material that can accommodate the traffic and usage. If you plan on putting the rug in a high foot-traffic area, look for a material such as seagrass or jute. However, if this will be a casual rug for the center of the room, wool would be a better choice.

Other Factors to Consider

Material isn’t the only thing to consider when you are looking to purchase a rug. Size, pattern, color, and durability are all factors that need to be accounted for before making a purchase. Certain patterns bring about different emotions or emphasize different design elements. For example, a colorful and bright floral pattern pairs with a bohemian-styled room, while a monochromatic beige rug pairs well with a minimalist aesthetic.

Make the Decision Easy With Ellecor Interior Design

Ellecor Interior Design can help you choose the perfect rug for your living room, kitchen, foyer, and more, with the help of our professional interior designers. Ellecor has a wide variety of specialty rugs available to purchase inside our store at 623 S Pickwick Ave here in Springfield, Missouri! We are happy to partner with you for your next renovation and redesign to give you the home design of your dreams. Contact us today to make an appointment!

Get the Most Out of Your Living Room Design

Posted on August 30, 2019March 23, 2020 by Ellecor

Other than the kitchen, the living room is one of the main gathering places in a home. Friends and family love to lounge in this cozy area as they catch up and make memories. When you are designing or redecorating your living room, you will want to have a well-rounded, complete design. Before you simply accept a cookie-cutter living room, consider these tips to help you get the most out of your home design with Ellecor.

Discover Your Style

Everyone has a different style, so don’t settle with something you see on TV or read in a magazine. Your style is developed from your hobbies, family, beliefs, and much more. There isn’t a limit on what you should and shouldn’t design your living room to look like. Play with ideas, paints, and furniture pieces until you find the perfect balance! If you need help determining your style, contact one of Ellecor Interior Design’s team members for some outside assistance!

Essential Living Room Elements

When you think of a living room, some key elements come to mind. Rarely do you see a living room design without a couch, chair, end tables, and decorations. It is challenging to accomplish the coziness of a living room without some of these pieces of furniture or design aspects. Here are some of the living room essentials to consider adding to your living room design:

Sofa
Love seat
Recliner
End Tables
Coffee Table
Television
Blankets
Decoration on the Walls
Lamp
Bookshelf

Sometimes it’s difficult to know what element is missing when you’re looking at the entire room, so use this list to check some decoration boxes!

Living Room Decor

Hanging family pictures, paintings, decorative elements, and more, will immediately make your living room design homier. It is important to make use of your wall space when decorating the living room. Living room decor often has a similar aesthetic to the remainder of the home; however, you can still individualize the room. Sometimes homes have both a standard living room as well as a formal living room, so design each based on your style!

Looking for Something New? Ellecor Interior Design Can Help!

It can be challenging to start a renovation or makeover from scratch, especially without any prior experience. Ellecor Interior Design has a fantastic team of interior designers that can make a world of difference. As you determine what you want in your living room, it is a great idea to get a second opinion. Contact Ellecor Interior Design today to get expert help on your living room design, and browse through the products we offer!

Awkwardly Shaped Spaces – Interior Design – Ellecor

Posted on December 17, 2018March 23, 2020 by Ellecor

Interior Design: How To Decorate A Weirdly Shaped Space

It would be nice if every room was simply laid out and easy to decorate. However, occasionally, you come across a living room that is oddly shaped. Find some tips below to help you decorate an oddly designed living room layout.

Create Symmetry in the Space

If you’re decorating a room that is odd and asymmetrical, then try to create a little bit of symmetry with the décor. This could be something as simple as creating a symmetrical gallery wall or placing two comfortable sitting chairs in a symmetrical position. It doesn’t have to be anything big, but creating a little bit of symmetry will help bring the space together.

You’ll Need Creative Storage

If your space is oddly shaped or very small, you’ll need to be creative with your storage. Consider a built-in entertainment center if you have a long wall. This can double as storage space. The last thing you want is for your small space to feel cluttered and overwhelming. Keep things simple and tidy!

Make Sure Furniture Pieces Can Multitask

Again, if your space is small or awkward, it is a good idea to have furniture that can be many things. Maybe consider getting an ottoman instead of a coffee table that way it can double as seating if you have guests. You could also consider a coffee table that has storage space in it. The possibilities are endless when it comes to clever pieces that are both beautiful and functional!

Keep Your Color Palette Simple

In a space that has a busy design or is very small, it’s good practice to employ a simple color palette. You can add pops of color, but your main pieces should be pleasant and natural. This will make the space feel calmer and larger.

Let Ellecor Help!

Some spaces are challenging and require the intervention of a professional interior designer. Luckily for you, Ellecor has a team of incredible interior designers who are ready and able to help you turn an awkward space into a dreamy living room setup. Contact us today to find out more about how we can help you!

Common Living Room Design Mistakes

Posted on February 28, 2018March 23, 2020 by Ellecor

Living Room Design: Common Mistakes

A perfectly designed living room is as beautiful as it is comfortable. As one of the most important and most frequently used rooms in the home, living room design can be a huge challenge. Luckily, consulting with an experienced interior designer can help you avoid costly decorating blunders that impact the look and feel of your home. Here, the designers at Ellecor Interior Design discuss the most common living room design mistakes.

#1. Picking the Wrong Sofa

Your sofa is one of the most important (and expensive) pieces of furniture you will purchase. Buying a sofa on a whim without carefully considering the pros and cons can be a costly mistake. When you are shopping for a sofa, carefully think about the color, size, comfort, and where you will place it in the room. Stick with something comfortable and simple that you can see yourself enjoying for years to come.

Never choose the wrong piece of furniture again when you go with custom furniture. Read Ellecor’s blog for more: Popular Custom Furniture Pieces

#2. Using Too Much Overhead Lighting

Too much overhead lighting is one of the most common living room design mistakes designers notice. Most overhead lighting is bright, harsh, and uncomfortable—the last thing you want in a room dedicated to relaxation. When you are decorating your living room, be sure to incorporate plenty of lamps to create a soft, soothing glow. During the day, try to open up the windows to let in plenty of natural light.

#3. Buying a Small Rug

Understandably, buying a rug is a bit of an intimidating experience. When you see the price tags on large area rugs, you may be tempted to go with a smaller, cheaper one. Unfortunately, buying a small rug can be a huge mistake. Most living rooms need an 8 by 10 or 9 by 12-foot rug, and all of your furniture should fit on it completely. Although area rugs can be expensive, it is an investment you won’t regret.

Struggling with your living room feeling cramped? Try these awesome hacks: Interior Design Tips for Making an Area Look Bigger

#4. Not Enough Personality

Interior designers see this scenario time and time again: clients buy all new furniture and accessories, and when they are done decorating, their living room looks like a showroom at a home decor store. The room completely lacks personality and charm, making it feel stiff and uncomfortable.

Living room design is all about comfortability and functionality, so when you are decorating, add plenty of details that reflect your personality and lifestyle: a framed family photo, a quilt your grandmother made, or shelf of your favorite books. When you are shopping, stop by a variety of stores, including contemporary home decor stores, flea markets, and antique shops. This way you can collect plenty of accessories you like, giving your living room an eclectic, vibrant, and livable feel.

Living Room Design at Ellecor Interior Design

At Ellecor Interior Design, our living room design services start with the client in mind. We understand the importance of comfortability and functionality in a living room, so we work with you to create a space that reflects your personality and taste. To get started on your interior design project, contact us at (417)-720-2602.