Modern Furniture

Makes you think of unwinding, doesn’t it? A place to steep your tea, open the mail, have a sandwich, read a blog.

Now call it a modern living room, and suddenly the place leaps to attention. You could almost take inventory with your eyes shut: a painting hung over the sofa, check. Matching side tables, check, identical lamps, check. Twin candelabra on the mantelpiece, check.

Friends have gathered in these formulaic rooms for years with no ill effects; indeed, such settings can be so pretty that there’s nothing visibly wrong. But if you also sense that your living room stands at attention, that it’s not quite as inviting as other rooms that you’ve admired, then your decorating may need to loosen up. In magazine - editor parlance, you need to put a twist - your own personal spin - on all that tradition.

A really good living room truly invites relaxation. It reflects your passions and eccentricities, feels inviting, and functions very much like the heart of your home.

And it’s not even that hard to achieve. The tips in this blog-those that appeal to you, at least-can help guide your design decisions.