Hibernation...Hibernation is a Survival Strategy Designed to Conserve Energy When Conditions are Harsh
It happens this time of year. You know, that desire to rush home as soon as it gets dark, put on comfy clothes, pop a wine cork and watch a pile of videos or tune into Netflix instant play in your living room.
Our big present this year at Christmas was a large screen smart television. My family was piled up on every piece of upholstery, enjoying every inch of that large screen, watching back-to-back episodes of Downton Abbey. At other times, we were tuned into our individual laptops searching the web or reading a Kindle. It occurred to me that we are going through big changes in the way we live in and design our living rooms. They have become media meccas and we need to think ahead and address the practical and aesthetic challenges to incorporating technology in our daily lives.
Our modern day living room has it roots in the 19th Century front parlour. The word comes from the Old French word parleor or parler (“to speak”). It was a room where the family could receive guests and other visitors in a formal way. This was the room where the milestones of life were marked such as births, weddings and funerals and were filled with the very best furniture and artwork that the family owned.
Nowadays, the living room is a more relaxed, informal room that goes beyond entertaining guests and becomes more of a multi functioning space. Each family has different needs and a good living room design should incorporate these needs into the scheme. Here are some things to consider.
The biggest change in a living room is how and where to house the larger screen TV. We used to put TV’s in an armoire, but not anymore, unless it is a wide one. A nice option is a console specifically made for a flat screen TV that can house the components behind a glass door so that the remote can operate with the door closed.
If you watch TV and use computers in your living room, shades and/or drapes are important to control the light of the room and keep the glare off all of those screens, especially during the day.
Hide a surge protected power strip under the sofa so that people can charge their laptops and other devices easily. No more fighting over who gets the one available outlet.
Select really comfy upholstered pieces rather than stiff, formal styles to make it more inviting to lounge around and relax. A large fabric or leather ottoman makes a nice coffee table and a place to put your feet up after a long day. A large tray can hold drinks when entertaining.
It is handy to have a set of nesting tables or tray tables somewhere in the room that can be moved around easily as additional surface area.
Good lighting is important in this multi tasking space and to help create atmosphere. You will want a combination of task lighting such as lamps for reading, accent lighting to highlight interesting objects, and ambient light for overall light using recessed lights, sconces or ceiling fixtures.
We only have a few more weeks of hibernation, so put your feet up and look around to see if your living room is functioning at its best.
For comments or questions, Lisa can be reached at lisalaberge@comcast.net or www.LisaLabergeInteriors.com
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