The living room, the heart of the home!

In apartments both large and small, the living room is the zone where people enjoy spending time together: for this reason, it is generally the largest room and the one with the best view. All too often, we come across homes with interiors where the individual items of furniture and the relative details all live separate lives, without dialoguing to support the aspirations and needs of the people who live there. The furnishings, materials, fabrics and colours must be made to dialogue as effectively as possible, trying to provide a touch of personality. 

A living room must skilfully combine space for reading or watching TV and space for eating, whether a dining or kitchen area, so it is very important to start by choosing a uniform floor covering, which must meet the fundamental requirements of being attractive, functional, hard-wearing and easy to clean and care for: Marazzi offers three new flooring ideas:concrete tiles with the Brooklyn collection, tactile paving with Blend and wood effect floor tile with Treverkchic, all offering a skilful combination of uniformity, elegance and convenience. 

Another useful concept is to underline the various functions assigned to spaces through the careful choice of colours, which may also be contrasting. 

Equally important is lighting, which must give particular emphasis to the different zones of the living room. 

Normally, the living room contains more prestigious ornaments and furniture, so the lighting must be designed to give them prominence. 

It is best to opt for several light sources (not too many, but large sized) at different heights, to meet varying requirements at different times of day. Spotlights are useful for lighting paintings or particular objects and table or floor lamps are essential for creating a more intimate atmosphere.

In the dining/kitchen area it is a good idea to provide specific, pleasant, uniform lighting to convey warmth and calm; a hanging light is excellent. 

If the room has a kitchen corner, it is important to provide the lighting required for efficient work and a cheerful mood. A hanging light fitting, which provides focus, can be combined with several lights underneath the wall units, for diffused lighting. 

Whether large or small, the living room is the heart of the home, and it is here that the most time is spent, whether we live alone or with other people. The living room can be provided with a “tailor-made” outfit to suit individual personalities and habits.