With the many styles, materials, themes, and types of living room furniture available, you have a wide range of decorating options to choose from. Below are some decorating tips when buying and organizing your living room furniture.

Group things in odd numbers. One sofa, loveseat and chair or one sofa and three chairs. Three candlesticks or a vase with flowers on the mantle. Three or five pillows on the sofa.

Beware of wearing more than two pairs of anything in one room. Try two matching chairs and a side table between them instead of two matching chairs and two matching side tables.

· Don’t try to use too many styles in one room. It’s okay to be eclectic with a funky art deco table or chair in a French country setting, but don’t also pair a modern living room table or rustic leather sofa. One or two pieces of a different style work in a mostly consolidated look.

One piece will not “make” a room. Make sure you have complementary items that work well with your masterpiece.

· Too many chair and table legs in a room are not grounded. Includes a skirted chair, sofa or base table.

· Use your space well: consider wall space, open window space, fireplace and floor. Plan where you want your pieces to go if you are shopping for new furniture for the living room. You don’t want to clutter a room or block windows with furniture.

· Do not place the back of the sofa facing the front door. You want to invite people in, and if people see a sofa in the back first, that puts a barrier in your living space. Have an open area that invites visitors in, especially when they enter through the front door.

· Complement with pillows, candles, vases and lamps. If you have a drab sofa, loveseat, chairs, and tables, brighten them up with throw pillows, throws, candles, vases, and “coffee table art.” You can even change the look seasonally with light, bright colors in spring and summer, and warm, dark colors in fall and winter.

Have custom made furniture. Many furniture stores let you choose from a large selection of fabrics and leathers for seat cushions, pillows, and dust cloths. You can even choose the wood finish on bedroom furniture and living room tables and dining room tables and chairs.

· Make it comfortable. Your living room furniture should be cozy to sit on, put down a drink or put your feet up if it’s an ottoman or stool. A decoration that is too rigid does not make your guests feel at home.

· Keep releases and Afghans under control. If you are going to have small blankets over your diapers, tuck them in and fold them around pillows and cushions so they are part of the furniture and not just an accent.

Take a good look at your home regularly to see what needs to be updated or improved. Be sure to shop at multiple stores when shopping for furniture so you can see what the new styles are and compare prices. Sometimes you can get ideas to rearrange your furniture and just buy a new piece to give your living room a whole new look.