Your Guide to Arranging Two Sofas in Your Living Room

Whether you’re having a dinner party, Christmas celebration, or game night, you’ll often find yourself relaxing in the living room at the end of the night. Long conversations and sweet memories are made in this room, so it only makes sense that you’d want to have plenty of seating for family and friends — and sometimes, one sofa just doesn’t cut it. 

Before you bust out your spare dining chairs, consider incorporating two sofas in your living room and follow this guide for tips on how to arrange couches!

It’s All About Arrangement

The first step to creating a stylish and functional living room with two sofas is deciding on the best arrangement. For this, you need to assess the size of your space and what you most commonly use your living room for. If you find yourself enjoying lots of movie nights, you may want to arrange your sofas differently than a living room used for formal conversation and entertaining. To give you a better idea of what layout works best for your space, check out the three main couch arrangements used in interior design.

Two Sofas Facing Each Other

A more intimate layout for two different sofas in a living room is having them face each other. This is a great arrangement option if you entertain frequently and intend on using your living room for socializing and conversation. 

As for space, this layout works wonderfully for large open floor plans and rooms with a square or rectangular shape. The sofas help to divide the space naturally in a very symmetrical manner. It can also work well for narrow rooms because you can easily squeeze the couches closer to each other to save space.

Arrangement Highlights:

• Best for entertaining and formal conversation
• Works well in large open floor plans, narrow rooms, and square or rectangular spaces
• Creates a symmetrical design

Two Sofas at a Right Angle 

For a cozier and casual design, you might want to opt for arranging your two sofas at a right angle. Because this layout brings the two couches together, it helps to create a homey and inviting atmosphere. If you love nights cuddled up in front of the fireplace or TV, this is the best option for you. 

Keep in mind that this L-shaped arrangement does require more space and can make your room look cramped if there’s not enough square footage.

Arrangement Highlights:

• Best for casual lounging and media rooms
• Works well in larger living rooms with plenty of space
• Creates a cozy and inviting atmosphere  

Two Sofas at a Wide Angle

If you have lots of space to work with in your home, the wide angle approach may be the layout for you. This arrangement for two sofas in a living room works just as the name suggests. Separate your couches relatively far apart from each other at varying angles and adjust as you see fit. 

This layout creates a wide open space that’s perfect for casual lounging and entertaining large parties. As far as room size and shape, the wide angle approach is great for large and open-concept living spaces. It’s especially fitting for rooms with an irregular shape.

Because of the openness of this arrangement, the wide angle layout is ideal if you want to include extra furnishings in your living space. Throw in a couple stylish recliners or accent chairs to fill the space and maximize seating for guests.

Arrangement Highlights:

• Best for casual lounging and entertaining large parties
• Works well in large, open-concept living rooms, especially those with an irregular shape
• Creates a comfortable, wide open space

Keep Sofa Design in Mind

After you’ve established which arrangement is best for two sofas in your living room, it’s time to decide which sofa designs you love most. Do you want two identical sofas or two different sofas in your living room? If you choose to go the more complex route with two different couches, you need to keep in mind color and fabric. Here a couple tips to ensure your sofa combination is cohesive not clashing.

Fabric Choices for Two Sofas

When choosing two different sofas for your living space, it’s a good idea to mix fabrics rather than try to match them. For example, if you’ve chosen a microfiber sofa, complement it with a leather sofa. Incorporating various fabrics gives contrast to your space and achieves the unique look you were striving for from the start.

Our West End and Safe Bet sofas are great examples of contrasting fabrics that blend well together in any living space.

Color Combinations for Two Sofas

Perhaps even more important than fabric is color when it comes to decorating with two different sofas in your living room. While it’s important you choose whatever color combinations suit your style, recommended color palettes can be a helpful guide. Take a look at this list to see which colors stand out the most to you.

1. Brown & Tan
2. Light Blue & Aqua
3. White & Dark Brown
4. Brown & Teal
5. Dark Blue & Gray
6. Blue & Yellow
7. Brown, White, & Red
8. Green & Charcoal Gray
9. Mushroom, Tan, & Red
   

Southern Motion Sofa Combinations

Southern Motion carries a large collection of sofas in varying colors and fabrics that can easily blend into your living space. From rich, dark leather to light and airy microfiber, the choices are endless. As you decide which two sofas will look amazing in your home, consider these Southern Motion sofa combinations that combine style and comfort all in one.

Cresent Sofa

Key Largo Sofa

Metro Sofa

Inspire Sofa

Velocity Sofa

Mt. Vernon Sofa

Fandango Sofa

Cagney Sofa

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Whether you’re looking for more seating for entertaining or comfy spots for cozy nights in front of the fireplace, having two sofas can do just the trick. Use these design tips and arrangement ideas to create the perfect living room for your needs! If you plan on including recliners as well, discover how to design your living room with your recliner style in mind.

While the holidays are a wonderful time of year full of festive cheer, family, and fun, it can be easy to get overwhelmed with the hecticness of the season. From buying presents and hosting parties to prepping your home for guests, the to-do list can seem endless. 

Even though some stress is unavoidable, there are simple ways to make your holidays more joyous and a lot less chaotic — and it all starts right at home. Incorporate these Feng Shui tips into your holiday decorating to create a harmonious and welcoming space for both you and your guests.

Why Feng Shui During the Holidays?

The usual cleaning and decorating are a good start to creating an inviting home for the holidays, but practicing Feng Shui design enhances those rituals even further to make your house a serene getaway. It helps to bring the healing energy of the outdoors inside your home, which lessens the stress and chaos of the season. 

If you follow simple holiday decorating ideas with Feng Shui in mind, your holiday parties will flow more smoothly, decorations will fit together better, and your home will be a beautiful place of harmony.

Feng Shui Tips for the Holidays

Step Up Your Cleaning and Organizing

As you start cleaning your home in preparation for guests, keep in mind that your efforts aren’t just geared toward a presentable space. A polished home can help improve your mood and the mood of your visitors. Focus on key areas where you’ll be spending the most time like your dining room, kitchen, and living room. Organize these spaces and clear them of any clutter.

This Feng Shui tip can be extended after the parties are over too. Once you have cleaned your space, take it a step further by cleansing your rooms. Rituals involving Palo Santo, essential oils, and natural incense can refresh your home and restore its positive energy.

Prioritize Your Entryway

The entryway of your home is very important when it comes to Feng Shui home decorating. As the gateway of energy, it sets the tone for the whole house, which is why you should make it a welcoming space. Give your guests a great first impression and set them at ease by including fresh herbs like rosemary and vibrant colors in your entryway.

Choose Festive, Feng Shui Colors

Colors symbolize different elements within Feng Shui design, so you definitely want to keep these in mind when choosing your holiday color scheme. Red represents the Fire element which channels passion and emotion, while green represents the Wood element of growth and expansion. These traditional holiday colors are energy-heavy, which may not be the best if you’re trying to reduce anxiety and stress in your home. However, there are a couple Feng Shui home decorating tricks to balance out their fiery energy. 

One idea is to decorate with mirrors or mirror-like surfaces that introduce the calming energy of the Water element. Another helpful tip is to use essential oils like mint or chamomile to diffuse hectic energy.

Silver, gold, and blue are beautiful seasonal colors from the Water element that are a great substitute for red and green. These Water shades bring a soothing and calming energy to your home just like mirrors do. Even though these are tranquil colors, you can still have too much of them which creates an overly calm environment. Either moderate or compensate with essential oils like cinnamon, eucalyptus, fir, or pine.

Pick Decor with Your Guest List in Mind

If you can’t quite decide on festive colors for your home, consider this Feng Shui tip. Different people bring different energies to your home, so it’s best to assess your holiday guest list when practicing Feng Shui home decorating. If holiday gatherings with friends and family are emotionally draining and overwhelming to you, it’s a good idea to incorporate Water and Metal decor elements with silver and gold or blue and white color schemes. 

For quiet, disconnected holiday gatherings, try emphasizing the Fire element with lots of candles and warm scents in the air. Light your fireplace during parties for an extra cozy touch. Red decor like vases, throw pillows, blankets, and artwork are other ways to bring more connection to your space.

For any home, it’s a good idea to include Earth elements as well because they bring nourishment and stability to your space. Potted plants are an easy way to incorporate this positive energy. Get festive with some gorgeous poinsettias perfect for the holidays! 

Find Balance with Your Decor

As with decorating your home during any season, it’s good practice to know when to stop. Don’t over do it with too many nutcrackers and ornaments because that disturbs the balance of energy in your home and makes it look cluttered. Keep it simple and genuine for a warm and intimate holiday season. This Feng Shui tip can also help to preserve your life energy during a season when it’s easily depleted.

Lighten the Atmosphere

One simple holiday decorating idea that works hand-in-hand with Feng Shui design is lighting. Lighting nurtures a calm, warm atmosphere within your home, so make sure you have several layers spread throughout your space. Lamps, wall sconces, overhead lights, and of course, holiday lights, are a few examples. 

Color counts as light too! Decorate with multiple colorful items that bring you joy and happiness, as well as photographs with pleasant memories of family and vacations.

Consider Your Furnishings

Your furniture is another big consideration when it comes to Feng Shui home decorating for the holidays. You want your space to be as comfortable as possible for both you and your visitors and furniture plays an important role in achieving that. Here are some ways you can include Feng Shui design in your furniture choices.

• Provide plenty of seating in the form of sofas, chairs, recliners, ottomans, and stools
• Choose rounded furniture that helps continue the flow of chi in a room
• Opt for seating that’s comfortable, not just stylish

Don’t let the hecticness of the holiday season bring you down. Transform your home into a festive sanctuary of positive energy and harmony by following these Feng Shui tips! While you get into the holiday spirit, check out these Christmas craft ideas for gifts.

Self-care is an important practice throughout the year, but especially after summer is over and life feels a whole lot busier again. With so many items on your to-do list, you may start to forget about yourself and what you need to feel happy and healthy. 

A self-care routine can bring you back to center each day and help you avoid burnout — and all from the comfort of your own home. Read on for self-care tips to make your ideal self-care routine. 

How to Start a Self-Care Routine

As with any new habit, it can be difficult to start a daily self-care routine, especially if you already have a lot on your plate and it feels like just another chore. After you’ve experienced how regular self-care can improve your day, you’ll see that it’s worth making time for. Until then, there are a few self-care tips that can help you get started.

Schedule time for your self-care routine to establish it as an important part of your life. You can put an alarm on your phone and block out time on your calendar to remind yourself of your commitment. Once you’ve received the notification and started your self-care practice, try to avoid any technology that might distract you. By putting your phone on silent or leaving it in another room, you can concentrate on yourself. 

Decide what you need to recharge and communicate this to the people you share your home with. Self-care can be spent with your children, friends, and family, or even by yourself. Remember, there’s no need to feel guilty about looking after yourself. When you’ve enjoyed some hard-earned me-time, you have more energy to support everyone else in your life!

Self-Care Ideas for Stress

It’s essential to find the right kind of activity so that it’s easier to get started. Keep in mind, if it’s not enjoyable for you, it’s not self-care! No matter whether you like to stay active or put your feet up, there’s a self-care activity for everyone. Here are some of the best ways to unwind at home. Just ask yourself what appeals to you most.

Relaxing Self-Care Tips

The classic route to a self-care routine, these activities can help you get some serious rest and relaxation.

• Sleeping: Whether it’s a 20-minute nap, an early night, or a morning to sleep in, getting some extra Zs will help you feel rejuvenated.
• Bath and Spa Time: You don’t need to hit the spa to unwind. Draw yourself a bubble bath, apply a face mask, and enjoy a long soak.
• Yoga and Meditation: Find some inner peace with light stretches, breathing exercises, and mindfulness. Free yoga classes and guided meditations can be found on YouTube.

Creative Self-Care Tips

Need inspiration to boost your wellness? Try this self-care list for creative types.

• Journaling: Spend a few minutes writing about the things you’re grateful for, what you love about yourself, or the highlights of your day.
• Arts and Crafts: From sketching and painting to knitting and crocheting, one of your overlooked artistic hobbies can be just the ticket for self-care.
• Music: Create a playlist of mood-boosting tunes, listen to your number one artist, or pick up the instrument you’ve been too busy to practice.
• Reading: Make time to catch up with your book club’s selection, start that classic you’ve always wanted to read, or relive your favorite novel.
• Visiting a Museum Online: Relax in your favorite armchair and enjoy the most incredible artwork and artifacts from around the world with Google’s Art & Culture Platform. 

Motivational Self-Care Tips

If you feel most connected to yourself when you’re productive, this self-care list is for you.

• Exercising: These days you can find any kind of workout class online. Clear some space in your home and get your heart pumping with a fun exercise video.
• Cleaning: Even if it’s just making the bed or prepping next week’s meals, you’ll feel a huge sense of accomplishment with this self-care practice.
• Getting Dressed Up: You don’t need to leave the home to look great. Put on your favorite outfit, do your hair and makeup, and paint your nails.
• Marie Kondo Your Home: Decluttering your home can make you feel more in tune with who you are and what you need in life. Take on a small part of the house at a time. When it’s time to work on the living room, have a look at our decluttering guide!

Self-Care Tips for the Whole Family

Are you most content with life when you’re surrounded by family? Include your partner and children in your self-care routine so everyone can enjoy the benefits.

• Movie Night: Make some popcorn, get cozy in your living room, and watch a movie! It can be a family favorite, a new release, or a theme night for extra fun!
• Cooking and Baking: Try making delicious new recipes. Not only is this a tasty treat for the family, but you’ll get to learn a ton of new ideas too.
• Going Through Old Photos: Remind yourselves of all the good things in life by looking at your vacation photos. You can choose the best ones, get them printed, and even make an album together.
• Calling Friends and Relatives: If you’re favorite people aren’t around, make time to call them regularly. Catching up with your best friend or your mom is a great way to remember what matters to you.

Find Your Perfect Self-Care Routine

Try different activities from these self-care lists and see what works for you. You may find that you enjoy something you haven’t done in years or you just like to unwind and do nothing! The important thing is to take the time to soothe your soul.

Looking for more ways to relax your body and mind? Learn how a Zero Gravity Recliner can help with your self-care routine at home.

As the evenings start to get longer and cooler, there’s nothing better than a movie night with friends and family. While a trip to the movie theater can be a lot of fun, a movie night at home can be tailored to your exact preferences — from the movie you watch to the snacks you eat. 

Read on to find out how to create your own DIY movie night in a space that is comfortable and functional, whether it’s in the living room or a dedicated spare room.

Home Movie Night Essentials

No matter who you invite, what you watch, and where you watch it, some elements of a movie night just can’t be overlooked. Here are the home movie night essentials to organize before every viewing.

A Comfortable Setting

First things first, where are you going to watch your movie? Balmy summer nights may have been ideal for an outdoor DIY movie night, but as the temperatures drop, you’ll probably want to pick a movie spot indoors.

If you’re a huge movie buff with a spare bedroom, consider turning this under-utilized space into your own home theater. Store your movie collection on shelves and put up posters from your favorite movies. You can add a couple of recliners or a sofa depending on the size of the room. Southern Motion’s Front Row Recliner includes cupholders and optional add-ons like power headrest and massage for some serious cinematic luxury.

More likely you’ll be hosting your DIY movie night in the living room, which is a great place for setting the mood. The whole family can cozy up on a comfy sectional like Southern Motion’s Excel Sectional. Remember to dim the lights and draw the curtains to avoid any glare on the TV screen and to make a more authentic movie theater room.

The Right Technology

A decent-sized TV screen is definitely a home movie night essential when you’re trying to create a movie theater experience. But what if you like to take the movies into your backyard during the summer months or up to your kids’ bedrooms for their sleepovers? In this case, a projector could be the ideal choice for you and your family as it’s more versatile and lightweight. It can even be stored away easily in a smaller home theater setup.

Sound can also make a huge difference to your DIY movie night experience. If you don’t have the budget for a surround sound system, a sound bar is a more affordable option that can give you that movie theater feel. 

Are DIY movie nights set to be a regular event at your house? Consider investing in a popcorn machine and a mini-fridge for your home theater space. For just a small investment, these appliances give you the look and excitement of a concession stand at home. That makes them home movie night essentials for the real cinephiles!

Memorable Movie Snacks

No DIY home movie night is complete without snacks. While popcorn is the go-to, that doesn’t mean you can’t spice it up a bit! Seasonings can add some variety to your bowl of popcorn and if you have a sweet tooth, you can even make your popcorn into a yummy marshmallow bar.

From red vines to milk duds, candy is also a classic choice at the movie theater. Stock up on your family’s favorite treats, but remember, not all your snacks need to be unhealthy! Look out for low-sugar candy, fruit and veggie mixes, and healthy dips made from spinach, avocado, and yogurt. Use coffee tables and stools to lay out all your snacks in front of the big screen and tuck in. 

Warning: You may want to put table cloths underneath your snack selections as it’s easy to make a mess in the dark!

A Great Movie!

A list of home movie night essentials would be incomplete without mentioning the movie itself. Unless you’re hosting a bad movie night on purpose, the key to any DIY movie night is something fun to watch.

If you have a wide collection of DVDs, part of the fun can be choosing a movie. There are also many streaming services that offer classic movies and new releases. Of course, the movie you choose all depends on who’s on your movie night guest list.

Movie Night Ideas for Friends and Family

A DIY movie night with friends and family can be a fun way to get creative. Take it in turns to choose the theme of the evening. You can select a movie from a different decade or country and let that inspire your outfits and movie snacks! Watch Star Wars dressed as your favorite character, throw a Great Gatsby style movie night, or serve North African nibbles like hummus and baklava while you enjoy Aladdin. 

Kids will love the chance to make a DIY movie night more special. If you don’t have a themed evening, have some traditions for movie night instead. The whole family can wear matching pajamas or onesies and smaller kids can have their own bean bag chairs. 

Movie Night Ideas for Couples

Will your DIY movie night double as your date night? There are some great ways to maximize the romance at home with a fun twist on dinner and a movie.

Create the right atmosphere with candles, snuggly blankets, and throw pillows. Instead of serving bowls of chips, dips, and candies, make your movie snacks delicious tapas dishes. When it comes to deciding what to watch, choose a romantic movie, share your all-time favorites with one another, or re-watch the first movie you ever saw together.

Get your friends and family together for a DIY movie night you won’t forget, right from the comfort of your home! Find the perfect reclining furniture group for your movie theater experience and style in this infographic. 

Every year brings us new interior design trends and this year has been no different. Of course, not all trends are created equal. Some concepts may offer timeless style to your home, while others only deserve their 15 minutes of fame. From 2020’s interior design color trends to furniture choices, we’ve rounded up the most fashionable ideas of the year. The question is, which ones are in and which ones are already out? We want you to be the judge.

Take a look at these top interior design trends from 2020 and let us know your favorites by casting your vote!

There’s nothing more magical than a home full of character. It’s the reason we choose to buy older properties or stay in the same house for decades. The problem is, the more history your house has, the more likely it will need some DIY home updates. The good news is that you can give your home a facelift no matter how much time, money, and effort you have to spare!

From smaller jobs like changing out light fittings to larger projects like redecorating, read on to find out how you can make your old house look modern.

How to Modernize a House on a Budget

If you bought an older house because it was a more affordable option, the last thing you want to do is to pour all your savings into costly home improvements. Similarly, if you’re in love with your home’s special charm, you may not want to give it a complete overhaul. No matter whether you’re trying to keep to a budget or stick to a subtle refresh, these are the DIY home updates for you.

Do a Deep Clean

Dirt can build up over the years without us really noticing — even when we clean on a regular basis. If you have an older home, one of the best ways to spruce it up is with a thorough cleaning. 

Rent a carpet or tile cleaner to give your floors a seriously good wash. You can take your curtains to the dry cleaners and use a professional service to get your furniture cleaned. The cleaning shouldn’t be limited to inside your home, either. If you have vinyl siding on the exterior of your house, use a power washer to remove any moss, mold, and mildew. This may not be the most glamorous of DIY home updates, but it’s certainly effective.

Buy New Linens

Updating your linens is a great way to modernize your home on a budget. Replace graying towels and shower curtains with designs that make your bathroom pop. Choose bed linens that bring your bedroom decor together. Buy a new tablecloth that makes you proud to host a dinner party in your home. 

Another way to make an old house more modern is to switch out heavy window treatments for light drapes. This will also allow more light into your home, which brings us to our next DIY home update.

Let There Be Light

Nothing makes an old house look more modern than good lighting. You can easily tweak the lighting in your home by adding modern table and floor lamps to the darker areas of your home. Consider replacing old-fashioned fixtures and light shades or even installing recessed LED lighting for a truly modern feel.

You can also update the light switches and plates around your home for another simple DIY home update. The same goes for power outlets, door handles, and drawer pulls, as these can become damaged and outdated over time.

Prioritize Your Paint Jobs

Painting your entire home is a huge project that requires a lot of time and effort, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still use some paint to modernise your home on a budget. 

Select key items in and around your home that will really make an impact with a fresh coat of paint, such as cupboards and doors. You can also repaint the fence around your property and go bold with a new front door color to increase your curb-appeal.

Freshen Up Your Yard

Don’t forget about exterior projects when making your old house look more modern. If your yard has been left to do its own thing for a long period of time, it probably needs some TLC. 

Start by pulling out the weeds from your front and back yard as well as from the sidewalk in front of your home. You should also cut back hedges, trees, and creepers. Remove any dead plants or junk. To make your garden look extra fresh, replenish the mulch and keep your lawn in check. 

More Ambitious DIY Home Updates

Ready to invest more time and money into modernizing your home? Take a look at these tips for the ultimate makeover for your older home.

Create a Cohesive Decor

After years of being updated here and there, older homes can end up looking a little mis-matched. The best way to make an old house more modern is to opt for one simple decor style. That means you should remove the wallpaper that has become dated, damaged, and dirty, and choose a new color palette.

Not sure how you want to redecorate your home? Take our quiz to discover the right interior design style for you and your home!

Redo Your Floors

Just like your walls and decor, your flooring should also be consistent throughout your home if you want to make your old house more modern. Consider removing all of your carpets and updating your floors to match (with the exception of the bathroom, of course). Contemporary interior designs favor hardwood flooring for its sleek, natural look. 

To incorporate some cozy texture into your rooms, add patterned area rugs or luscious sheepskin rugs. If you’re lucky enough to have hardwood floors already, be sure to refinish them for a fresh look.

Take On the Big Ones: The Kitchen and the Bathroom

The two rooms that usually need the most DIY home updates are the bathroom and the kitchen. They’re subjected to heavy daily usage, grime, and humidity, which means that hardware and decor can quickly deteriorate. If you have a larger budget, plenty of DIY experience, or the chance to get some professional help, improving these rooms is the best way to make your old house more modern.

DIY home updates to prioritize in an older bathroom include:

• Installing a modern one-piece toilet
• Replacing the bathroom vanity
• Retiling the floors and walls

In some cases, you may want to recreate your bathroom from scratch with a new and more modern tub, shower, and basin.

When it comes to an older kitchen, focus on:

• Updating old appliances
• Installing a new sink (or even just the faucet)
• Retiling the backsplash

These DIY home updates will give your kitchen a clean, fresh, and functional vibe that goes hand in hand with modern living.

Invest in the Right Furniture

Once you’ve thoroughly updated your home, you’ll want to make sure your furniture fits with the new aesthetic. While you can give tables and wooden chairs a lick of stain, you may not be able to fix a lumpy, patterned couch so easily.

A new furniture group can make your old house look more modern and reinforce your interior design style. Top-quality furniture manufacturers combine the latest innovations and styles, which means a new sofa or recliner won’t just look better, it will also feel more comfortable. What’s more, if you choose furniture in stain-resistant and easy-to-clean fabrics, you can keep them looking like new for longer!

See how the right furniture can take your home to the next level in our infographic.

As moving season begins, you may find yourself downsizing — or rather, rightsizing — for a simpler home lifestyle. No matter whether you’re moving to a cozier house or downsizing from a house to an apartment, there are plenty of tips and tricks to maximize the size of your space. Read on to find out how you can celebrate the less-is-more-movement in your stylish new home.

Downsizing Home Checklist

As with any move, planning and preparation is key. This becomes even more important if you’re moving to a smaller space that cannot fit all your current belongings. Allow plenty of time to prepare for your move to keep stress to a minimum and use this downsizing home checklist to cover all your bases!

Step 1: Measure Your New Home and Large Belongings

If you’re downsizing from a house to an apartment, you likely won’t have the same number of rooms to work with. Remember, though, it’s not just about the room count. Even if you’re moving to a house, each area in your new home may be considerably smaller. Rightsizing is a great way to create a cozier space and prioritize what you love in life, but it may also mean that some of your furniture items won’t fit.

As well as knowing exactly how large each room in your new house or apartment is, you need to know exactly how much space your belongings take up, too. Furniture groups, sectionals, dining sets, dressers, and sideboards all require plenty of room, so measure everything well in advance. Understanding the amount of space you have to work with will be an important first step in a seamless move.

Step 2: Sort Through Your Stuff

While you can always use storage facilities to keep every item you own, why not use this opportunity to look through your home and keep only the items that spark joy? 

Rightsizing is all about less is more, so apply the same concept to your belongings in this next step on the downsizing home checklist. By keeping only what you love and use regularly, you can make sure your home stays tidier, more organized, and more enjoyable to live in. Go through each room and separate your items into three categories: Keep, Donate, and Trash. When it comes to large items that you love but can’t fit into your new home, take photographs that you can easily keep and treasure. 

Step 3: Redecorate and Renovate Before You Move In

In an ideal world, your new home would be move-in ready and you would have narrowed down your belongings so that they all fit perfectly into the space. In the real world, your new home may need updating to look more modern, to match your tastes, or to better accommodate your personal items. 

While you’re probably excited to get moved in as quickly as possible, taking care of decorating and renovations before you move in will be much easier. Whether it’s repainting, changing the flooring, or adding built-in storage space, take advantage of your empty new home. Once all your belongings are lining every room, it will be more difficult to make any changes and that might put you off improving your home all together.

Step 4: Invest in Smart Furniture Pieces

You may have to say goodbye to a lot of your furniture as part of the home downsizing checklist. While it can be tough to give up items you’ve had for years, now you can invest in the kind of pieces that will support your new lifestyle! 

Instead of replacing your furniture with smaller versions, opt for multipurpose and smart pieces of high quality. Think coffee tables with drawers, ottomans that open to provide storage, and beds with compartments. You can get creative and use a dresser as a TV stand or choose a wall-hugging recliner that has been specifically designed for a small room. Southern Motion’s Metro Recliner allows you to combine functionality, style, and comfort to a cozy room without sacrificing space.

Tips for Downsizing

You’ve prepared your new dream home, reduced and refined your belongings, and made the move. How can you make sure you get the most out of your cozier space for the years to come? Follow these tips for downsizing that can help you enjoy a more minimalist lifestyle on a day-to-day basis!

Get into the Habit of Decluttering

You may have purged your belongings before your move, but to keep your smaller home at its best, you need to declutter on a regular basis. As well as keeping piles of mail in check and making sure items always go back in their place, consider going through your belongings every season to get rid of anything you’re not using or enjoying. 

Don’t Save Anything For Best

One of the best tips for downsizing is to stop saving items for special occasions. Whether it’s your wedding china, guest towels, or Sunday best, you need to get your fanciest belongings out in the open — and not just for show. Using your favorite items on a daily basis doesn’t just free up storage space and ensure that you don’t need to double up on items. You’ll also feel more excited about living in your smaller home and getting the most out of life. 

Find What Works For You

You’ve got rid of the items you don’t want or need, you’re decluttering on a regular basis, and you’ve stopped storing all your best belongings. Now the real fun begins. You get to experiment to find out how your new home will work for you and your family!

This tip for downsizing takes time. You need to adjust to your new home to discover your preferences for the space. You might try different layouts or hone in on your priorities and remove even more items. Whatever it is, stay flexible, open-minded, and enjoy the ride.

Downsizing from a house to an apartment or smaller home is a liberating move. With these tips for downsizing, you can focus on what really matters to you and create a more functional living environment. To find high-quality furniture that works with your lifestyle, take a look at Southern Motion’s stylish collections now.

 

After the devastating effects of the global pandemic, many people are starting to reassess how they make purchases and where they source their home goods from. Furniture is no exception. From receiving high-quality pieces to supporting the US economy, here are five reasons why you should consider choosing local furniture from home-grown manufacturers.

1. Higher-Quality Furniture — Without the Higher Price

In today’s global economy, consumers can look for the best value options from around the world. While foreign manufacturers are known to offer affordable furniture, these pieces don’t provide the most bang for the buck. International shipping, taxes, and duties all add up, so for a foreign-made piece of furniture to be competitively priced, the manufacturers need to use the cheapest materials possible.

American furniture manufacturers, on the other hand, can offer quality products without adding too much onto the price tag. Because local furniture doesn’t need to be imported, the cost savings are passed directly on to the consumer and valuable business isn’t lost to another country.

2. Insight into the Manufacturing Process

The US has strict and transparent regulations on product quality. Every piece of furniture has to meet the requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). Quality assurance is a critical part of the local furniture manufacturing process and ensures the safety of products before they are ever distributed to customers.

Local furniture is often made using safer and more natural production methods without harmful chemicals, glues, and materials. With American furniture manufacturers, you can feel confident about bringing pieces into your home and enjoying them with your friends and family for many years to come. 

In addition to excellent manufacturing practices, employees are also provided with a safe working environment in accordance with CDC guidelines. At Southern Motion, our associates are never exposed to toxic chemicals or dangerous working conditions. Since resuming our manufacturing, we have also made sure that everyone can stay healthy in the cleanest facilities. Associates are able to practice social distancing and we provide and require face masks to be worn in the workplace.

3. Unique and Innovative Pieces

Mass-produced furniture is made quickly and cheaply, which prevents innovation. If you’re looking for a piece that combines unique style and functional comfort, local furniture is the best choice for you. 

As an American furniture manufacturer, Southern Motion is able to bring in a skilled and dedicated workforce that strives for excellence each and every day. The result? We’ve become a leader in design and innovation in motion furniture and are committed to creating the world’s best reclining furniture — right here in the United States for over 20 years.

4. Support for the Local Economy

By choosing American-made furniture, consumers are helping to create more jobs in the US. This can result in huge gains for the economy. For example, Southern Motion was founded in 1996 and now employs over 1500 workers across five Mississippi-based facilities. This has allowed us to become one of the largest American furniture manufacturers in Northern Mississippi. Our associates are provided with unmatched benefits and a work community that feels like family.

Southern Furniture Industries also awards outstanding local high school graduates with scholarships. Every year, qualifying children of the company’s associates can apply for these educational scholarships. This doesn’t just support employees and ensure a family-friendly company — it also creates the next generation of leaders in the US who can help keep our economy growing.

5. Reduced Impact on the Environment

Sourcing and manufacturing furniture domestically ensures a shorter supply chain, fewer carbon emissions, and less fuel consumption. Materials and finished products don’t need to be shipped from the other side of the world because they’re already here in your backyard! This makes American-made furniture a more sustainable option.

Of course, American furniture manufacturers like Southern Motion still make sure their collections are available to customers across the country. We have a nation-wide network of 1,200 independent retailers so you can choose the right furniture for you and your family without any inconvenience.

Find Your Perfect American-Made Furniture

By choosing local furniture, you support top-notch manufacturing, sustainability, and the US economy. For these reasons and more, Southern Motion furniture is proudly made in the USA. With stylish options to suit every home, we can’t wait to share the benefits of American-made furniture with you!

To discover the quality and innovation of American-made furniture at its best, take a look at the Southern Motion collections now.

There are lots of things you’re probably doing right with your home decor, but there are also some common home interior design mistakes that even the most experienced homeowners make. By checking out some bad interior design examples, you can learn what to avoid and what to focus on to make your home even more enjoyable to live in. Here are the 7 of the biggest decorating faux pas to keep in mind as you develop your home interior design.

Decorating Faux Pas 1: Having Too Many Colors and Prints

Even if your home interior design leans more toward the eclectic side, you still need to have some cohesion with your overall decorating scheme. Too much variety in color, pattern, and print can leave rooms feeling busy and cluttered rather than clever and imaginative. 

Strive for a color palette of no more than three to four colors per room, using one or two main shades and the others as accents. Also, limit the number of prints or patterns in your home interior design. You can opt for more than one, but look for ways to make the elements flow together. An oversized print on a set of throw pillows, for example, can work with a smaller, more subtle print in the curtains, especially if they are in the same color family.

Decorating Faux Pas 2: Overdoing the Accents

You can’t have too much of a good thing — or can you? Even if all your decorative accents are incredibly appealing, it can be a decorating faux pas to cram too many of them together in the same room. 

Choose a few main pieces to highlight and accent so they’ll really shine. If you’re not in love with the remaining decorations, give them away. If you can’t bear to part with them, create an organized storage space for them and rotate pieces periodically to give rooms a fresh new feel every few months.

Decorating Faux Pas 3: Keeping Outdated Interior Design Details

Whether your home interior design is classic or contemporary, you probably have some outdated pieces or details in your design and decor. Maybe it’s a certain rug pattern that was more of a fad or a tired set of upholstered chairs that could use an update. 

Look over your existing decor and overall design with an eye toward what has a timeless feel versus what has come and gone. Sometimes a slight update to existing pieces can do the trick. In other cases, you may want to replace the decor altogether.

Decorating Faux Pas 4: Not Capitalizing on a Room’s Best Features

It’s easy to fall into arranging furniture in a standard way or using a methodical decorating scheme without really taking the time to make the most of each room’s best features. 

Maybe you have a room with a large window and lots of natural light. Maximize the light and view by hanging curtains high and wide to give the most exposure, or arrange the furniture in a unique way to make the window the focal point. 

Use oversized interior design details like wall art to draw attention to features like high ceilings or unique structural work. Capitalize on the coziness of a smaller room by adding creative nooks and soft textures. Once you focus on a room’s best features, you can use your decorating skills to make them work for you.

Decorating Faux Pas 5: Using the Wrong Furniture and Decor Sizes

The furniture and decor you choose for a room needs to have a good relationship with the area. This is a mistake people often make in living room design. Small furniture and tiny area rugs in a large room with high ceilings will be swallowed up and make the space feel uncomfortable. Similarly, oversized furniture or large sectionals could look out of place in a smaller room. 

Choose furniture, rug, and decor sizes that work in harmony with the size and structure of the area. The key is to find a proportionate look that makes the space feel inviting. Southern Motion has a wide range of furniture collections to help you find the perfect pieces for your home interior design.

Decorating Faux Pas 6: Forgetting Balance and Contrast

Another important aspect of home interior design is creating balance. You want harmony in your color and decor, but that doesn’t mean everything should completely match. A lack of balance and contrast can make any room feel off. 

The easiest way to avoid making rooms into bad interior design examples is by avoiding extremes and singular choices. A room done only in one color or a room with matching furniture, curtains, and rugs will lack the sense of contrast that makes a room feel lively and inviting. Even if you go with a monochromatic look, you can still add some of that contrast in with a subtly different hue and some varied textures.

Decorating Faux Pas 7: Not Personalizing Your Home Interior Design

One of the biggest home interior design mistakes is not personalizing your rooms enough. Fortunately, this is also the easiest decorating faux pas to fix!

Maybe your home’s furnishings are largely made up of items passed down through the family, and you’ve kept them even though you don’t love the pieces. Maybe your home is minimalist to the extreme, with rooms that have little or no decor or accents and need that personal touch. Maybe you’ve never really taken the time to figure out your interior design style, so your decor is a mix of pieces or gifts that don’t speak to you. 

Decide what makes you feel at home and incorporate the things you love into your decor scheme. From photographs and artwork to your favorite color and mementos, personalizing your space with these interior design details is easy and fun.

For more inspiration for your home interior design, take a look at our guide to interior design for beginners.

From birthdays to New Year’s Eve extravaganzas, there are plenty of reasons to throw parties throughout the year. Your parties may currently have a different sized guest list, but as a party host, you still have your own signature approach to decorations, activities, food, and drinks. Your interior design style and home decor pieces say a lot about you and the kind of entertainer you are.

Find out which entertaining style fits you best by picking out your favorite decor pieces and designing your own personal interior!