How to get the perfect lazy living room
You’ve got a lazy Saturday on the cards. Your fave DVDs are strewn across the floor, a selection of beverages and snacks await you on your manky coffee table, your curtains are shut and you’re ready to vegetate in front of the telly.
But crikey – your living room is horrid.
You’ve got lager cans filling up the bin, a settee with more loose springs than a self-replicating Slinky and a telly that even Quakers would consider old fashioned.
So it’s time for a makeover. What can you get for your front room for the perfect relaxing Saturday?
Fine reclining
Having a pleasant sit-down on a weekday is like trying to walk on water. The hustle and bustle of daily life gives you too little time to manage.
When you’ve finally got time for a seat, you don’t want it to be a back-aching chore. Invest in a few recliners that will let you lie back with ease – and won’t poke at your spine like a butter knife.
The telly of the future
Trying to find a telly has become so complicated compared to the olden days. In the 60s, you were just happy that you had a functional screen. But now you’ve got to manoeuvre terms like HDMI, interconnectivity, 1080p and dongle support. It’s like hearing an Isaac Asimov novel recited in Swahili.
However, all that jargon doesn’t have to be so complex. You need a screen large enough for your room, with HD support (the actual difference in HD resolutions is minimal) and enough SCART, HDMI and cable ports to fit all your games consoles and set-top boxes in at one time.
More than this, try not to make your television the be-all and end-all of your front room. After all, who wants a black hole dominating their entire space?
Culture clash
While you might enjoy nothing more than a Celebrity Big Brother marathon, why not try a dose of culture to balance out the common look?
Install a bookcase bulging with the classics, your Shakespeares and Shelly and Keats. Complement your bookcase with a few classical ornaments or tasteful lamps and you’ll create a fascinating counterpoint to your big-screen telly and Xbox One.
Warmth – even when you’re freezing
You might not have the heating on, but you can relax with a few mental tricks to make you warmer.
Start by painting your walls a warm colour, such as deep red or purple. Then, cover any leather seating with quilting to avoid an under-heated derriere.
After this, invest in a real log fire. Even without those flames crackling, you’ll still feel warmer than an icy blue or chilly green room.
