When you are considering the home interior design one room that can be difficult to imagine is the living room.  Some people enjoy having a living room that they can relax and unwind in and others would prefer to have a more formal room that is more suited to entertaining occasionally.   There are many factors that play into the type of living room you should consider before calling your home interior designer to revamp the room.  If you are on the fence about how you want to use your living room space, then you need to ask yourself a few questions.  The following are just three questions you should consider when designing your living room area.

Do You Have a Family Room?

If you do not have a family room then you will have to use your living room for your casual times at home to watch television and to unwind after work.  You can still design it so it can also function as a formal area where you can have parties or entertain guests.  The television can be placed in a cabinet with doors that close so it is not seen by guests and the furniture can be top of the line but protected by covers when not entertaining.  If you do have a family room, then you can either choose to make your living room more formal or you can use one for the adults in the family while the children can use the less formal family room for their activities.

How Much Entertaining Will You Do?

The next thing you need to consider is how much entertaining at home you plan to do.  If you typically only entertain during holidays or special occasions then you can certainly have a casual living room that can double as formal when the need arises.  It is pretty easy to have a contemporary interior design in place for your living room that is both functional and decorative when needed.  Some strong pieces in the room can take it up a notch.  These are pieces that you want to show off your taste while still offering a comfortable place to watch television or read a book after work.

Do You Have Children and How Old Are They?

If you have children and then you have to consider their age before you decide on a formal living room.  Even if you make the formal living room off limits, things can still happen and all of your expensive furniture and keepsakes can be ruined.  If they are old enough to understand that they are not allowed in that room except for special occasions then you shouldn’t have a problem deciding to make your living room formal.   For those who have very young children it may be wise to keep the room casual until they are old enough to understand why the room cannot be used at all times.

When it comes to decorating your living room there are two ways to accomplish this.  One is to make it formal for entertaining and the other is to keep it casual for the family to enjoy.  The choice is totally up to you and the above questions should help you before your call your interior designer.