This guide is meant to be a starting point for those who are looking for the basics in room-planning and design, and are looking for some ideas on how to get started putting together their perfect new room-design. Please review the sections below for more information on how to get started putting your perfect room together.

Feel free to call Conway at any time, and a skilled Conway employee would be happy to assist you in determining your needs, helping you make a room plan, and creating a Furniture Package that will help you get your new living room for the best value possible. Call 519-291-3820 for more information

1. Determining Furniture Needs

The first step when shopping for furniture is determining your needs. Most people have an idea when they begin shopping what it is they think they 'need', however there is no substitution for taking 10 minutes to make a sketch of your room, pinpoint exactly where you need a piece of furniture, and what it needs to do. This simple process of determining possible solutions means you are less likely to get overwhelmed by the literally hundreds of choices available when you step into Conway Furniture.

• List what you need the furniture to do; does it need to recline? Rock? Does it need to have storage? etc. Try to list these points in order of their importance.
• Make an approximation of the ideal size of the piece.
• Come up with your ideal budget.

2. Using the Conway Room Planner

The Room Planner Tool is an excellent resource for determining your furniture needs and exploring solutions in your room. To get started, follow the link and start a new room.

• Start by drawing walls to your rooms dimensions
• Fill the room with 2d models of any existing furniture you wish to keep in the room.
• You can print this model out to use as a reference for space concerns, or experiment within the room planner to get ideas about how best to use your space
• If you need assistance with the room planner, simply visit Conway at 5663  Perth County Line 86, Listowel, Ontario and one of our staff would be happy to assist you!

3. Finding the perfect piece!

Finding the perfect piece doesn't have to be hard. Coming to Conway prepared with your room-plan, knowing your needs, and maybe even with images of products you like can really save time in browsing. Mention these resources to your sales associate and they may even be able to suggest solutions you hadn't considered yet! In the end the perfect piece will suit your needs, appeal to you visually, complement your room and your old furniture, and will be the best quality available! In reality you may need to balance these needs to find the best possible match (say for example the best suiting and looking piece isn't the best quality- sometimes making the best design decisions involve knowing when to be picky and when to choose for 'feel'.

If you have found something in another store or online that you want - Conway will work with you to find a piece the same or similar. In many cases we can even price match a competitors tax-and-delivery-included price.

4. Basic Design Concepts

 Perhaps the most basic of all interior design concepts has to do with color. Whether the goal is to create a room that is reflective of a given era, or to simply design a room using a variety of eclectic furnishings, color is the underlying concept that will give the space a sense of unity. Interior design examples of color often make use of at least one primary color, a secondary color, and two or three incidental colors to round out the range for the space. These colors can be captured as solids, patterns, or any combination that the designer believes will bring harmony to the room.

Some Formulas for Color Harmony

There are many theories for harmony. The following illustrations and descriptions present some basic formulas.


1. A color scheme based on analogous colors



Analogous colors are any three colors which are side by side on a 12-part color wheel, such as yellow-green, yellow, and yellow-orange. Usually one of the three colors predominates.
 

2. A color scheme based on complementary colors


 
Complementary colors are any two colors which are directly opposite each other, such as red and green and red-purple and yellow-green. In the illustration above, there are several variations of yellow-green in the leaves and several variations of red-purple in the orchid. These opposing colors create maximum contrast and maximum stability.
 

3. A color scheme based on nature



Nature provides a perfect departure point for color harmony. In the illustration above, red yellow and green create a harmonious design, regardless of whether this combination fits into a technical formula for color harmony.



Along with choosing colors that create an attractive scheme, there is also the matter of scale. This is one of the interior design concepts that many amateurs do not consider, preventing the space from being truly welcoming and attractive. Furniture and accessories that are too large for the space will only make the room feel cramped and uncomfortable. At the same time, pieces that are too small make a space feel somewhat cold and uninviting, even if the color scheme is inviting.

With color and scale considered, there is also the matter of style. While many people are wary of mixing and matching odd pieces, the fact is that an eclectic mix can be one of the most important interior design concepts anyone can master. The ability to include elements that at first seem at odds with one another can help create a room that has a sense of history, with its collection of much loved pieces gathered over the years. A room that is created using this concept will often entice people to enter the space and relax, since the mood is often informal and encourages a feeling of being at home.

Other Design Considerations

There are just a handful of factors that you will want to keep in mind in order to end up with a room your whole family can enjoy.

•     Consider the purpose of your living room. Will it be used mostly for conversation, watching TV, playing games or all of the above? You will almost certainly need a conversation area, but maybe a fabulous entertainment cabinet or coffee table with storage can be used to great effect.
•     Remember the needs of everyone using the room, including pets. If you have pets, small children or both, you may want to consider fabrics like microfiber, which are best for handling stains and animal hair.
•     Use a focal point to its best advantage. A fireplace, a gorgeous view or a stunning piece of art all make good focal points. If at all possible, you should try to arrange your living room so that the eye is drawn to the focal point as soon as you enter the room.
•     Start with your favourite piece of furniture, then choose other pieces to accent it. Most people start with the sofa, as it is often the largest and most expensive item in the room. But this is certainly not written in stone. If you’ve fallen in love with a picture or entertainment centre, then just choose the rest of your furnishings to complement it.
•     Sofas and arm chairs don’t have to be your only seating. A game table with chairs, ottomans or poufs that can be used as tables or seats, a bar with high stools and more can provide additional seating as needed.
•     Lighting can make or break a room.Overhead lighting can feel cold, while table and floor lamps provide interesting décor accents as well as softer lighting.

There is actually a lot of leeway to choose the furnishings you love best for your living room. Use these tips as a guide to finding them.