One of the first decisions you have to make is whether to hire a professional or to DIY. Here are the pros and cons of either decision.

You can hire a good interior designer to suggest you themes and a layout for your house. The professionals usually have good knowledge of what is available in the market to suit each budget and taste, and would be able to advise you on this aspect as well. They would probably be able to suggest a theme to suit your personal preferences and help you make your decisions accordingly.

Alternatively, you could use your own ingenuity and knowledge to save on costs, as hiring a professional can be prohibitively expensive. You would have to gain knowledge, though, and it would require some amount of time and effort to study the market and decide what you want.

Start with a theme – you can decide on a traditional or a modern look. While hand crafted stuff like bamboo furniture is more suited to the traditional look, the modern look and feel is accentuated by the use of smart wooden or leather furniture. A set of leather sofas adds a touch of class to any living room, and is associated with aristocracy and elegance. You can choose from a variety of colors such as black, brown, red etc to go with the overall look of your room. Choose black or dark brown for a touch of sophistication that gels with your overall image. Go in for lighter shades like fawn only if you do not have small children –while it definitely looks chic, it suffers from the disadvantage of getting dirty very quickly. Brighter shades like red or green would look good if you have overall designer settings.

Buy a smart rug to enhance the overall look. Options are between full wall-to-wall carpeting, a smaller carpet or a rug. In case you decide on the former, plain colors generally look more elegant than prints, even though they may be a little more difficult to maintain.

Go for a Persian carpet to really make your guests’ eyes pop out. If you can’t afford it, never mind. Indian Kashmiri silk ones are equally good, though much cheaper in comparison. Use a plain rug if you want to avoid stealing all the attention from your designer sofas.

Look at the placement of your sectional sofas next. Preferably, the largest piece; i.e. the three or five-seater, should be placed along the longest wall. If your settings are in a large hall, place your five-seater so that it does not constrict the entry and the exit spaces. Place the single pieces evenly in comparison to the three/five-seater. They can either be placed along one side of your living room, or placed one each on either side of the main sofa. The latter is better if you have another sofa set to place, or have a five-piece set that needs more space, and would balance out the settings. If you have stand-alone leather recliners, they are best placed in a corner where they will go well with the sitting pattern.

Whatever your decision, don’t just sit there and think. Get moving and you will soon end up with one of the smartest living rooms in town!