The living room has moved away from being the stuffy room that no one sits in. The new look is a more relaxed, warm and welcoming feel. To achieve this, Cathy Davin of Davin Interiors in Upper St. Clair recommends introducing warm colors on family-friendly fabrics that resist stain and wear, storing electronics behind beautiful cabinetry or even bringing in a wet bar.

The best way to turn formal into friendly is to arrange furniture into intimate conversation areas. “No sofa on one wall and love seat on another,” she says. “Get that furniture off the walls.”

Other general don’ts for a living room or game room space, says Davin, are overly matching furniture, too much clutter, and artwork issues. “It’s better to mix woods and fabrics to create interest,” she says.

Artwork often is too small or hung too high. It’s better to have a bigger piece at eye level, and every wall does not need an accent.

Beautiful bedrooms
HOT: Laid-back luxury
NOT: Bright lights

Bedrooms are moving beyond being just functional for sleep and dress. Sitting areas are popping up in master suites, as are fireplaces and wet bars. Adding two chairs with ottomans in an unused nook of the room creates a comfortable space for unwinding. Davin suggests completing this look with a flat screen television above the fireplace.

A common problem in the bedroom, however, is the lighting. Davin suggests installing lighting on a dimmer, so the brightness can change with the activity. It also helps to have a small light source near the bed.

Creative color schemes
HOT: Brown and blue, brown and red, brown and green, brown and anything
NOT: Colors that fight each other

The brown trend has a shelf life of about seven years, predicts Davin. That’s seven full years to enjoy this rich, soothing hue and complement it with almost any color your heart desires. Blue and brown has become a dominant trend for everything from bedrooms to game rooms. Tones of tomato and paprika also are emerging as strong choices. Warm neutrals like portabella and coffee tones also are popular with trendsetters, along with creamy taupes and ivories.

“If you don’t want to completely re-do your room, try incorporating this color scheme by brushing a coat of paint onto the walls and buying some embroidered accent pillows in the desired complementary color,” says Davin. But the designer stresses the importance of avoiding colors that conflict with each other.

“You shouldn’t have draperies with a yellow undertone, carpet with a gray undertone and furniture with brown undertones,” she says. “You have to be really careful about color.”

Wonderful walls
HOT: Understated wallpaper
NOT: Outdated patterns

Wallpaper has evolved from the patterns that take over an entire room to patterns that subtly accent what’s already going on.

“When I mention wallpaper to young people, they get nervous, but it’s wonderful when used correctly,” Davin says. “Maybe it’s in the dining room and the powder room, just to break up all that paint. There is a great selection of wallpaper that is updated and understated.”

Faux finishes have come a long way from the sponge paint designs of the past. Now, processes such as Venetian texture and plaster are giving up-to-date walls an architecturally rich finish.