This contemporary living room is a good example of repetition.  The lack of color helps the design elements stand out. One of the basic design principles that is easy to follow is repetition.  Repeating a color, a design element, a pattern, or an object throughout a design helps pull the look together to create a polished looking space.

Repetition, like balance, is a design principle that is easy to do in a room with existing furniture and accessories. Repeating design elements can be as simple as multiple throw pillows and a few accessories in the same color. It is something you can do that can really pull together a room and not break your wallet.

A white sofa, grey area rug and black and cream accents keep the contemporary look sleek and clean. Can you spot the repeating design element? It’s the circle. From the shape of the coffee table to the round area rug and up onto the pillows, the circle pulls this living room’s look together.

The dark wood floors stand out more against the warm gray of the area rug. There is a nice contrast in textures between the smooth wood floor and the nubby, shaggy area rug. Carrying the shape of the rug up onto the coffee table breaks up all the straight lines of the floor and sofa. Having the circle shape on the sofa’s throw pillows helps it relate to the rug and coffee table even though the colors and materials are not the same.

Light stone floors and white walls combined with natural light from the huge windows make this room feel light and airy.  The light stone and white walls also act as cool neutrals that allow the furnishings and area rug to set the color palette for the room.  If white slipcovered furniture was used in this room, the room would be bright and ethereal with all the white in the sunlit space.  Earth tones help ground the seating area and give some needed weight to the room.

Warm brown leather covers the pair of arm chairs. The warm brown works well with the earthy olive green of the sofa as well as the rug, which features a golden, ochre yellow center and deep red border.  Olive green, golden ochre and red sound like a riot of color but keeping all the colors in the same shade and tone allows them to work together.  No color really pops or stands out as the dominate color in the room.

The colorful coffee table adds a bit of whimsy with the carved legs.  The bright colors on the coffee table and the shape make it a focal point of the seating area.

Some of us don’t have large laundry rooms, and that’s ok. See how good this small space looks.

Why not use dark cabinets in your laundry room. It makes it fancy!

Here is an example of a super efficient room.

Or stack units!

Here’s a room that looks like a spa!

Modular solutions are another good way to go.

Or if you want to be super posh, do marble countertops and don’t forget a TV player and a DVD.

Creating a décor that can work with all these different activities is key.  Furniture arrangements, flooring and materials should all be selected to stand up to the heavy use and high traffic of today’s living rooms. Sectional sofas allow seating for many in a single piece of furniture. Coffee tables that are also ottomans can multi-task as game tables, dining tables and extra seating.

Wireless routers and laptops mean we can telecommute from any room in the home. And more than one family member can be online at a time… so the sofa can become a home office, socializing center and homework space.

Living room flooring should be durable to stand up to all the demands we place on the room.  Stain resistant and stain repellant are key for carpets in high traffic areas.  Hardwoods and other hard surfaces are durable but it is nice to have something softer for impromptu lounging on the floor.

For upholstery in high traffic rooms like family rooms and kids’ rooms, think about using outdoor fabrics. These durable materials are intended to withstand weather and moisture outdoors so they can probably withstand daily life with pets and kids.  The same can be said for indoor/outdoor area rugs. These rugs have come a long way from astroturf. Patterns, colors and materials all imitate the same rugs intended for indoor use, but are more durable.

If you have kids and pets, all white furniture and all white carpet are probably not the wisest choices. Durable cotton slipcovers that can be washed (and bleached if they are white) are great ideas for existing furniture. If you are buying new furniture, ask if they will make a custom slipcover for the sofa or chair. You’ll get twice the life out of your furniture if you can slipcover it to protect the upholstery.

Of course the best defense against kids and pets is quick reaction for dirt and spills. Don’t let dirt get ground into carpet or let spills set.  Picking the right fabrics for kid and pet friendly furniture means you can worry less about jumping on the sofa or forts on the floor.

This is why we love design blogs and design bloggers who share their current projects as well as what they are loving. These trends are not just seen in the shelter magazines, but in real homes around the country. One trend we are seeing on design blogs right now are pale wood floors.  Of course we’re seeing dark, ebony floors too.

Pale wood floors are showing up in coastal designs as well as Scandinavian influenced style. Farmhouse kitchens and contemporary living rooms can all be seen with pale wood floors. The new pale wood is often limed, a technique that gives the wood a white-washed appearance with a milky white stain that allows the grain and knots of the wood to still be seen.  This adds pattern and visual interest that is not seen in white painted floors.  Pale wood floors can work with white cabinetry in the kitchen and light colored furnishings in the living room. These floors are also beautiful in a coastal style bedroom topped with pale colored area rugs.

Starting on the floor, choose a flooring that works for your family’s lifestyle.  Super high traffic areas like family rooms mean you’ll want a durable and stain resistant material. Given some activities like gaming and play in the family room mean sitting on the floor, you’ll want flooring that is also comfortable.  Stain-resistant carpet could be a good choice. So could wood floors or laminate flooring with the addition of an area rug in the seating area.  If you have pets, a wood or laminate floor might be the better choice than carpet.

Ample seating for watching movies, the big game or playing games is also key for a family friendly room. A mix of seating options is always a good idea. Sectional sofas or a pair of sofas in an L-shape creates a nice cozy arrangement for conversation and television watching. Portable seating like poufs, ottomans or stools can be moved around the room as needed, or stored out of the way.

Family photos on the walls and good storage to hide clutter are also good additions to a family room. Make the room inviting and you’ll find yourself and your family hanging out there more often.

Wall mounted faucets come in as many styles and finishes as standard faucets. They work wonderfully with vessel sinks, which continue to be a big design trend for bathrooms of all sizes. The combination of a wall mounted faucet and a vessel sink saves on counter space—a must for a small bathroom.  Putting the faucet on the wall frees up precious counter space.  And when you have a small bathroom, you will need all the counter and floor space you can get.

This bathroom is a contemporary example of a bathroom design with a wall mounted faucet. Smooth plaster walls and a ceramic vessel sink give the room a contemporary organic feel. Concrete or stone flooring would nicely complement the plaster walls and counter. A floating counter will also free up floor space for storage and make the small room feel more open than a closed vanity would.

Wall mounted faucets are also a good choice for a bathroom with dual sinks.  Anything that creates more counter space in a bathroom is a good design element. Can you ever have enough counter space in the bathroom?

Glass in the bathroom can take the form of several different materials. Glass tiles can cover the floor and backsplash. Glass shower surrounds replace shower curtains, and open up the shower space. Of course glass mirrors are a must in the bathroom.  Other places to find glass include glass doors on the vanity and glass accessories.

Stone is another multifunctional material for the bathroom. Stone counter tops of granite or marble are big in the bathroom. Stone tiles for the floor, walls and shower are also beautiful choices. Some of today’s bathroom designs extend the tile all the way to the ceiling to expand the feeling of the room.

Wood is a bit tricky in the bathroom.  Because even sealed wood can still be more porous than stone, wood should be limited in its exposure to water. Wood floors add warmth to a bathroom, especially when they are heated. Wood vanities are typically painted or stained to keep moisture out. A wood bath mat and accessories add an organic touch to the bathroom.

Adding a mix of glass, stone and wood to the bathroom adds more visual interest to the space. And visual interest makes for a better design.

Furniture woven from natural materials can be a nice addition to a family room or casual living room. The woven material will add great texture the space. Wicker or woven abaca are good material choices for using indoors as well as outdoors.  A woven abaca table with a glass top can be a pretty addition to an eat-in kitchen as well as patio.  This living room’s furniture is a great example of how much woven furniture can add to a space, especially one that is monochromatic white.

Metal patio tables and chairs can also be used in the kitchen as eat-in dining options.  If you do use furniture with metal legs or bases be sure to protect your floors from scratches or rust spots with furniture pads.

Indoor/outdoor materials are also great for high traffic areas indoors. Indoor/outdoor rugs can be used in the kitchen, laundry room, or kids’ playroom. They are designed to withstand moisture and liquids, making them easy to clean and maintain.  Outdoor fabric is a good choice for the family room furniture as well.  Outdoor fabric is more durable and will resistant spills and stains of everyday family life.

We’re not suggesting you drag your patio chairs into your living room, but there are a lot of great decorating pieces designed for the outdoors that can be just as beautiful inside.