Are you ready for some football? How about your living room?

Here are some expert design tips to help you decorate your living room so it will always be ready to entertain during a game, movie night or other entertaining.

Your Media Room Doesn’t Have to Be a Cliche

When people hear the term media room, they often think of basement-level spaces that are dark and filled with dark furniture. But that doesn’t have to be the case! As long as you decorate the room giving your television a prime space, then the rest of the room can be designed to meet your overall style. So you should think about the entertainment center that you want and need. Do you want a larger wall unit where you can store your entertainment components as well as show off some knickknacks? Would a TV stand be sufficient, or should you think outside the box and mount your TV to the wall and then place a sofa table or sideboard underneath in an unconventional yet creatively stylish option for storing your electronics?

And don’t be afraid of natural lighting! Today’s TV screens often don’t get the same type of glare you grew up with. Plus, you can always get some heavy-duty window treatments that add to your decor – this way you can let in the light when you want and block it out when it meets your needs.

Decorate with Comfortable Seating – and Lots of It

People will be sitting for quite a bit of time to watch the game or recent blockbuster. So you want your living room furniture to include a lot of comfortable seating. Consider including a sectional or recliners. And even if you go with a more modern design, keep things like seat depth in mind so your guests are sure to have comfortable spots. And since your guests will be eating, drinking and showing their enthusiasm during the game, choosing a durable upholstery like microfiber or leather could make cleanup easier for you.

Give Your Guests Some Room

With everything your guests will want to do in your living room while watching the game, you’re going to want to fit in a lot of furniture: chairs to sit on, tables for drinks and food, etc. But resist the urge to put too much furniture in your game-watching room. Your guests will need space to visit, stretch out and cheer the game on, so be sure to leave enough room to minimize party fumbles.

Not Everyone Is Going to Watch the Game

Along the same vein, not everyone who comes to your game-day gathering is going to watch the game the entire time. With this in mind, setting up multiple functional sitting areas can make your party flow better. Have one sitting area squarely in front of the TV for those friends who are there to watch the game. Here they will have the best seat in the house to do just that.

Other groupings of chairs with tables or ottomans will give your guests the ability to break off into groups of like-minded friends to focus on some other aspects of the party. For example, one area with easy access to snacks and beverages could be ideal, as well as another area with chairs set up for chatting and catching up could both be great options for your living room.

We hope this advice will give you some great ideas for furnishing your living room or media room for your game-day gatherings. For more decor ideas and party tips, check out our Game Day Entertaining board on Pinterest.

Browse living room and entertainment furniture at Furniture.com.

Categories: Living Room Furniture, Design Tips