Hamburg  - Living rooms these days have to be multifunctional places for relaxing, reading, watching television, playing games and sometimes for working.

It's not easy to balance everything and still have an attractive space. In fact it's the equivalent of creating a little piece of art.

Step 1: What a living room needs

Sofa, coffee table, shelf: A wide range of furniture can go in the living room, but nothing says they must. What's needed and what is wanted, more so than in other rooms, are individual choices.

"As a vegetarian I can cook the best dishes without meat, therefore what reason is there for a couch to be a must-have in my living room?" asked German lifestyle expert Katharina Semling. "It's important to have a theme. What is the room's statement? This is where most people get bogged down," said Semling.

Living rooms commonly have souvenirs from various vacation destinations collecting dust on the shelves. Add to that furniture and accessories that have gathered over the years and that don't necessarily fit together. People who go on holiday to other continents often have items from Africa in one corner, knickknacks from Asia in the other.

Typically, there's a piece of furniture that's been inherited and a few new acquisitions from a furniture store. There are cases in which these items together hit the mark, but these are exceptions. Usually, it looks like a pot of stew with too many ingredients.

Experts in interior design advise people to let go of pieces that don't fit in. Constanze Koepp of a Hamburg interior design company said less is more and a tidy, consistent look forms a good base. For example, when a bit of North African flair arrives in the home after a vacation in Morocco, that means it's time for the Buddha statues and the silk pillows brought back from Thailand to move out.

Step 2: Create defined areas

The more events and parties that take place on in a home, the more important it is to define individual areas, said Katharina Dobbertin, an interior architect in Hamburg.

"The living room or family room can have a deep-pile, comfortable rug to separate it from another area that is more functional," Dobbertin said. If there's also a dining table in the living room, it's important to position it so that from the couch, the table is not the only thing in view.

Step 3: Place lights skilfully

The furniture has been carefully selected, the accessories have been properly matched, and despite all that, the room still hasn't come together. When this happens, the room's lighting often is to blame.

"Ceiling lights in the living room are wrongly placed," said Dobbertin. She recommends soft lights from multiple sources in the living room.

Step 4: What to avoid

Koepp said that she notices more and more in her customers' homes how living rooms often are taken over by children's things. Stuffed animals lie on the sofa, puzzles occupy space on the bookshelf and toy cars are sitting on the television. Children should learn early to keep things in their rooms, and parents should be consistent about taking things out of the living room to avoid letting a giant mound of toys grow. (dpa)