Living rooms. A Parsons table in bone-colored lacquer doubles as a decorative table and a desk space in this urban living room. Ridder placed this desk right in front of the window in order to take advantage of the high-rise view. When decorating a living room, you want your furniture to help your guests feel at ease. The design should welcome them, look amazing, but not feel over decorated. Ridder always starts her living room designs with a furniture plan. This is the basic organization of the room, which Ridder says should contain multiple seating areas, all with comfortable seating, tables, and good lighting. "A successful living room beckons you to explore, then invites you to stay for awhile. Less a product of decoration than sensibility, it projects an understated confidence that infuses its furnishings and puts guests at ease," writes MacIsaac.