If you suck at interior design and wouldn’t have a clue where to start with your living room, welcome. I too suck at interior design, but I don’t have the budget to pay someone to do it for me. So, most of the time, I find that I’m winging it or searching the likes of Pinterest and Google.
But let’s face it, the living room is one of the most important spaces in our home and for me, as someone who works from home and looks at my living room multiple times a day, seven days a week, making my living room (and my entire house) a relaxing and inviting space is essential for my mental health and my productivity!
So, what I’ve learnt is that, when choosing the decor for your living room, you need to think about how you can make your room comfortable, functional, and stylish.
In this article, I’ve put together some things that I’ve learnt that can get your living room decor looking perfect, even if your interior design skills are lacking.
Introduce A Focal Point
I learnt that one of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is letting their TV set be the main focal point of their living room (oops). It is far too common and boring to make the TV the centrepiece of your living room. Instead, think about something more appealing to the eyes. A large painting or a photo portrait is a great way of attracting the attention of the eyes. Your guests (or you) won’t want to look at a TV when they are in your home, but they may enjoy seeing a piece of artwork they’ve never seen before. Alternatively, a photo wall with your own family photos is a great way to reflect during the day and a conversation starter.
Get The Right Lighting
Lighting fixtures are essential as far as the decor in your living room is concerned; there’s nothing worse than a light that’s far too bright in a room where you want to chill. You want the right amount of light to set the mood, but not so much that it blinds you. While on the lookout for ceiling fans recently (I don’t know how we’ve gone without them here in Queensland), I came across Philips hue lights that set the tone perfectly.
Use Bright And Warm Colours
This is where I tend to get a little confused; what colours to use. By using brighter colours, you’ll be able to make the room seem bigger. Darker or dull colours will only serve to make the room look smaller and less comfortable. White, cream or beige walls are usually best, and your furniture and curtains should also be warm and bright. The benefit with neutral colours is that you can bring in colour with accessories.
Placing Your Furniture
I have since learnt that the biggest mistake people make (me included), is to push the furniture, right up against the wall. Apparently, this is a big no-no. If you can, the furniture should be pushed close together to allow for more intimacy. I have to admit; we don’t do this in our home because, well, it’s just not big enough. But, I can understand the concept behind it. Having a combination of different seating is a good idea too, it gives you and your family comfort options as well as your guests. There’s nothing better than having your favourite comfy chair.
Layout Is Important
This is where I tend to come unstuck. I tend to put things where it makes sense to me and have trouble ‘thinking outside the square’. When we were trying to sell our house years ago, I thought the modular couch looked fine in our lounge room. A professional suggested otherwise. He suggested we break it up and only use a small piece of the lounge to make the area less cluttered. It worked, and we sold the house within the week.
I’ve learnt that the trick is, if your room is big, make sure you don’t space everything out so much that it feels empty. Ensure you leave enough space to move around comfortably. Think about ways that you can divide the room up into different sections with coffee tables. If you have a small living room, it’s all about the planning. Opt for smaller pieces of furniture, for example, two small armchairs instead of a couch. Ottomans can be used in the place of chairs, or you can do the opposite and buy the biggest couch that will fit in the space and have it as the only piece of furniture with hanging baskets on the walls. When all you’ve got is a tiny space, often minimalism works well, too.
Although this isn’t a piece that goes into loads of detail about living room decor tips, I don’t think you can fail if you consider the main points – focal point, lighting, furniture placement and layout. Remember that with all of these things, you can change them and move them around. The most important thing is that you create a space that makes you feel good and that you enjoy.
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