No matter if you’re looking to completely renovate your living room or for a quick sprucing up, here are some tips to help you make the living room your family’s favorite room in the house!
Arrangement
First you want to establish a focal point for the room. Is it a dramatic painting on the wall? Roaring fireplace and mantel? Large bay window? Or your television? Whatever you decide make sure your furniture will represent this focal point by either aiming away or at the center of attention.
Furniture
Seating is a large part of your furniture in a living room, this means sofas, armchairs, chaise or poofs. Once you have those figured out adding in the coffee table, side tables. Keep in mind where your guests will be sitting. Will be having drinks and need a place to put them? Will you need a central location for playing games or serving food? After all the furniture has been decided, keep in mind these essentials:
- Traffic and Flow: Be sure to leave enough room for people to walk around the furniture; this means pulling furniture away from the walls, creating a more intimate setting.
- Creating Conversation Areas: Allow people to easily converse without having to turn awkwardly or strain their neck to speak. Keep in mind with large living room areas to create multiple smaller areas for people to talk.
Placing furniture around a common focal point, like our rustic wood and metal coffee table.
Area Rugs
Rugs can be used to designate areas or create walking. A common mistake is placing a rug that is too small for the space. All your furniture should fit comfortably on the carpet, or else at least the front legs of your large pieces of furniture. Consider adding a fun pattern to your floor, this can create energy and bring the room to life.
Lighting
Deciding which lighting for your room means deciding the ambiance you want to convey. Overhead lighting such as recessed, chandelier or flush mounts, are great for living rooms. Adding accent lights such as table and floor lamps are another type of lighting to consider. You can always add lights to change the feel of an area.
Side table with storage, while keeping books, coffee and tissues close by.
Color Scheme
Playing with contrast is a great way to add depth to a living room. A neutral couch or wall with pops of colorful pillows or artwork. Creating light wall and dark furniture, vise-versa, will make your living room look rich and welcoming. Adding textures such as leather, wool, metals, concrete, glass can make a room feel cozy and dimensional. Pillows can be a great place to start when decorating a room. These can play into color and texture and instantly update any space.
Art/Decorations
Although subjective, art can complete a room. Create a gallery wall with a color theme, add various frames or keep them similar, have fun and be creative. Placing artwork above the couch, an open all, above a mantel or surrounding a door or window. Other decorative pieces can include family heirlooms, founds treasures, books or plants. Display them on tables, bookshelves, wall mounted shelves and other surfaces for a home-y touch and personal touch.
Incorporating some of our tips and showcasing some of our products, XOlivi put together the perfect living room with a rustic-contemporary theme - see her video above!
Shop these products and more at MyGift Entryway & Living Room Decor.
