Anyone can feel a difference when entering a living room that has been designed meticulously. A well-designed living room should not only be impressive and engaging, but it should also feel warm and safe.
Trying to replicate a beautifully designed living room in your own home is a bigger challenge than most of think. It requires a lot of time and effort and be prepared to change things around multiple times before you end up with that perfect living room.
Interior designers spend their lives learning about small details that can make a room feel perfect. In most cases, what’s in the way of your living room becoming an amazing one, might be something very simple and easy to fix. An experienced interior designer or an interior decorator will catch that at a glance while a normal person will have no clue about what’s off.
In this article, we try to bring that dream living room a step closer to you by providing some simple yet important tips to make your living room look and feel great.
1. Think About Your Colour Scheme
Are the current colours used in your living room doing a good job? If you believe otherwise, start by creating a colour palette that goes well with how light is distributed in your living room as well as its size.
It’s important to take into consideration the colour of the furniture, artwork, rugs and other items in your living room. Make sure that they go well together to create a friendly and relaxing atmosphere.
Going for a palette of natural colours will do wonders with small living rooms. A mix of off-Whites or beiges has the magical ability to push back the walls and make your living room feel much larger.
2. Avoid Overcrowding the Room!
Planning a great living room layout has a lot more to do than simply pushing a couch against a wall opposite to your TV. Consider views from the main views of your living room and create conversation grouping.
Avoid overcrowding your living room with furniture and other items. Make sure that you give your furniture enough breathing space. There’s no need to fill up the room with furniture. This will also help you to use your budget on fewer items with better quality.
3. Picking the Right Furniture
When shopping for furniture, it’s a good idea to go for items with a lightweight appearance. This will be based on the size, colour and design of an item. It’s very important to make sure that your furniture doesn’t overpower your living room.
Use low-slung furniture to fake height if your ceilings are low. If you have high ceilings, decorate your room in such a way that it draws the eye upward. Floor-to-ceiling drapes are also a good option for living rooms with high ceilings.
4. Add Colour to Window Trims
Paint window trims with a suitable colour that blends with the landscape. It’s an ideal way to make a statement. Most window trims are usually coloured same as the walls. That’s a great opportunity lost with most cases.
Use the colour of your window trims to add more contrast and depth to your living room.
5. Create a Focal Point
Select one or two special items in your living room to create a main focal point while giving others secondary roles. This may be an art-piece or a great looking fireplace. Usually, the best location for a focal point is directly across the room from the entrance.
Avoid having too many focal points. That will create visual noise. One main focal point and one or two secondary ones should work well in a medium sized living room.
6. Hang Artwork Correctly
There’s a bit of debate surrounding this topic. Some interior designers feel that the height that you hang your artwork should be based on human scale, not the scale of your living room. The average human eye level is 57 inches, so that’s the ideal height according to this rule.
The other method is to break your wall into four sections vertically. The artwork should be hung within the third section from the floor. Try both these rules and pick the one that feels better.
7. Add Layers of Lighting
A central lighting fixture doesn’t do justice to most living room setups. Professional interior designers use layers of lighting to create intrigue and variety.
The simplest way to achieve this is by highlighting your focal point and a few secondary focal points. You can also add some lower lighting using table lamps to create interest.
8. Play Around with Scales
Vary the scale by mixing up items of various sizes. They might look highly insignificant when placed individually, but as a group, they might make the statement that you’re aiming for.
Remember that odd numbers such as threes and fives are more pleasing to the eye than even numbers. You can also use mirrors to vary the scale inside your living room.
9. Don’t make it too precious for everyday living!
Your living room must be convenient for everyday living. It must be a comfortable, inviting and friendly area for you and your guests, never an intimidating or uncomfortable one.
It’s also important to have storage available in the living room to keep toys, books and other items. Also maintain a drawer for junk. You are going to need it!
10. Creativity is Key
Guidelines and principles are very useful and they work most of them time. However, there might be instances where your creativity can resolve a problem better than a mighty principle.
Never shy away from ideas that make you smile and comfortable. A creative arrangement of art, a beautiful collection of cozy pillows or a unique investment piece can make your living room feel more homely and interesting.
11. Don’t Hesitate to Get Professional Help
If you continue to feel that something is still off despite your best efforts, perhaps it’s a good idea to seek professional help.
A good interior designer might be able to make some simple changes to make your living room a great one while saving you a lot of time and money. Whether you already know exactly which curtains or furniture you want, but need help tying the pieces together, we can help!
