Make natural furniture such as rattan chairs and jute area rugs a part of a modern living room style if you can. These texture features will ground the room without spoiling its modern appearance – like this room from Brophy Interiors.
Rather than paint your walls dark and then wall art something flashy would work well for large living rooms. The trick here is to pull the eye up by adding details such as a intricate wooden ceiling or arrangement of picture frames and accessories displayed on shelves – all this just makes the room seem bigger and larger.
1. Natural Light
Light from nature is not just decorative, it’s also good for you to have in your home and can help make you feel better and calmer. If your living space gets little direct light, try bigger windows and open plan to get more light in there.
Create a calm space with natural materials and neutrals mixed together. Combine furniture types – like this Christina Kim’s beach house – for variety; an arched floor-to-ceiling bookshelf with antiques is the last touch.
Ashley Montgomery Design advises to replace the full sofa with two of the same chairs to create a talking circle in this living room. It is a great way to fit more people in without having your design sloppy.
2. A Fireplace
Your fireplace is also the site of countless family and friend milestone photos — from prom and graduation shoots to weddings, baby showers, anniversaries and Christmas parties — so it needs to look as good as it can.
A quick and affordable way to bring your fireplace and surround back to life is by painting it. Warm tones of earthy colors such as terra-cotta red and olive green are cozy and neutrals such as grey are ideal in any palette.
Dark blues such as Twilight 2058-10 or Champion Cobalt give your living room the edge of dramatic drama, and muted teals such as Tucson Teal 2056-10 or Pacific Rim 678 offer a random and quirky look. You can even use accent lighting to emphasize fireplaces – wireless sconces with their clean design or more traditional antique brass lights can complete the picture.
3. Mirrors
You can make any room seem bigger and be prettier with the help of mirrors for smaller rooms where light is scarce. This comes in handy, but only when deployed strategically.
And if you have a specific mirror frame that is right for your room, you can always make an educated design move. From clean, minimalist frames to fancy vintage frames – there is something for everyone.
Mirrors give depth and make a space look brighter on the top half of a room and make it appear bigger. -Hang them up on the long walls of a living room, too, for more interest and dimension, or even put several mirrors in a row for a bold look.
4. Additional Seating
Your living room is the room where you meet with family and friends, and having room for a couple or more people is part of meeting them. A big U-shaped sectional can make a great centrepiece, or seating around a coffee table also helps and everyone has their own place.
Stay away from eye lines – do not put couches and furniture too close to walls. Stiff furniture can also come in handy, as can dual-functioning furniture such ottomans that double as both seat and footrest – small spaces could really use that.
Nature, from a wooden beam to rattan armchairs create a cozy vibe for any space. A rug of the same color in the same area unifies everything.
5. Storage
The living room is the most important space that should remain clutter free in order to have an open, spacious and functional environment. This is what storage furniture and proper organising will do for you.
Bookcases and shelving units are a good way to use up vertical space and place decorative objects and keepsakes in a stand-out fashion. Pick from various lengths and styles of shelves so that one suits your living room theme.
Find an easy DIY project by lining a window with shelves and adding soft cushions for a reading nook. : A ladder is a great tool for storing blankets, slippers, charging cables, remotes, headphone stands etc. Modular wall mounts are another good way to display books and keep bad media gear or clutter from the eye.
