The living room is a special place to design. It is not only a public place where guests will first step into; it is a place that is meant to entertain and be comfortable as well for the family. It is important to design for the mix of style and appearance, but also comfort and familiarity.
Below are some tips to bring life to your living room while maintaining its outward clean and put together appearance.
Color
Your color scheme should start out with one neutral color. This can usually be a white, cream, or brown color. This will include your walls, most of the furniture, your curtains, etc. A variation of the colors on a scale are great but stick to the same color family. Out of this, you can start adding in pops of colors. These color features are an excellent way to draw the attention to a certain point, and also brings life to the whole room. Ideas of places to add these colors include chair coverings, pillow coverings, and any other simple decorations to the area. Just a few of these accents will liven up the whole living room and warms the space.
Furniture
When we typically think of living room furniture our minds go to large fixtures that are semi-permanent. From sofas to multimedia entertainment sets, the living room is not a place where things are moved around most of the time. It is great to have a basis of furniture that will stay in place. However, to switch it up just a little, consider putting in some pieces of furniture that are deliberately meant to be moved from place to place.
Some great examples of this include footstools that can act as chairs, scattered cushions, small side tables. These movable items will allow you, your family, and your guests to feel as if it is a space where they can be comfortable in and move freely. This makes the whole place feel more inviting and comfortable.
Artwork
Adding in large pieces of artwork to your living room will give you the ability to characterize your home. Choose something that speaks to you. Consider putting photographs of your family or of sceneries you have been to. Having this personal touch is great to define the living room not only as a place for family, but also a place to invite guests to your home.
Screens and Curtains
Consider adding in a moveable screen or even curtains to part of the living room, so that you can divide up the space when you want to have a more intimate feel. There are many decorative screens you can choose from in all styles, from antique to modern. Similarly with curtains, you can choose to open up your home to your neighbors and the bright light, or close the curtains for a private gathering. Screens and curtains give you the option to turn your living room into a versatile space that you can change depending on the circumstance.
