Do you have a beautiful, luxury living room that lacks the desired warmth and charm? You don’t need to start building a fireplace to achieve it. Often, a small change can work wonders.
Consider furniture layout
Many living rooms are built around a sofa squashed against the wall and facing the TV, which is far from cosy. Try something different. Place your seating furniture away from the walls and turn it so that family members can face each other. Nothing as extreme as getting rid of your TV, just don’t make it the room’s focal point. Corner sofas complemented by armchairs or ottomans can offer a good solution. You can also take inspiration from the principles of Feng Shui, which propose it’s best to arrange your furniture in a circle and not sit with your back to the door. If your living room is on the large side, placing all your furniture right by the walls is a definite no-no. It creates too much unnecessary space in the middle, and your living room ends up feeling more like a ballroom.
Add round shapes
Square shapes and lines may look elegant, but it’s round shapes that bring a sense of cosiness to any room. You can add them in many different forms, such as round decorative rugs, ottomans or floor lamps. A good idea could be a comfy wingback chair, an impressive take on the round trend.
Use sheer curtains
Sheer curtains make us think of net curtains of the days of yore that have no place in modern interiors. That’s not the case! Sheer curtains are no longer considered tacky dust collectors and pieces of fabric of dubious quality you couldn’t escape in any household. The range these days is much more varied and sure to please even fans of minimalism. You can find practical yet trendy solutions for any interior in no time. In summary, sheer curtains still have a lot to offer.
Stick to softer lighting
A living room needs to be properly lit, so you should figure out proper window and light placements during renovation. In the evening, though, we usually want to relax after a busy day, and only subtle, dimmed light does it for us. Sharp, blue light doesn’t go well with a cosy atmosphere, but soft light in yellow or orange tones, reminiscent of fire or sunset, is a different story. Do consider dimmed lighting when choosing lights for your living room. Recessed lights, LED strip lights or floor lamps with dimmers can serve the purpose well.
Give your home a distinctive style
Do you dream of a home of brochures? Nothing wrong with that, of course, but you need to make every interior design style your own. You’re the one who will be spending the majority of your free time in your living room. And why stick to only one interior design style when furnishing? Are you after a rustic sofa but otherwise prefer Scandi living? Don’t be afraid to mix and match. Drawing from different elements has, after all, its own name, originating in architecture: eclecticism. Just be careful not to confuse eclectic with chaotic and inconsistent. Even mixing and matching has its own set of rules, and it’s always important that the separate elements go well together.
Say hello to prints, throws, and houseplants
It’s often the little things that make a house or flat feel like home. Even the most staunch minimalist should not forget to accessorise. Wall decorations, such as prints, can help you out. Even just single, attention-grabbing wall art will do the trick. The same goes for sentimental clutter. No one is saying you should fill your home with dozens of holiday souvenirs, but a single family photo or a travel map marking your past trips can add a nice touch to the interior. Finally, don’t forget decorative cushions and throws, which are cosy and will warm you up during cold winter days. Last but not least, plants can bring a piece of nature straight to your home and even improve the air quality. You can also get closer to nature with the finishing touches of a few wooden accessories here and there.
