Do you adore your living room? When you are ready to unwind, curl up with a fantastic book, watch TV or hang out with friends, is your living room a location that brings relaxation, entertainment and a feeling of harmony? For a lot of us, our living rooms fall short in at least one area. Here is some troubleshooting for common issues.
First, think about these common living room design issues:
Lacks focusAwkward flowToo smallJust doesn’t feel attracted togetherPoor lightingBoringToo formal or overly casualDo some of these fit your room? Select your solutions below.
Jute Interior Design
Dilemma: Lacks concentrate
Option: Supersize your own accessories.
Bitty little candles, vases and knickknacks lose impact when spread across the room. Instead, choose large-scale mirrors and artwork, and chunky vases and objets d’art. If your room has a fireplace (working or not), it’s a natural focal point, so make sure you place a couple of accessories (a group of three works well) and a mirror over to reflect light.
A notice on fireplaces: when you have a working fireplace, maintain a neat pile of timber nearby and it will feel all the more cozy, even when a fire is not lit. In case you have a nonworking fireplace, then try filling it to the brim with cut timber, novels (pages facing, not spines) or a bunch of hurricane lanterns.
California Home + Design
Dilemma: Awkward flow
Option: Rethink your furniture arrangement.
If it seems awkward to maneuver throughout your living room, it may be time to roll your sleeves up and move that furniture. If you would like to save yourself some unnecessary heavy lifting, then draw the new design on paper first or use a free online tool (search “free floor plan”). When you are ready to get going, here are a few things to remember:
• Seating should be positioned close enough that conversations are simple, but with enough room to easily get into and from the seating area.
• Pull your furniture away from the walls to produce a more dynamic arrangement. In case you have the room, placing a long narrow table behind your sofa can help avoid that “floating” feeling.
• Notice the route from the door to every seat in the room. Is it a straight shooter, or do your own need to swerve furniture around? Aim to have a softly flowing route to every seat.
Alex Amend Photography
Dilemma: Feeling the pinch in a small space
Option: It’s all a matter of scale.
It may seem counterintuitive, but if you have a tiny room it may actually seem larger when filled up with large, comfortable furniture. The secret is to find bits that fill the area without overpowering it. An L-shape sofa works especially well in tiny rooms, and also a straight-backed armchair feels large without taking up too much floor area.
On the flip side, avoid needless space wasters, such as overstuffed seats, rolled-arm couches and colossal coffee tables.
Elizabeth Gordon
Dilemma: Only doesn’t feel pulled together
Option: Use symmetry to add polish.
Adding a couple of symmetrical components is a timeless decorator fix. Pairs of fitting lamps, vases or stools, or two couches facing each other operate well. Just bear in mind that too much symmetry can feel stiff, so set that last seat a bit askew or create an asymmetrical arrangement in your mantel to loosen things up.
LKM Design
Dilemma: Poor or unflattering lighting
Option: Insert more light sources but lower the wattage.
You would be amazed at the difference appropriate lighting can create. Try to have at least three light sources in the room, and frankly, more is better. Overhead fixtures can be great, with the caveat that they’re on a dimmer switch and supplemented with floor or table lamps.
Listed below are a few more things to remember when lighting your living room.
• Sconces are a great choice when floor and table space is tight. Swing-arm lights operate well as task lighting over reading seats.
• Fill dark corners with little pools of light. Lighting the corners of your room will make it feel bigger.
• Utilize lower-wattage bulbs but more lamps to create a warm, luminous effect.
Thom Filicia Inc..
Dilemma: Bland and dull
Option: Spice things up with rich details.
A room without books and intriguing fabrics can feel bland. If your living room is filled with accessories and furniture, it may be time to mark your calender and reach on a few local flea markets and antiques fairs. Quirky items are excellent conversation starters, and having intriguing books and artwork around makes life more gratifying. Background or a textured wallcovering like grass cloth may also add a sense of history and depth.
A notice on mirrors: I believe most decorators would concur that a room is not complete without a mirror. Some mirrors are meant to be looked in, it’s correct, but at times the ideal location to get a mirror is where it can’t be seen right into straight. On the mantel or a top bookcase might not be great for checking out of your outfit, but it is going to reflect light and perspectives and add a wonderful sense of depth to the room. Don’t always choose a rectangular mirror — ring mirrors are a classic choice, and a pair of square mirrors hung side by side is quite chic.
Wendi Young Design
Dilemma: Too formal
Option: Tailor the room to your actual life.
Mature homes especially are more apt to have a “formal” living room along with the more laid-back den or TV room, and suppose that one has used more often? While the attraction of display time is excellent, you can lure family members and friends to the living room by just introducing a more relaxed vibe. Listed below are a few ways to do precisely that.
• The trend in formal rooms is to place furniture farther apart, which may feel uncomfortable and stiff. Instead, pull your seats near the couch and table for a more intimate feel.
• in the event that you like taking snacks and tea to the living room, or you also like to play cards, why not use a counter table table? You may find some great ones in vintage shops, and there’s something a little bit different about using a tall coffee table which feels warm and friendly.
• Fill a basket with board games and cards, stock up on soft blankets to flake out and very good books to read, and also this chamber could become the new favorite rainy-day hangout place.
• Assess the comfort level. Are the seats worth sitting in? Are the fabrics so valuable that people are afraid to sit? Consider swapping out a few things to deliver the formality down a notch.
Elza B. Design, Inc..
Dilemma: Too casual
Option: Refine the colour palette and add crisp storage options.
Should you stay away from bringing business in your living room because it has turned into a cave for viewing TV and nothing more, it’s time to give your room a lift. Listed below are a few ideas.
• Maintain your colour palette tight. 2 main colours (one “safe” colour like light blue and one punchy shade like raspberry, to be utilised in smaller doses) and one neutral (white consistently works) are a lot.
• If your upholstery is severely sagging, think about having it redone or even buy a new piece. If the cloth itself is nice but the seat sags, look into having your cushions restuffed (much less costly than reupholstering).
• Add art and fun details. A fantastic tea tray, a fresh throw plus a sweet small vase for flowers can perform wonders.
• Hide away the media mess — DVDs, gaming gear and the like — in crisp, matching bins or boxes.
More:
The Family Home: Living Rooms You Can Stay In
Can Your Living Room Be Better Without a Sofa?