The forgotten room
We’re really starting to see living room trends shift more toward casual spaces. What traditionally used to be a room reserved for guests and special occasions has morphed itself into the hub of the family home.
Centered around the idea of conversation, relaxation and entertainment, living rooms are now a place where families come together, friends reminisce or individuals snuggle upon a couch. The living room must be adaptable for any occasion.
So, here’s how to cosy up, perfect and style this once overlooked space:
Picture walking into your living room, instantly we are drawn towards features. Whether it’s an existing window, fireplace or something decorative, never underestimate the power of a feature piece. It can act out as a good starting point and help to develop a colour scheme.
As we move into the living room, we feel inclined to sit down on the sofa or chair in a living room. Not because we need to but that’s just the norm to do so. So, try to consider the flow of people’s movements around furniture, make clear pathways and avoid cluttering it together.
Most importantly choose seating that is functional and provides maximum comfort.
Believe it or not, bringing a sofa a few inches off the wall allows for a bit more breathing space, and can in fact make a room feel bigger.
The living room is highlighted as a common place of interaction. Positioning furniture where conversation can come about naturally is important. If you find yourself having to crane your neck, or shout across the room, it can lead to an unpleasant, uncomfortable experience.
Think about anchoring the living room with a coffee table as the center piece. The bigger it is the better. It allows space for drinks to be placed, displaying your favourite accessories, center those interactions and tie the room together.
Now it’s time to spruce up that living room, adding in more elements and expressing your own individual style. Whether you stick with your colour scheme or tie it in to the décor of your room, artwork is the perfect way to layer it up. You can start a room with a piece of art being the focal point, or use it at the end to help compliment a room.
Cushions and throws give the room a softer look, or add a bit of spark to the room, even a rug under the coffee table provides a sense of warmth, or even help to define a space.
Accessorising allows flexibility to change up your style, dependant on the season or trend you’re after, to give the room a new look or different dimension.
But keep in mind, everything should be balanced and in proportion. Avoid hanging a smaller photo frame over a larger piece of furniture. Alternatively use a larger piece of artwork to match the length of the sofa. Just like too much furniture on one side or too little on another can leave the room feeling lopsided.
Lastly don’t forget lighting, lighting is a powerful source when it comes to homes. The right light lifts the mood, inspires productivity, and motivates us. Try using a mix of overhead lighting, floor and table lamps. Lighting needs to be placed at different levels in order to be properly balanced. So, use a variety of fixtures and don’t just rely on the lights already in the room to create comfort.
We all aim to have a practical yet aesthetically pleasing living area, so plan ahead when organising your living room and understand whether or not everything will fit together how you want them to. Remember no look is final, so keep on changing up the layout, colour or décor until it looks like something that suits you.