- Setting the Mood with Color
The colors you choose to use in your living room is going to have a big impact on how people feel when inside the room. Colors can relax or energize the space, depending on how intense the colors are or how cool or warm they are.
When you use a scheme of white and soft blue, it makes the room feel cooler and calmer and makes it a great place for elegant gatherings. If you want to keep the cool tones in balance, then consider getting a light tan carpet underfoot.
- Finishing the Walls and Ceilings
Traditionally, the living room received the most formal and elaborate treatment than other rooms because it is considered a public space. Choose wall coverings and treatments reflecting your style if you want the room to be welcoming and expresses your personality.
If you choose a chic paint for your wallpaper, it is going to leave warmth and texture on the walls and make them look of antiquity.
- Adding Character with Architectural Trimwork
There are practical purposes that trimwork serves, covering the seams where ceilings meet floors and walls meet ceilings, and supporting the structure where there are openings. They can be used for aesthetics too. You can use trimwork to get a distinctive look for your home, whether contemporary, classic, regional, or old-world.
You can give a white-washed living room a sense of place by projecting lintels over the windows and doors and a deep cornice.
- Choosing Stylish, Comfortable Flooring
The living room is a public space, and this is why it is a good idea to go with a floor covering that comes with comfort underfoot while providing a design statement at the same time. Choosing a wall-to-wall carpet for your flooring gives you a mix of stripes and florals.
If you don’t want your floor to be that bold, then go with a solid neutral flooring which will allow the attention to focus to be more on the art or furniture. One of the most popular options for hardwood floors is area rugs. You can also choose stone tile, ceramic tile, and full carpeting.
- Creating a Focal Point
It is important to have a focal point in your living room because it will help draw someone into the space. The TV has become the center of attention in most living spaces. A fireplace is a great option when looking for a natural focal point because it is a symbol of hearth and home. You should pair them up so they don’t compete. You can also use a stunning piece of art or a beautiful view as a focal point of your living room.
- Arranging Furniture for Conversation
Living rooms are used by many people when gathering, and it is a good idea to arrange your furniture in a way that promotes interaction and conversations. The seats should be pulled away from the walls and arranged in a way that they face each other.
If you have a large living room, then consider breaking it into two because it will make conversations a little bit easier and give it an intimate feeling. Ottomans and country footstools can be pulled into the group when needed, which allow you to increase the circle while still keeping the intimacy.
- Planning for Inviting Lighting
You should use the lighting in your living room to create a relaxed and comfortable mood. Have layers of light, and position the light sources in a way that they form a triangle because this ensures great distribution of illumination.
Having table lamps focusing the light down is going to help in encouraging people to get seated and relax. This is because the light illuminates the seating area instead of the walls, and this will send a message to people that they can sit.
- Dressing the Windows – or Not
Heavy window treatments as seen as something of the past by many people, but if you still want it, then a living room is the best place for elaboration and luxury. Combining floor-to-ceiling draperies and relaxed shades are elegant end understated.
The generous use of fabrics in the draperies is what brings elegance – while they are not fancy, the thick folds and puddling communicate luxury. These shades are going to block light while providing you with privacy any time you need it.
- Designing a Media Center
If the living room is also the family room, then watching TV might be the main use of that room. Whether you have the older model or the newest model, you should make sure you incorporate it into the design of your living room because you want it to become a feature of the room.
- Accessorizing with Art and Collections
You can make your living room walls come alive when you display collections and art on them. For impact, group items then hang them low because they are going to relate to nearby architecture and furnishings. One mistake many people make when it comes to hanging pictures is to put them too high.